Hatch chiles and bacon take this easy green chile chicken salad to the next level! Serve it at your next picnic, party, or family gathering.
This post was sponsored by the Hatch Chile Store. All opinions are my own.
Green Chile Chicken Salad
I grew up on chicken salad—the southern kind, with eggs and a touch of mustard to go with the chicken and mayonnaise.
But when I received a package of the hatch chiles everyone raves about from the Hatch Chile Store, I decided to experiment.
At the Hatch Chile Store, the 5th generation of family farmers grow, sell, and ship the chiles straight from New Mexico to your door.
Since the Hatch Chile Store chiles are already prepped, it makes it simple to add that unique hatch chile flavor to anything. My hatch chiles arrived roasted, chopped, and flash-frozen in perfect condition.
They come in several heat levels:
I popped one bag in the refrigerator to defrost, and the rest into the freezer for future recipes.
Ingredients
This chicken salad is made with just a few simple ingredients.
The chicken, chiles, mayo, and bacon should be cold for best results (too much warmth can make your mayo melt down).
Chicken
You can use any cooked chicken you like. I prefer skillet cooked tenderloins or breasts, but you can oven-bake if you prefer.
Be sure to shred the chicken while it's warm—it's much easier to shred it warm than cold—then chill it thoroughly before using in this recipe.
Hatch Chiles
Mine came from the Hatch Chile Store, ready to use. If you've never had hatch chiles before, you will be amazed by the flavor they add.
I used medium heat, which I found gives the flavor a tiny kick without actually being hot. You can find the exact ones I used here.
Bacon Crumbles
I like to crumble my own from whole pieces. It tastes so much better than the packaged "bacon bits."
Mayonnaise
The classic binding ingredient for chicken salad.
Salt and Pepper
Table salt works great. You can use pre-ground pepper, but if you have fresh-ground pepper, so much the better!
Since each of the other ingredients can vary in their level of salt, the recipe instructions indicate that the seasonings should be used "to taste" rather than a specific measurement (to avoid over- or under-seasoning).
Get More Hatch Chile Recipes
- Hatch Chile Pimento Cheese
- Hatch Chile Cheese Grits
- Green Chile Enchilada Soup
- Green Chile Mac and Cheese
- Hatch Green Chile Queso
- Find even more on Hatch Chile Recipe Central.
Tips for Making Green Chile Chicken Salad
- Pick up the best hatch chiles here.
- Remember to chill the chicken, chiles, mayo, and bacon before beginning the recipe.
- Add extra chiles or bacon a little bit at a time and taste as you go to make sure the flavor stays balanced.
- The chicken salad can be served immediately after preparing, but if you can let it rest for an hour or even overnight, the flavor has time to develop even more.
- When storing, make sure to cover tightly so the chicken salad doesn't dry out. You can always add a bit more mayo if you need more moisture, though.
- Serve on sandwiches or on lettuce, like a salad. I like to garnish with sliced ripe avocado and a tomato slice or two.
Check out the Hatch Chile Store for more green chile options like fresh chiles, dried chiles, salsas, sauces, and even fully prepared foods like rellenos, tamales, and chimichangas!
Green Chile Chicken Salad
Hatch green chiles and bacon crumbles take this easy chicken salad to the next level!
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded chicken
- ¼ cup chopped roasted green chiles Hatch chiles are best
- ¼ cup crumbled bacon
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
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Combine the chicken, chiles, bacon, and mayonnaise in a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste.
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Serve immediately if desired, but if possible, refrigerate the chicken salad for one hour or more for the best flavor.
Hatch chiles are the best. They add so much flavor. Have you tried them in a quesadilla?
I love all the flavors here. The bacon and the chiles are so great together.
I enjoy my food with a kick, so I'd be all about this chicken salad. I am excited to make it!
This would make a great addition to our lunch meal plan. Saving on my Pinterest for later use!
This recipe looks so yummy, looking forward to making this for my family.
This is one of my best comfort foods. Everyone loves a chicken salad in the house.
This is classic. A chicken salad recipe is always a favorite at a picnic, a barbecue, or an office potluck! Thank you for this
Oh my! This is such a really amazing recipe! It look so good! I know my family would love this so much!
This green chile chicken salad sandwich looks like a winner. I couldn't get over just how good it looked when I clicked on your post. It even made me think of springtime. I can't wait to try it.
Those hatch chilies look very tasty! Sounds like a great way to change up the average chicken salad.
This is something my family would love for sure 😍 Thanks for sharing this green chile chicken salad recipe!
I love chicken salad and I bet I'd love green chile in it. Gonna try this!
Looks awesome Katherine. How much bacon can we put in? Haha
The only correct answer to that question is "As much as you want!" 🙂
It's hatch Chile season and were roasting them at a local grocery store. They were in the parking lot selling them in 25 lb. batches. Fortunately they smaller quantities for sale inside the store. Anyway, I made this simple recipe today and it was really good. Those hatch Chiles are a real secret weapon. Delicious.