Chicken Macaroni Salad~ A special fusion of pasta with delicious sweet and savory ingredients that have become a staple in the Filipino Christmas table.
If you are a Filipino, chances are your family has traditional meals served during the Christmas season. There are dishes that I would intentionally look for (and crave) come Christmas and for me, the holiday season won’t be complete without them.
These dishes include the macaroni salad, the Christmas ham, spaghetti, bibingka, and many other rice cakes. It’s interesting to think that most of this traditional food has recipes that are passed down from one generation to another.
In this recipe article, I will be sharing with you a simple Filipino chicken macaroni salad recipe that I learned from my mother (which she probably learned from her mother). I have grown loving this recipe and I hope you will too.
Read through the article for important cooking tips before jumping to the recipe.
What is Chicken Macaroni Salad?
The Filipino Chicken Macaroni Salad is a local version of a macaroni salad that is of course, made attuned to the Filipino taste.
It is a combination of 2 main ingredients, the macaroni pasta and the chicken meat, plus flavor enhancing ingredients like onions, pickles, raisins, and many others. It is then covered in a mayonnaise-based creamy sauce.
When it comes to its origin, I learned that it has both Italian and American influence. The use of pasta is of course of Italian origin, while the concept of mayo-based salads is of American origin. Making chicken macaroni salad almost similar to the American potato salad.
You’ll surely get that Filipino taste with this dish. It has a hint of sweetness like most Filipino versions of dishes are and it also has a balance of savory and citrusy taste to complement the overall flavor. And since this is a salad, you’ll be getting all of these flavors in one bite!
There are many chicken macaroni salad recipes you’ll find on the internet and each of them have their own set of ingredients. As mentioned, this is a simple version, which means we’ll be using basic ingredients. This recipe might be simple but the taste is guaranteed superb.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Macaroni
I suggest you use the macaroni salad pasta as these are smaller cuts of the macaroni and will blend easily with the salad. If this is not available in your location, the elbow macaroni will do just fine.
Chicken
For simplicity, I recommended you use the chicken breast fillet (skinless and boneless). But you can also use any part of the chicken and just remove the skin and debone yourself.
Pineapple
You have the option to reserve the juice coming from the can of the pineapple tidbits. If you want a sweeter macaroni salad, add this together with the ingredients.
Cheese
I recommend you cube the cheese instead of grating it, this will result in a better texture and flavor. You can use any brand of processed cheddar cheese for this. Examples are Kraft, Eden, Ques-O, Cheezee, etc.
Aside from these, we will also be using other regular pantry ingredients like raisins, carrots, onions, pickles, mayonnaise, salt, and black pepper. If you are filling up your pantry, here’s a handy shopping guide:
Equipment You’ll Need
- Cooking Pot- This dish mostly involves mixing ingredients together. We don’t have to cook anything except for the macaroni pasta. For this, we will need any cooking pot or casserole and cook according to package instructions.
In need of kitchen tools and equipment? Read this before you buy:
How to Cook Chicken Macaroni Salad
Since this is a salad recipe, we will basically combine different type of ingredients and toss it in the dressing.
We will be cooking 2 ingredients for this salad, and the rest are either chopped or added as is.
First, we will cook the macaroni salad pasta. We usually recommend that you just follow the package instructions, since different brands have different cooking times. But the common boiling time of pasta will fall under 8 to 10 minutes.
We will also boil the chicken and allow it to cool, just until you can shred the chicken meat into smaller pieces.
Lastly, we combine all of the ingredients and mix them well until everything is distributed equally. And that’s it, we’re done! Easy, right? Follow the cooking tips below to ensure you get the best results when making this dish.
Cooking Tips
- Avoid overcooking the macaroni. When it gets soft and soggy, chances are they will break when you toss them with the salad later on.
- Don’t overcook the chicken as well, we want them soft and juicy so it can absorb more flavors with the salad.
- This is optional but you can also blanch the carrots before combining with the salad. It will become more crisp and sweet if you do this.
- Take note that the ingredients are completely cooled before combining with each other. This will prevent problems with flavor and spoilage.
- For best results, don’t eat the macaroni salad right away. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour to allow the flavors to infuse.
How to Serve Chicken Macaroni Salad
The chicken macaroni salad is best consumed within 2 hours once it is placed at room temperature.
Unlike other macaroni salads, this dish can be a meal on its own since it includes a good balance of protein, fats, and carbohydrates.
But since this is a celebratory dish, it is usually served with many other dishes.
How to Store Chicken Macaroni Salad
In case you have leftovers or you need to prepare in advance, store in a clean covered food container and place in the refrigerator. It is best consumed within 3 days when chilled.
When you are ready to serve and the macaroni salad seems to be dry, simply add more mayonnaise.
Unfortunately, you can’t freeze the macaroni salad if you need to store it longer. Freezing will affect the texture and flavors of certain ingredients in the salad.
Other Recipes For Christmas
For a quick reference about this recipe, see the recipe table below:
Simple Filipino Chicken Macaroni Salad Recipe
Equipment
- Cooking Pot
Ingredients
- 400 to 500 g (1.1 lb) macaroni salad pasta
- 500 g (1.1 lb) chicken breast fillet
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup pineapple tidbits
- 1 pc medium-sized carrot, minced
- 1 pc small-sized onion, minced
- ½ cup pickle relish
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Processed cheddar cheese, cubed, to taste
- pineapple juice from tidbits, to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the macaroni according to package instructions. Remember to wash it with cool water right after boiling to prevent overcooking.
- In a cooking pot, place the chicken breasts and add-in enough water to cover. Apple medium heat and bring to a boil.
- Simmer for about 10 minutes or until cooked through. Drain the water and let it cool.
- Shred the chicken meat into smaller bite-sized pieces using 2 forks.
- In a large mixing bowl, add-in all the ingredients except the salt and pepper.
- Toss together and make sure all the ingredients are well distributed
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cover the mixing bowl with cling wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Take out of the refrigerator and transfer to a serving bowl. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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