Ensalada de gallina is a potato chicken salad that is usually made in Venezuela for the holidays. It’s a creamy protein salad that can be served as a side dish of by itself with a loaf of bread.
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How to make Venezuelan Potato Chicken Salad?
This salad resembles a lot to a classical Russian salad: boiled potatoes and carrot (no beets).
Plus some shredded chicken, green apple, green peas —optional but highly recommended— and a lot of mayo.
I know, not the healthiest salad… but it’s CHRISTMAS — yes, I’ve been telling that to myself the whole month right before every sin…
Sugar cookies for breakfast? Yes, it’s Christmas
Peanut butter chocolate? Yes, It’s CHRISTMAS
Potato chicken salad with a ton of mayo? YES, IT’S CHRISTMAS!!!
Going back to the recipe…
Pro tip:
One of my aunts told me the best-kept secret to avoid boiled potatoes to crumble. Add 1 tbsp of vinegar — preferably white vinegar — into the boiling water.
Trust me in this one, you’ll get potatoes cubes that won’t lose their shape. If you are worried about the vinegar smell or flavor, the amount is so small that there is absolutely no trace or scent of it in the veggies.
So, this is a pretty simple salad recipe. Boil your veggies, cook your chicken (you can also boil it), then shred it, add the apple cut into cubes, and coat with mayo. EASY.
You can feed a crowd with this potato chicken salad with little to no effort. You can double the number of ingredients to accommodate your needs.
Can you use rotisserie chicken?
Absolutely.
Rotisserie chicken is one of the greatest shortcuts ever invented. I always use this trick for recipes like zucchini boats or pot pie.
I’m all about cutting cooking time so I can spend more time outside with my family and friends.
How to store this chicken potato salad?
Mayonnaise goes bad very easily on a hot day. So, if you are thinking about taking this salad to a picnic (or somewhere outside) I highly suggest you add the mayo just before serving. This way you can be 100% sure that the salad will be in great condition.
Now, if you want to store it at home, you can save it in the fridge for up to 2 days.
What to serve with ensalada de gallina?
In a traditional Venezuelan Christmas dinner, we usually serve it with pan de jamon and hallacas.
But, you can easily use it as a side dish for recipes like carne asada, braised beef or peri-peri chicken.
It’s a pretty versatile side dish.
You can also eat it as a main — it has pieces of chicken that provide quite of protein— with a slice of bread.
Venezuelan Potato Chicken Salad (Ensalada de Gallina)
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breast (around 350 gr)
- 3 big potatoes
- 3 big carrots
- ¼ cup green peas
- 1 green apple
- 5 tbsp mayo
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a big pot, add enough water to boil the veggies. Add salt (enough to make the water a bit salty) and the vinegar. Take the water to boil.
- In the meantime, peel the carrots and the potatoes. Then, cut both into cubes of the same size. Toss the veggies into the boiling water for 15 minutes or until fork-tender. (if you are using frozen peas, toss them into the boiling water 5 minutes before the carrots and potatoes are done)
- Boil the chicken breast in a different pot with enough salt. Boil for 20 minutes and shred it.
- Peel and cut the green apple into cubes.
- In a big bowl mix the veggies, apple, and chicken. Let it cool.
- Add the mayo and mix to coat all the ingredients. Add salt if needed.
I’m Maria and I love cooking—and mostly EATING—food from all around the world. I’ve been sharing my abuela’s secret Latin-American recipes for the last 7 years with the world on this blog. I’ve been a full-time food blogger for many years and I’m always trying new delicious meals that don’t require a culinary degree or a Michelin-star chef. I also love traveling, cats, and knitting.