I Finally Cracked the Code on Chicken Salad Chick’s Maui Mama… and Mine’s Even Better

 

Even though there's a Chicken Salad Chick location close to my home, I've never been there—and I've certainly never tasted their chicken salad. Lately, though, I've been hearing a lot about their variety of flavors, especially the one that includes pineapple and jalapeño. That Maui Mama caught my attention right away.

I make chicken salad all the time, but I'd never experimented with this sweet-and-spicy combination. I looked up several copycat recipes online and gave a few a try... but they just didn't quite hit the mark for me. So I started tweaking: adjusting ratios, adding a touch more heat and smokiness, and fine-tuning until I landed on a version I'm convinced is even better (even without having tried the real thing yet!).

One thing that's pretty widely known among Chicken Salad Chick fans is using a hand mixer with the beaters to shred the chicken—it creates that perfect fluffy, fine texture in seconds. I finally tried it myself, and wow, I'm sold. No more tedious fork-shredding for me!

Chicken Salad Chick Maui Mama (My Upgraded Version)
Makes about 4 generous servings

2 c. cooked chicken breast, shredded
⅔ c. Duke’s mayonnaise
1 rib celery, finely minced
2 strips cooked bacon, minced
⅓ c. pineapple tidbits, chopped
1 Melissa’s pickled jalapeño, minced
1 t. pineapple juice
1 t. pickled jalapeño juice
⅛ t. onion powder
⅛ t. garlic powder
⅛ t. kosher salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Place warm or room-temperature chicken in a large bowl. Using the paddle attachment on your hand mixer, shred on low speed until perfectly fluffy (about 60 seconds). This is the secret to that signature Chicken Salad Chick texture! 

Add all remaining ingredients and stir until creamy and evenly combined. 

Taste and adjust salt or jalapeño juice if you want a little more kick. 

Serve on croissants, crackers, lettuce wraps, or straight from the bowl with a spoon (no judgment here).

Sweet, spicy, smoky, creamy… every bite feels like a Hawaiian vacation with a Southern twist. Make it once and you’ll be craving it every week. 

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