Fans of Chick-Fil-A know that if they’re stopping by the chain, they’re guaranteed to experience consistently good eatin’. With a plethora of appetizing items on their menu to try, it’s easy to find a favorite. So when something goes missing without any word of its departure (or when it’ll be coming back), it’s natural to expect fans to go into a full-fledged frenzy.
Such was the case when Chick-Fil-A discontinued their fan-favorite Chicken Salad. While there was no official word of why the fast-food giant opted to remove it from the menu, they decided to answer the growing pleas of fans who wanted it back with an unsuspecting move: they gave us the recipe.
After stumbling across the recipe and its very simple ingredients, I knew it was something I needed to try my hand at as soon as I could. After heading to Chick-Fil-A to pick up a few of their original chicken breasts, I got to work to see how this at-home version stacked up against the one made in-house.
Get Recipe: Chick-Fil-A Chicken Salad
Ingredients for Chick-Fil-A’s Chicken Salad
This recipe only calls for minimal ingredients, but will require you to still visit a Chick-Fil-A location near you. Here’s what you’ll need: four Chick-Fil-A chicken breasts (original or grilled), celery, sweet relish, mayonnaise and hard-boiled eggs.
Related: Chick-fil-A Adds One Sweet and One Spicy Option to Menus
Courtesy of Choya Johnson
How to Make Chick-Fil-A’s Chicken Salad
To start, refrigerate your Chick-Fil-A chicken breast for an hour until chilled. Then, add the chicken to a food processor along with the celery, sweet relish and mayonnaise. Mix on low for 5 seconds. Next, begin adding in the cooled and peeled hard-boiled eggs one at a time, processing for another 10 seconds, or until the salad is chopped to your desired consistency. Serve with crackers or on bread.
What I Thought of Chick-Fil-A’s Chicken Salad
For anyone who’s been missing Chick-Fil-A’s chicken salad, this one is definitely for you. Though there are plenty of restaurants that “leak” their own recipes for fans to enjoy at home, some of them aren’t even close to what you’d get at the restaurant. This, however, is exactly what you would get if you visited a Chick-Fil-A location.
Related: Copycat McDonald’s Sweet ‘N Sour Sauce Is the Upgrade Your Frozen Nuggets Need
This recipe was a super light lift and the fact that everything was done in the food processor (or blender) made it extra convenient. Using the chicken breast from Chick-Fil-A definitely cut down on the cook time, making this a great weekday dinner hack. And the fact that I already had the remaining ingredients in my kitchen made it a budget-friendly dish, too.
Truthfully, I was surprised by the amount of chicken salad the recipe made. I had more than enough for a meal, plus leftovers for later. I would absolutely make this recipe again.
Courtesy of Choya Johnson
A Tip for Making Chick-Fil-A’s Chicken Salad
Swap out the Chick-Fil-A chicken breast for home-cooked. While heading to Chick-Fil-A was indeed convenient, if you’re making this on a Sunday, you won’t have the luxury of stopping by a location. In that case (or if you just don’t want to spend the money on the chicken breast from CFA), feel free to make some at home.
