Filipino Chicken Macaroni Salad spells the holidays for me. It is a sign that Christmas is just around the corner. I grew-up having this festive salad every Christmas dinner. This practice is still maintained in our household. We all help make the salad and enjoy it together as family.
I think that Filipino Chicken Salad and Sweet Mac Salad are the top two mac salad favorites during Christmas season. This particular dish is mainly composed of elbow macaroni, shredded chicken, and Lady’s Choice Mayonnaise. It is made festive and more delicious by an array of ingredients. Adding pineapple chunks, cheese, carrot, and raisins will give you a great tasting salad. Mixing-in some pimiento peppers, capsicum, and sweet relish makes this salad even more pleasing to the palate. It is excellent!
How to Make Filipino Chicken Macaroni Salad
Making your own Chicken Macaroni Salad Filipino Version is easy. It can be more enjoyable if you involve everyone in the family.
There are three major steps. The first is to prepare the macaroni. Next is to get the chicken ready. Lastly, mix everything together.
I suggest following the package instructions when cooking macaroni. This gives you the best result. I did it by boiling around 3 quarts of water, added a teaspoon of sea salt, and poured the macaroni into the pot. This cooks for 9 minutes or until al dente. Discard water and set the cooked macaroni aside.
Preparing the chicken means cooking and shredding it into pieces. Boneless and skinless chicken breast was used in the demonstration. I did it by boiling the chicken for 22 minutes in a pot. Adding a teaspoon of salt is ideal. It adds flavor to the chicken. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the pot and let it cool down. Shred it into small pieces afterwards using your hands.
The last step is to combine all the ingredients together and literally toss until well blended. This is where it starts to get fun.
I recommend chilling your chicken mac salad for at least 1 hour before serving. I usually refrigerate mine for 3 hours.
Can you Freeze Chicken Macaroni Salad?
This recipe is really good. It can feed a lot of people too. There are times when there are leftovers because you might have made more than enough. You might also be preparing it in advance for a pot-luck party. Can you freeze Filipino chicken macaroni salad for later use? I do not recommend freezing as it will affect the taste and consistency of the dish. However, it can be placed inside the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Make sure that it is properly covered to prevent contamination.
Our family cooks a lot of dishes during Noche Buena. This is one of the dishes that we make. I always get excited when the entire family works together in the kitchen to prepare our meal. It is our way to bond as a family. It will get messy and noisy, but it is also fun.
Try this Filipino Chicken Macaroni Salad Recipe. Let me know what you think.
Filipino Chicken Macaroni Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb. boneless chicken breast
- 1 lb elbow macaroni
- 1 1/2 cups Lady's Choice Mayonnaise
- 1 can pineapple chunks 20 oz
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 bottle pimiento 6.5 oz chopped
- 1 cup carrot chopped
- 1 piece green bell pepper chopped
- 1 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup sweet relish
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 teaspoons salt this will be used when boiling chicken and macaroni, and as a seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Water for boiling
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken. Start to boil the chicken by pouring 1 quart water on a cooking pot over a stove top. Apply heat and let boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt and put the chicken breasts into the pot. Cover and boil in medium heat for 22 minutes. Remove chicken from the pot. Let it cool down. Manually shred into pieces and set aside.
- Prepare the macaroni by following package instructions. Boil 3 quarts water in a pot. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Pour the macaroni into the pot. Stir. Cover the pot and continue to boil the macaroni in medium heat for 9 minutes or until al dente. Make sure to stir every 3 minutes to prevent the macaroni from sticking to each other. Drain the water. Set macaroni aside.
- Arrange Macaroni in a large mixing bowl. Add shredded chicken. Toss.
- Put-in pineapple, pimiento, green bell pepper, raisins, carrot, sweet relish, and cheese. Toss until ingredients are blended.
- Add lady's Choice Mayonnaise and garlic powder. Gently toss until well blended.
- Season with salt and ground black pepper.
- Serve! Share with the family and enjoy.
Lorna Parto says
November 16, 2018 at 12:53 amYou’re my favorite to watch in cooking….
Marlyn Dureza Lucido says
December 25, 2018 at 5:23 pmNice to learn more recipes tnx so much
María Diaz says
February 2, 2019 at 11:57 amLooks delicious