There are many tasty ways to prepare chicken for salads.
Leftover or fresh chicken may be tossed into a salad, along with cucumbers, spinach leaves, dressing and cheese for an important part of a well-balanced diet. The addition of chicken to a salad offers a tasty counterpoint to the vegetables. How you cook the chicken determines the character of the salad.
Chicken Salad
Chicken salad provides a nutritious, light alternative to eating a high-calorie lunch or dinner of, say, burgers and fries. Chunks of chicken, prepared a number of ways, tops off a mixed greens, romaine or iceberg lettuce salad. Asian chicken salads feature basil-seasoned chicken with almonds, brown rice and plum sauce. Pepper chicken salad may include nuts, grapes and walnuts. The addition of chicken makes salads attractive to those who wouldn't ordinarily eat a salad as a meal or main dish.
Marinade
No matter how you decide to cook the chicken to make a low-calorie salad, marinate the chicken beforehand. Use a sweet-and-sour, teriyaki or soy-sauce based marinade for grilling or stir-frying chicken for a Chinese, Thai or Indian-style salad. Lemon herb, barbecue, chile pepper and cilantro marinades go with grilled or baked chicken for a southwestern or Mexican salad. Soak the chicken in a spicy jerk marinade for a Jamaican- or Caribbean-style salad. Seal the chicken and marinade in a plastic bag and refrigerate overnight.
Grilling
Grilled chicken is the main ingredient in popular healthful salads such as chicken Caesar salad. Use fresh, moist chicken breasts, preferably grass-fed, free-range chickens for the best taste. Fire up a gas or charcoal grill or burn mesquite, hickory or fruit-tree wood for a smoky taste. Broil or grill the breasts until they are browned and cooked in the centers. Let the chicken rest for five minutes on the cutting board to consolidate the flavor before slicing into strips or chunks.
Baking and Stir Frying
Stir fry chicken in sesame or peanut oil for oriental salads. Chop the chicken into bite-sized chunks or slice it into thin strips. Turn the heat up high to sear the chicken, then finish it with seasonings over a medium flame, constantly swirling and stirring the wok. Bake chicken at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes in a shallow baking pan. Cook the chicken with salsa, barbeque or broth sauces for flavor and moistness.
Tags: addition chicken, Chicken Salad, chicken salad, chicken salads, chicken with, cook chicken
