Turn any meal into a picnic with this creamy chicken potato salad. It’s loaded with chunks of tender potatoes, flavorful chicken, and soft-boiled eggs for a rich side! {Gluten-Free}
Life might not seem very sunny right now, but if I’ve learned anything from this time at home, it’s that it’s important to make lemonade out of those lemons. Actually, what I’ve learned is to make my own picnic, and one of the best ways to do that is with chicken potato salad.
Growing up, this was one of my favorite dishes. When we’d go out for Western food, it was a dish we’d order every time. I know it seems weird, but to Chinese people, dumplings are for regular meals. Even for special meals eaten at home, we always made chicken potato salad.
This time, I’m not waiting for a special occasion. I’m making a creamy chicken potato salad that brightens my mood and reminds me that sunnier days are ahead.
You can save time on this recipe by cooking your chicken and potatoes in the steamer at the same time. I like to put the chicken on the top portion of the steamer and then boil the potatoes in the pot beneath it. Also, all those juices mingle and it really cooks into something nice.
While you can cook the chicken differently, I recommend steaming it this way because the chicken comes out with more flavor. I’ll detail further below what to do, but just a sprinkle of salt and some aromatics are all it really needs to shine.
Of course, chicken potato salad needs to be creamy and that’s where the mayonnaise comes in. When it comes to that creamy texture, I prefer Kewpie mayonnaise. It’s so much smoother and more fragrant than the regular stuff, though if you have another brand in your fridge, don’t worry. You’ll still get delicious results!
It’s not all mayo though. There’s a bit of Dijon mustard to round out the flavor, as well as some crispy bits of celery and onion to diversify the texture.
I also add soft-boiled eggs to my chicken potato salad. Because the yolk is so soft, it adds more creaminess that is utterly divine. If you’re not a fan of the soft-boiled texture though, hard-boiled eggs will also be a treat when you make this picnic-perfect side!
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Creamy Chicken Potato Salad
Ingredients
Cook
- 1 lb (450 g) red potatoes (*Footnote 1)
- 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon salt , separated
- 1/2 lbs (225 g) boneless skinless chicken thigh (or breast)
- 1 thumb ginger , sliced to thin strips (*Footnote 2)
- 3 eggs
Salad
- 1 celery stalk , finely diced (yield 1/2 cup)
- 1/4 small white onion , finely diced (yield 1/4 cup)
- 1 clove garlic , grated
- 1/2 cup Kewpie mayonnaise , or regular mayo (*Footnote 3)
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
Cook the chicken and potato
- Prepare a steamer by adding water to the pot. Add the potatoes and 1 tablespoon salt. Make sure the water fully covers the potatoes.
- Place the chicken on a plate that can fit in your steamer rack. Sprinkle salt evenly on the chicken and spread the ginger on top. Place the steamer rack on the pot and cover with lid.
- Cook over medium-high heat until steam comes out of the steamer. Cook for 15 minutes, until the potatoes and chicken are cooked through. To test the doneness, insert a paring knife into a potato – it should pierce through without resistance. Insert the knife into the chicken and the juice should run clear. Continue to cook the chicken and / or the potatoes if either of them is not fully cooked.
- Drain the potatoes and run cold tap water over them. Then transfer the potatoes to a big bowl and cover with cold tap water to let cool. (Optional) Once the potatoes are mostly cooled, transfer the potatoes onto a plate and place it in the fridge to let cool for another 20 minutes. (*Footnote 4)
Boil the eggs
- Add water to a small saucepan so it’s just enough to cover the eggs. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the eggs carefully using a ladle and turn to medium-low heat. Let cook over a gentle boil for 6 minutes for runny yolks, 8 minutes for medium soft, or 10 minutes for hard boiled eggs.
- Prepare a large bowl of cold water. Once the eggs are done cooking, drain and run cold tap water over them. Place the eggs into cold water to cool completely.
- Peel the eggs and coarsely slice them. Transfer them to a plate.
Assemble the salad
- Cut the potatoes into 1/2” (1 cm) cubes and transfer them to a big bowl.
- Cut the chicken into 1/2” (1 cm) cubes and add them to the bowl with the potatoes.
- Add the celery, onion, garlic, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, and ground pepper. Stir to mix well. Taste the salad. Sprinkle with salt or add more mayonnaise if needed.
- Add the chopped eggs and mix gently.
- Serve at room temperature, or store in the fridge for up to 3 days and serve cold.
Notes
- I like to use red potatoes with the skin on. The boiled potatoes will keep their shape and have a soft toothy texture. If you prefer the creamy potatoes that don’t hold their shape, use russet potato instead. I used 3 small potatoes. If you use 1 large potato, cut it into halves so it’s faster to cook through.
- I love using ginger to cook my chicken, but garlic or green onions work as well. Simply slice the garlic or coarsely or chop the green onions and top them on the chicken.
- Kewpie mayonnaise is creamier and smoother, with a more fragrant taste. You can replace it with regular mayonnaise.
- Chilling the potatoes (especially waxy potatoes) in the fridge dries out the surface and creates a slightly chewy texture that I love. You can skip this step if you are short on time (thoroughly dry the potatoes before adding them to the salad). If you prefer to peel the potatoes, you can easily do so after the potatoes are fully cooked.
Nutrition
If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with.
Other fun western style recipes
- Chinese-Style Arrabiata Pasta (Two Ways)
- Instant Pot Bolognese (Hong Kong Style, 港式肉酱意粉)
- Chinese Chili (Sichuan Style)
- Soft Cinnamon Rolls with Sesame
- Easy Kimchi Pizza
Lilja Walter is a part of the Omnivore’s Cookbook team and worked closely with Maggie to develop and test this recipe.
