Chicken Salad Recipe

Prepare chicken

If you don't have pre-roasted chicken, roast a bone-in chicken or use leftover roast chicken: cook until internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) and let rest 10 minutes. Remove skin if desired and shred meat into bite-sized pieces to measure about 2 cups.

Wash and chop lettuce

Trim the romaine, discard any wilted outer leaves, rinse thoroughly, and spin dry or pat dry with towels. Slice crosswise into roughly 1-inch pieces to yield about 4 cups.

Core and seed the tomato (optional) then cut into 6–8 wedges from the single medium tomato. Thinly slice the celery stalks on the bias into about 1/8-inch pieces. Quarter the hard-boiled eggs (see next section for boiling method). Place shredded chicken, chopped romaine, tomato wedges, sliced celery, and egg quarters in a large mixing bowl or arrange on a serving platter.

Make the aioli-style dressing

In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, finely minced garlic, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard and 1 teaspoon olive oil. Whisk until smooth. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, tasting and adjusting balance—add up to another 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon salt if needed. The dressing should be creamy, garlicky and slightly tangy.

If you prefer a thinner dressing, whisk in up to 1 tablespoon water or additional lemon juice until desired consistency is reached. Keep the dressing chilled until ready to toss with the salad components.

Boil eggs (if not prepped)

To make perfect hard-boiled eggs: place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a gentle boil, then cover, turn off the heat, and let sit 10–11 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath for 5 minutes, then peel and quarter.

Assemble the salad

Drizzle the aioli dressing over the salad ingredients in the bowl (start with about half the dressing). Gently toss with tongs to combine, taking care not to break up the egg quarters. Add more dressing to taste if desired.

Arrange the salad on individual plates or a platter. Scatter the Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings over the top. Finish with a light drizzle of 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Serve immediately. Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator up to 24 hours; store dressing separately if you anticipate leftovers to keep lettuce from wilting.