As a kid, a staple family dinner in my house consisted of chicken salad — baked chicken smothered in a mixture of mayo, celery, and slivered almonds, served inside of a puff pastry shell. Gotta love Midwest “salad.” (By any other standard, this might qualify as a fancy dessert.)
Now don’t get me wrong, this was one of my all-time favorite meals. The crunchy texture of the chicken salad, the slightly sweet taste of the crispy, delicate puff — it nearly melted in my mouth. It’s been years since I have indulged in (or thought about, for that matter) this dish.
Since transitioning to a paleo lifestyle, most mayo-based salads such as chicken salad have been off limits when dining out. I don’t particularly care for traditional mayo and as it’s typically laden with canola oil and other less-than-lovely ingredients, it makes it easy for me to steer clear of it. Out of complete randomness, I had an intense craving for the old family dish tonight and with some leftover chicken in the fridge, figured I’d give a try at inventing my own version, and ended up with Paleo Chicken Salad Sliders. I really don’t like celery so I decided to replace it with walnuts and diced pear for the extra crunch I craved, in addition to the amazing — and guilt-free! — avocado oil-based mayo from Primal Kitchen (available online at Thrive Market), and served on top of sweet potato slider “buns” in place of bread. Full disclosure: I’m on day one of a coffee- and chocolate-free stint right now so this recipe may be a bit on the sweeter side (as I’m leaning more toward fruits and nuts to stave off cravings) than I’d typically create. In any case, I hope you enjoy these Paleo Chicken Salad Sliders!
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 tbsp avocado oil (or cooking oil of choice)
- 1 pear, peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup walnuts, crushed
- 1/4 cup Primal Kitchen paleo mayo
- 2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tsp dill
- Sea salt to taste
- 1 sweet potato, washed and dried
- 1 tbsp avocado oil (or cooking oil of choice)
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Sprinkle the avocado oil on the chicken breasts and place on one cookie sheet. Cook for 30-35 minutes, until thoroughly cooked.
- Simultaneously, slice the sweet potato into 1 1/2 inch discs (for the sliders). Brush with avocado oil on both sides and place on the second cookie sheet. Cook for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- While the chicken breast and sweet potato sliders are in the oven. begin to prepare the rest of the salad. In a bowl, mix the remaining chicken salad ingredients. Place in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Once the chicken is cooked and cooled, cut it into small cubes. Stir in with the chicken salad mixture.
- Serve chicken salad on top of sweet potato sliders for an extra sweet and crunchy taste.
- Replace the sweet potato sliders with your "bun" of choice, including on top of a bed of greens, wrapped in lettuce, or as a cashew bread sandwich. Or, ditch any extras and eat it straight out of the bowl!
Candice
I’m Candice. I love writing, baking, and learning about all things paleo and food-related. After years of juggling a vegetarian diet and health issues, I swapped out bread for bacon and haven’t looked back! I create recipes and share my tips to help people live happier, healthier lives through informed food choices. When I’m not experimenting in the kitchen, you can find me hiking, practicing yoga and exploring the Pacific Northwest.
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