Grape & Pecan Chicken Salad

This chicken salad is my husband’s favorite lunch. Whenever I ask him what he wants for lunch for the week, the answer is always chicken salad. Why do I still ask? I dunno. The addition of grapes and pecans makes it a little fancier than everyday chicken salad and adds a really nice crunch.

One of the main ingredients of any chicken salad, tuna salad, any meat salad really, is mayonnaise. Not all mayonnaise is created equal. Why? Because, most commercial mayos are made from highly processes, refined oils that easily turn rancid.

Canola oil and soybean oil are the two oils most commonly found in commercial mayo. Even if a mayo label says, “made with olive oil”, check the ingredient list. You will most likely find that olive oil is the 3^rd or 4^th ingredient listed and canola oil or soybean oil is the 1^st. These highly processed, refined oils are dangerous to our health because they are incorporated into our cell membranes creating weak cells and wreaking havoc on cellular metabolism which we depend on for energy.

There are two mayo options that will keep your cell membranes healthy:

1. Make your own mayo using olive oil, avocado oil or macadamia nut oil.
2. Order some Primal Kitchen Mayo made with avocado oil.

I prefer to make my own using this recipe. Let me save you some time and frustration. Read ALL of the tips & tricks BEFORE you get started. Mayo is a fickle condiment and will result in a disgusting, oily failure if you don’t do it just right.

 

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Grape & Pecan Chicken Salad

1. Place half of the chicken breasts in one layer in the crock pot. Sprinkle generously with sea salt and pepper. Place remaining chicken breasts in a second layer and sprinkle generously with sea salt and pepper.

2. Set crock pot to low and cook chicken breasts for 6 hours.

3. Chop the grapes, celery, onion and pecans. Store in the fridge until chicken is ready.

4. Go do something fun for the next 5 ½ hours while the chicken finishes cooking.

5. After 6 hours in the slow cooker the chicken should be very soft and easily pull apart with two forks. Shred all the chicken and transfer to a large bowl with a slotted spoon.

6. Add in mayonnaise, dill relish and chopped grapes, celery, onion and pecans. Mix  until well combined. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.

7. Enjoy warm or allow to cool in the fridge.

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Grape & Pecan Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• ¾ cup organic, seedless red grapes, chopped
• ¾ cup organic celery, chopped
• ¼ cup Vidalia onion, finely chopped
• ¾ cup raw pecans, roughly chopped
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup dill relish
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Place half of the chicken breasts in one layer in the crock pot. Sprinkle generously with sea salt and pepper. Place remaining chicken breasts in a second layer and sprinkle generously with sea salt and pepper.
2. Set slower cooker to low and cook chicken breasts for 6 hours.
3. Chop the grapes, celery, onion and pecans. Store in the fridge until chicken is ready.
4. Go do something fun for the next 5 ½ hours while the chicken finishes cooking.
5. After 6 hours in the slow cooker the chicken should be very soft and easily pull apart with two forks. Shred all the chicken and transfer to a large bowl with a slotted spoon.
6. Add in mayonnaise, dill relish and chopped grapes, celery, onion and pecans. Mix until well combined. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.
7. Eat warm or allow to cool in the fridge.