Description
This Italian Grinder Chicken Salad is a flavorful and easy-to-make dish combining shredded rotisserie chicken, assorted Italian deli meats, cheeses, and a tangy dressing. Perfect as a hearty salad, sandwich filling, or served with crackers or veggies, this recipe takes just 20 minutes to prepare and serves 4 people.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Cheese
- 2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
- 1/4 lb. salami or soppressata, diced
- 1/4 lb. pepperoni, diced
- 1/4 cup provolone, thick-sliced and diced
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
Vegetables
- 2/3 cup diced grape tomatoes
- 1/3 cup banana peppers (mild)
- 1/2 red onion, sliced thin or diced
Dressing
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1–2 tablespoons banana pepper juice from the jar, to taste
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- Salt, about 1/4 teaspoon
Instructions
- Make the Dressing: In a bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine mayonnaise, grated parmesan, red wine vinegar, banana pepper juice, oregano, garlic powder, freshly cracked pepper, and salt. Mix well and taste, adjusting seasoning if needed to balance tanginess and saltiness.
- Combine Salad Ingredients: In a large bowl, add shredded rotisserie chicken, diced salami or soppressata, diced pepperoni, diced provolone, crumbled feta, diced grape tomatoes, banana peppers, and thinly sliced or diced red onion. Gently mix to combine all components evenly.
- Add Dressing to Salad: Pour most of the prepared dressing over the salad ingredients. Toss thoroughly to evenly coat everything. Add any remaining dressing if you prefer a moister mixture.
- Storage and Serving: Transfer the chicken salad to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Serve chilled with crackers, tortilla chips, fresh vegetables, or as a sandwich filling.
- Use Leftover Dressing: If there is leftover dressing, store it separately in a sealed container in the fridge. Add it to the chicken salad when serving the next day to rehydrate and enhance flavors, as some dressing gets absorbed over time.
Notes
- This salad can be eaten immediately or refrigerated for better flavor development.
- You can substitute the deli meats with other Italian cold cuts like capicola or mortadella.
- Adjust the level of banana pepper juice to control the salad’s tanginess and heat.
- Serve with fresh vegetables, crackers, or use as a sandwich filling for versatile meal options.
- Keep dressing separate if you want a less soggy salad for longer storage.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Keywords: Italian grinder chicken salad, chicken salad recipe, Italian deli meat salad, easy chicken salad, rotisserie chicken recipe, no-cook salad
