Chicken legs salads can be both light and very satisfying. Such an appetizer can even be served on the festive table. Various options for such salads are presented below.
Pumpkin and Chicken Salad
Pumpkin is rarely used for salads. And in combination with maple syrup, it is associated exclusively with dessert. However, chicken legs are quite combined with sweet. To prepare this interesting snack, you will need:
- 800 grams of pumpkin pulp, peeled and chopped;
- 2 l Art. maple syrup;
- 1 liter Art. olive oil;
- half a glass of walnut, peeled;
- 600 grams of smoked chicken legs;
- 100 grams of a mixture of spinach and arugula;
- 1 red onion, finely chopped.
Mustard dressing:
- 2 l Art. olive oil;
- 2 l Art. apple cider vinegar;
- 2 l including maple syrup;
- 1 liter including whole grain mustard.
How to cook
This smoked chicken salad is very easy to prepare. First of all, preheat the oven to 220 ° C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Place slices of pumpkin, maple syrup and butter in a bowl, mix thoroughly. Place the mixture in one layer on the prepared pan. Season with salt and pepper.
Bake for 20-30 minutes, adding walnuts over the last 8 minutes of cooking. The pumpkin should be very soft. Cool the cooked mixture. Meanwhile, cut the chicken legs into pieces, removing all the bones from them.
Prepare a mustard dressing. Place the oil, vinegar, syrup and mustard in a jar with a screw cap. Shake it to combine all the components. Place the pumpkin, walnuts, chicken meat, leaf mix, onion and seasoning in a large bowl. Stir and serve.
Option with Avocado
This recipe for chicken legs with avocado is surprisingly delicious. It has a delicate texture and a pleasant aroma. In addition, its dressing does not contain mayonnaise. If you want to increase the amount of protein, add two hard-boiled eggs, cut into quarters, into the appetizer. For a basic ham salad recipe, you need the following:
- 2 large boiled chicken legs (chopped meat from them);
- 2 large avocados;
- 1 cup corn from boiled ears or canned;
- 180 grams of low-fat bacon, fried and chopped;
- a quarter cup of leek (or green onion), chopped finely;
- 2 l Art. dill, chopped.
For refueling:
- 3 l Art. freshly squeezed lemon juice;
- 3 l Art. olive oil;
- 1 liter including sea salt, or to your taste;
- 1/8 l h. black pepper.
Cooking Avocado Salad
Dice the meat from two chicken legs, cutting it off the bones. Put it in a deep bowl. Peel and chop two large avocados and add to the chicken meat. Add a glass of boiled or canned corn, a quarter cup of chopped green onion or leek, chopped bacon and 2 tbsp. tablespoons of chopped fresh dill.
Add seasoning ingredients to a small bowl and mix to combine. Pour the salad over this mixture and mix. Serve hard-boiled eggs with slices if desired.
Notes for this recipe
You can use grilled chicken or boil or bake chicken legs to your liking. Ideally, chicken should only be seasoned with pepper and salt.
To make a healthier salad of boiled chicken legs, you can use raw turkey bacon, which tastes delicious but contains less fat.
Mustard, Bacon and Avocado Chicken Salad
A salad with chicken, bacon, avocado and a surprisingly delicious sauce of five ingredients will certainly be appreciated by many. The combination of mustard and honey is a classic, and snacks with this dressing never cease to be popular. Such a ham salad can even be served as a main course, as it is very satisfying. To cook it, you will need the following.
For refueling:
- a third of a glass of honey;
- 3 l Art. whole grain mustard;
- 2 l Art. homogeneous Dijon mustard;
- 2 l Art. olive oil;
- 1-2 l. Art. apple cider vinegar (or white, 6%);
- 1 liter including chopped garlic;
- sea salt to your taste.
For salad:
- 4 chicken legs without skin and boneless, smoked;
- a quarter cup of diced bacon, peeled and fat;
- 4 cups Roman lettuce leaves, washed;
- a glass of cherry tomatoes cut in half;
- 1 large avocado, pitted and diced;
- a quarter cup of canned corn;
- a quarter of red onion, chopped finely.
How is it prepared?
This is a simple smoked ham salad recipe. Combine all the ingredients for dressing to get a homogeneous mass. Cut the chicken into strips and mix it with lettuce, tomatoes, avocado slices, corn, onion slices. Pour all over the dressing and stir well. Sprinkle bacon on top and season with a little extra salt (coarse) and freshly ground pepper.
Option with BBQ Sauce
Cooked with fresh vegetables, smoked juicy chicken legs and a smoke-flavored dressing, this salad can be called an excellent summer dish. Its basic recipe is subject to change at your discretion. In the classic version, this is a salad of smoked legs, cheese and tomatoes with barbecue sauce as a dressing. To prepare it, you will need the following:
- 6 glasses of fresh herbs;
- 240 grams of meat from smoked chicken legs, without bones and skin;
- 3-4 l. Art. barbecue sauce;
- a glass of red canned beans, washed and dried;
- a glass of canned corn;
- a glass of cherry tomatoes cut into halves;
- 1 avocado, diced;
- a quarter cup of diced red onion (or green);
- a quarter cup of fresh cilantro, crushed (optional);
- half a glass of feta cheese, crumbled.
Cooking a salad with barbecue sauce
This delicious smoked chicken salad is easy to prepare. In a small bowl, combine chicken and 3-4 liters. Art. barbecue sauce (it should be enough to cover the chicken). Leave on for 15-20 minutes. In a large bowl, combine greens, chicken with sauce, red beans, corn, tomatoes, avocados, red onions and cilantro. Mix everything thoroughly with a fork. Sprinkle finely chopped feta cheese.
How can I change this recipe?
There are so many delicious vegetables that you can add to this salad. For example, sweet peppers, peas, celery and much more - all this will turn out delicious. You can also exchange smoked chicken for grilled chicken, add bacon or a little hard-boiled egg. If you don't like soft cheese, you can use finely grated cheddar.
Option with celery and mayonnaise dressing
This chicken salad can be used as a meal with you. Just put the main ingredients for it in a glass jar with a lid, and before use, add mayonnaise to it and stir. As additional ingredients, you can add an avocado or squeeze a little lime juice. This is an ideal meal for lunch or light dinner, especially when there is no free time.
In total, you need the following:
- 2 smoked chicken legs;
- 1/3 of the red onion;
- a glass of celery, stem, chopped;
- a glass of mayonnaise;
- table salt, at your discretion;
- black pepper, at your discretion.
How to make this mouth-watering snack
This recipe is really simple. It differs from many other cooking instructions in that it uses only smoked chicken meat, and only with chicken legs (not breasts!). Cut off all the meat from these parts of the chicken. Do this carefully to fully select each bone. Once the meat is separated, cut it into small cubes up to 7 mm in size. Skin should not be removed. On the contrary, with it the salad will turn out only tastier.
Grind celery and onions in a food processor to the desired consistency. Add chicken, mayonnaise, salt and pepper and mix several times. Lettuce should stand in the refrigerator for several hours before serving. It is great both on its own and on sandwiches (toasted bread, salad, tomato) or just with crackers.
Useful Tips
This salad recipe uses only smoked chicken to produce a recognizable, slightly smoky taste, which is much more lively and interesting than just boiled or baked poultry. You can adjust the amount of seasonings and ingredients to suit your taste preferences.
It’s best to cut components by hand to make sure they taste good. However, for lovers of soft snacks, grinding food on a food processor is most suitable. If desired, you can add raw or grilled bell pepper to the dish.