In this day and age, almost all of us work a nine-to-five job. It is almost impossible to cook daily and eat a freshly cooked meal. That is when the concept of meal prep came in; this allowed much flexibility to all of us who are caught up with a busy schedule. One of the easiest but tasty meals to have prepared earlier is undoubtedly, Chicken salad. However, there is always a question, can you freeze it?

Chicken Salad

Anyone who has a nightmare thinking of salad has probably never tried out delicious salads like Chicken salad. Though chicken and salad sounds like they can’t go hand in hand, our cooking experts have made a tremendous combination of the two. 

Chicken salad is the one that may pop in your head when you are thinking of a versatile dish. It is easy to prepare, healthy, and filling dish-all in one. We all know how healthy it is to have a bunch of colors on your plate, and chicken salad is a dish filled with colors as it includes a variety of ingredients. It is a dish packed with protein, vitamins, and some good fat. 

Chicken salad can be a go-to dish if you are in a hurry or even if you are cutting down on your calorie intake. And, if you are a health-conscious person, Chicken salad must be your ultimate meal to have. 

Recipe of Chicken salad:

Chicken salad is a classic salad recipe that can be made following various recipes online or just in your own way. Though it is a personal choice to add or skip ingredients, we have a standard recipe for chicken salad for you in the following.

• Take one piece of chicken breast and marinate it with salt and pepper to taste. 

• After 10 minutes, add a dash of oil in a pan to cook the chicken. 

• Once the chicken is cooked and has no pinkish color to it, remove it from the pan. 

• Cut the chicken into the desired piece.

Dressing for Chicken Salad

• Add one and a half tablespoon of mayonnaise/ olive oil. 

• Cut your desired fruits and vegetables to add to the salad. We suggest you add 2 tablespoons of diced celery and 1 tablespoon of red seedless grapes. These will add so many colors to the salad. 

• You can also add herbs like cilantro to add freshness to the salad. Salads are all about the freshness of it, so you definitely don’t want to miss out on any ingredient that throws in a hint of refreshment.

• Mix all of it together until well combined.

Combining the Chicken Salad

• Add the chicken pieces to the dressing

• Give it a stir so that the dressing is nicely spread on the chicken.

That is how easy preparing chicken salad is. This may take around 20 minutes to make. The mentioned recipe is good enough for a single serving.

Can You Freeze Chicken Salad?

While speaking of meal prep, we already know how it specifically means to make your meals ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. Following this, we can definitely stock chicken salad in this but a question arises- can we freeze chicken salad?

The answer to this widely asked question is, yes! You can surely freeze chicken salad but few studies suggest that it doesn’t freeze well.

Is it Alright to Freeze Chicken Salad?

Jumping straight to the answer to this question, it is quite OK to freeze chicken salad. You can easily defrost it. Having said that, we must look into what ingredients we have using to prepare the chicken salad. Ingredients are important to estimate how long the salad will stay good to eat.

A significant ingredient used to combine the chicken salad is mayonnaise. We can’t stress over how thick of a consistency mayonnaise has and it may turn any dish into a clumpy one sooner than we think. It is a rather better idea to use mayonnaise supplements like salad dressing, olive oil, mustard sauce, etc. in order to freeze it. 

Hence, the key to freezing a batch of chicken salad is having control over what ingredients are being used and how it is stored. 

Freezing Chicken Salad:

Other ingredients used in the chicken salad aren’t as sensitive as mayonnaise. But, be it a chicken salad with or without mayo, you must store it just the same. 

Buy some airtight freezable containers or zip lock bags to store your chicken salad. Make sure to divide in serving portions and get out the air before locking. Chicken salad can be in good condition for about 3-4 months. 

If you’re wondering how to know if the chicken salad has gone bad, you can understand by the smell. You can also notice the change in texture-if it has gone watery or heavy. However, to avoid contamination and enjoy the freshness of the salad, serve it in due course of time. In case of a store-bought chicken salad, store it as soon as you’ve opened it. 

These are some factors you must keep in mind while freezing your chicken salad.

Bottom Line

Chicken salad is such a multipurpose dish-it can be served as an appetizer or even as a snack. It mostly enjoyed during summer and spring, but you can have it at any season you want. The seasonal priorities come in when different fruits and vegetables are available so that you can add some fresh seasonal ones to your salad to give it a touch of the atmosphere. 

Adding your favorite ingredients to the chicken salad, you can give it a place in your list of favorite dishes to devour.  However, we suggest adding mayonnaise or similar fat ingredients right before serving. This will make the freezing process convenient and at the same time, your chicken salad will not be mushy while served. It is a win-win option!