Brazilian Chicken Salad ~ Salpicao De Frango

I never expected to find my people when I moved to Brazil. Yes, I talking mayo-lovers. I knew Brazilians loved steak, rice, beans and of course pão de queijo, but it was an unexpected delight to find that mayonnaise was embraced as dearly as it has been in my life ;). Which leads to me to this Brazilian Chicken Salad, or Salpicão de Frango, as it's called in Portuguese.

This recipe of course starts with chicken, but then copious amounts of delicious veggies and herbs are added. Then the dressing brings so much creaminess to the mix and brings everything together. Every bite is filled with so much goodness!

Oh and then there are the crispy potato sticks on top, which are the perfect crunchy, salty finish. I have a link on where to get them in the US, but you can also use crushed potato chips.

More on Chicken Salad in Brazil!

Salpicão de Frango is what this Brazilian Chicken Salad is known as here in Brazil. It's found on family lunch tables, at salad buffets at Rodizios or Churrascarias, and at popular lunchtime restaurants serving Comida por quilo (food by the kilo) cafeteria-style. I've eaten it so often here and started making it using leftover chicken. The key difference from chicken salads in the US is the amount of other ingredients, primarily veggies, that are added to it. There really is so much variety, however, you can add whatever you like best.

Simple Ingredients and Substitutes

First, let me say that this is a salad and therefore, you can add any ingredients you love! I have provided some substitutes here, but I also have some suggestions right before the recipe for different salad variations.

Chicken and Veggie Ingredients

• Chicken Breasts, boneless skinless - I used Skinless, boneless chicken breasts, but chicken thighs will work too. You can also use leftover chicken, leftover turkey, or rotisserie chicken for this!
• Fresh Carrot - I peeled and grated whole carrots for this recipe. You can substitute with baby carrots diced or pre-diced carrots.
• Yellow onion – I used yellow onion, but you can use white onion, red onion, shallots, or even scallions.
• Green Peas - I used frozen and simply thawed them under cold water in a strainer. You can use fresh peas, but make sure to boil or steam them and then cool them before adding them. I would not use canned. You can substitute with celery, green pepper, cucumber, broccoli, or any other vegetable that you love.
• Fresh Cilantro leaves - In my personal opinion, there is no substitute for the vibrant flavor of fresh cilantro. However, if you do not have it or like it, you can use parsley for the color or simply leave it out.
• Optional: Potato sticks, or batata palha I found Batata Palha through Amazon. You can also sprinkle crushed potato chips on top.

Dressing Ingredients

• Mayonnaise - You can use light or full fat mayonnaise. You can also substitute with plain greek yogurt, sour cream, or a combination of very soft cream cheese blended with a bit of milk or cream to thin it out.
• Honey – Honey brings natural sweetness. You can substitute the same quantity of white granulated sugar or even brown sugar. Just be sure to mix it into the dressing an 30 minutes to an hour ahead to give it time to dissolve. There are other sweeteners, such as pineapple juice or orange juice that will work too.
• White Wine Vinegar - Apple Cider vinegar is good too.
• Salt and Ground Black Pepper

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make this Brazilian Chicken Salad

The first step is to shred the chicken. If your chicken is not yet cooked, you can cook it either using a boiling method or roasting.

• Boil - Cut the chicken breasts into 3-4 pieces that will cook faster. Bring salted water up to a boil and then add the raw chicken. Cook for 5-8 minutes until cooked through and no longer pink in the center. Transfer the chicken to a plate to cool.
• Roast - Preheat the oven to 400 F degrees. Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place the chicken on a sheet pan and roast in the oven for 20 minutes until cooked through and no longer pink in the center. Let the chicken cool.

Next you can shred the carrots, dice the onion, chop the cilantro, and thaw the frozen peas.

To make the dressing ahead, in a small mixing bowl add the mayonnaise, honey, vinegar, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Whisk together. set aside or store in fridge until ready to mix into the salad.

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it using your fingers or forks.

Mix the Chicken Salad

To a large mixing bowl, add the shredded chicken, carrots, and onions, and the dressing. (NOTE: If you are making this ahead, reserve ¼ of the dressing to mix in when you are ready to serve to add some creaminess.)

Mix gently folding the dressing in to coat and combine all ingredients.

Finally, fold in the peas.

That’s it! If you make this salad ahead and it's a bit dry when you are ready to serve, simply add the reserved dressing and mix to add back some creaminess.

Optional: Right before serving, top with the potato sticks or crushed potato chips.

Variations on Brazilian Chicken Salad

Here are some tasty variations adding additional ingredients.

• Spicy - add chili pepper flakes, jalapeno peppers, cayenne pepper, or even Sriracha sauce to the mayonnaise dressing.
• Add some Ham or Bacon - add diced ham, crispy bacon, crispy pancetta.
• Hard Boiled Eggs - eggs turn this into a combination chicken salad and egg salad, which is always a good thing in my opinion!
• Pasta or Rice Chicken Salad - You can make this salad even heartier and more of a complete meal by adding in cooked pasta or rice. You will need about 10 ounces of dry pasta for this recipe. Cook the pasta and cool it under cold water. Then mix it into the salad. For rice, you need 1 cup uncooked rice that has been cooked and cooled. For both options, I would double the mayonnaise recipe to have enough creaminess!

Brazilian Chicken Salad FAQs

How long can I store this Brazilian Chicken Salad?This chicken salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last for up to 5 days if the chicken is freshly cooked for this recipe. Note, the 5 days count must start from the day that the chicken is first cooked. So, if you cooked the chicken 2 days ago, then made the salad today, it will last for 3 more days in the fridge.

Can I replace the mayonnaise with anything else?You can replace the mayonnaise in this Brazilian Chicken Salad with plain greek yogurt, sour cream, or a combination of very soft cream cheese blended with a bit of milk or cream to thin it out.