This Jamaican inspired jerk chicken salad is packed full of tropical flavorful! It’s creamy, spicy, and so dang good! I typically make this recipe with a regular ole’ rotisserie chicken but you could also use leftover chopped jerk chicken, grilled chicken or pulled boiled chicken. As for serving it, it's up to you! Try putting it on a toasted brioche bun, atop some lettuce greens, or stuffed into a tomato.
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My husband loves him some chicken salad. And because of that, I've become quite the chicken salad maker myself.
Since I like to switch up the flavors quite regularly, I stumbled onto a jerk chicken salad recipe that sounded too good to be true!
And I was right. The recipe was underwhelming. Wah, wah. So I decided to create my own version with way more island inspired flavor.
This chicken salad is made using a rotisserie chicken but you could totally use any cooked chicken you have on hand.
To be truthful, I try to always have a rotisserie chicken in the fridge. I love them because you can do so much with one!
Whether you chop one up for a tasty chicken salad, use it in my favorite chicken bacon ranch quesadillas or save the carcass for some amazing bone broth -- the possibilities are endless!
This Jamaican inspired Jerk Chicken Salad is loaded with fresh veggies like red bell peppers, red onion, and celery.
Mint and cilantro add the perfect pop of freshness while also balancing out the heat from the jerk marinade.
So let's get to it, shall we!
What you'll need
- a bottle of jerk marinade
- brown sugar
- mayo
- rotisserie chicken or chopped cooked chicken
- red onion
- red bell pepper
- celery
- cilantro
- mint
How to make it
Making this jerk chicken salad is super easy!
I typically start by pulling a rotisserie chicken off the bone then chopping it up into bite size pieces. If you don't have one, you could totally just use boiled chicken, grilled chicken, or some leftover jerk chicken that's been pulled off the bone!
After you chop up your chicken, it's time to start on the sauce. In this recipe, I'm using a bottle of mild jerk marinade because it's perfectly balanced and blends into the mayo seamlessly.
To make the sauce, simply combine the jerk marinade with some mayo and a little bit of brown sugar. Since most marinades are salted differently, go ahead and taste it to make sure you don't need to add any extra.
Next, grab a big bowl and add the chopped chicken, the red onion, the bell pepper, the celery, the cilantro and the mint.
Then pour the jerk mayo mixture on top and toss everything together.
Give it one last taste and season with more salt or more jerk marinade (or hot sauce) if you’d like it spicier.
How to serve it
I typically serve this jerk chicken salad on a toasted brioche bun but you could definitely switch it up!
Try serving it over mixed salad greens with a bright citrus vinaigrette or even stuffed into a tomato.
If you want something heartier, try serving it over a bed of rice or with some baked macaroni pie.
My husband thinks it even gets better over time so go ahead and prepare it ahead of time!
This recipe lasts 4 days in the fridge which makes it perfect for meal prepping!
What to pair it with
I'd serve this jerk chicken salad with a side of some air fryer potato wedges, some white cheddar mac and cheese or with some spicy cajun deviled eggs.
You could also serve it with some lemon couscous or some instant pot black eyed peas!
If you want to try another one of my chicken salads, check out this healthy greek yogurt curry chicken salad!
Save the recipe for later
If this recipe looks good to you, why not save it for later?! I designed these pretty pinterest images so you can pin this recipe for another day.
Oh! And if you aren't already, please feel free to follow me on pinterest for more tasty inspiration!
Recipe
Recipe
Jerk Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon jerk marinade
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ cup mayo
- 1 rotisserie chicken, pulled and chopped (or 3 cups chopped cooked chicken)
- ⅓ cup red onion chopped
- ⅓ cup red bell pepper chopped
- ⅓ cup celery chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 tablespoon mint finely diced
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine jerk marinade, brown sugar and mayo. Taste and season with salt if necessary. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine chopped chicken, red onion, bell pepper, celery, cilantro and mint.
- Pour the jerk mayo mixture on top of the chicken salad and toss. Season with more salt or more jerk marinade if you’d like it spicier.
