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Why buy the expensive deli chicken salad when you can make our Copycat Willow Tree Chicken Salad at home? (It’s just as good!)
A few years back when I was pregnant with my daughter, I had food cravings like most pregnant woman do. One of my cravings was for Willow Tree chicken salad. Almost every day for lunch, I went to a little sandwich shop about a block away from my office, and I would get the exact same thing to eat: a Willow Tree chicken salad sandwich (and this sandwich shop specifically stated it was Willow Tree for good reason!) on sourdough bread, milk, and a piece of fruit.
Willow Tree Farm is a New England-area food company and poultry farm based out of Attleboro, Massachusetts, famous for their deli chicken salad and chicken pot pies. According to the Willow Tree website, they credit their chicken salad as one of the reasons the company has flourished over the years, and their products are also sold at grocery chains all along the East Coast of the United States.
My husband learned of my Willow Tree chicken salad craving – and being the sweetheart that he is – he set out to recreate this chicken salad recipe at home just for me. (It’s always important to keep a pregnant lady happy!) 😉
Jack started with the recipe found online here (someone else must have had a similar craving) but tweaked it further after reading the ingredients which the folks at Willow Tree were nice enough to list on their website as well. I think Jack has come pretty close with the recipe we’ve listed below. Enjoy!
A few last notes: This recipe was originally shared here on A Family Feast in November 2012. We’ve updated the original photo (you can see that below – our food photography has definitely improved over the years) and we included a video as well (see above). Our readers love this recipe – even those readers who never tasted the original Willow Tree version!
I do also want to thank the folks at Willow Tree for being such great sports about this copycat recipe. As you can see in the comments below, the folks at Willow Tree have been following along with our readers’ comments and closely guarding the family’s real chicken salad recipe!
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Copycat Willow Tree Chicken Salad
A copycat recipe of the famous Willow Tree chicken salad.
Ingredients
- 1 pound cooked chicken breast
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons finely minced celery
- 3 tablespoons finely minced onion
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of pepper
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment, blend chicken breasts until thoroughly shredded, or shred by hand. (Note: Shredded chicken rather than diced chicken pieces will help recreate the original Willow Tree chicken salad texture.)
- Remove bowl from the stand mixer and add in all other ingredients. Stir by hand to mix well.
- Serve over lettuce leaves or in sandwiches.
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Does anyone used canned chicken breast to make this? The chicken was on sale and I would love to save a for scheckels, if I can. I am using a high quality home made mayo, which taste better anyway. Has anyone tried this? Any instruction is appreciated.
Hi – Not that I know of, and we haven’t made this ourselves with canned chicken, but I don’t see any reason why you can’t use it for this recipe.
I don’t usually comment on recipes, but this was incredible. The brown sugar really made this unique in a great way. I doubled up on the celery and onion because I love the crunch in my chicken salad, but the overall flavor as written is wonderful. I used a rotisserie chicken and my handmixer to shred it. Couldn’t be easier! Thank you!
You’re very welcome Amanda! So glad you enjoyed it as much as we do!
This is really good. I did add crumbled bacon to mine because, well bacon is good!
Great idea Richie – you’re right, bacon is good!
This is a wonderful recipe. Making it again today, and this will be the third time!
Thanks Tango Joe! So glad you are enjoying the recipe!
How do you cook the chicken? Boiled? Baked? Skin? Spices?
Hi Susan – We usually poach our chicken (see this recipe here: https://www.afamilyfeast.com/sunday-cooking-lesson-perfect-poached-chicken/) but you can really use any kind of cooked chicken – roasted, rotisserie, etc.
I have been making this recipe for about 10 years. I bring it to off off at 6 July celebration party every year and have been deemed the chicken salad Queen! One year the refrigerator broke and my sandwiches have to be thrown away they were many disappointed people.
So glad you enjoy the recipe Cheryl! (I would be very sad too if my chicken salad spoiled due to a broken refrigerator…)
This is delicious and very close.. Don’t worry Willow Teee, nothing can compare to the real thing. I love Willow Tree and buy it all the time but now when I have leftover shredded chicken this is what I’ll make with it.
Wondering why you didn’t add paprika as it is in the ingredients for the real thing. I also added more salt, pepper, and garlic to taste.
Thanks so much!!!
Thanks Jody! 🙂 The last time we bought some Willow Tree chicken salad at the store, we looked again at the ingredients and noticed that paprika was included in the ingredients too. I honestly can’t remember if that was included 12 years ago when I was pregnant. Adding a little bit certainly won’t harm the flavor.
Very good. I added one 2.25oz. pkg sliced almonds, which comes from another chicken salad recipe I use.
Thanks Jerri!
I boiled my chicken with a little Nature’s Season Salt, and added a smidg. of Dijon after tasting. DELISH only added a pinch of Kosher salt and pepper. Will make again for sure. Loved the fact it didn’t use all the apples or grapes, I WANT TO TASTE CHICKEN☺
Thanks Sue!
The recipe calls for “cooked” chicken breasts. Also, I notice there is no salt in it. So I’m wondering if the breasts are boiled in bouillon or something? I live in Kansas City, so this is not something I’ve ever had the original one – maybe it doesn’t need salt?
Hi Riki – You can use a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket or you can cook it any other way that you like (roasted, poached, etc). We do list salt and pepper at the end of the ingredients list – but feel free to adjust the seasonings to suit your tastes. You make a great point – depending on how the chicken is cooked, you may not need to season it further with a lot of salt or pepper. Hope that helps!