Ensalada de Gallina (Venezuelan Chicken Salad)
On special occasions in Venezuela, you’ll often find Ensalada de Gallina – a creamy, perfectly balanced chicken salad – taking pride of place on the table. What sets this Venezuelan chicken salad apart is its careful preparation: oven-roasted vegetables and silky homemade mayonnaise transform simple ingredients into something truly memorable. This recipe was made in collaboration with our guest blogger, Jani Díaz, from Venezuela!
Venezuelan ensalada de gallina is a traditional dish during December festivities, but in reality, Venezuelans don’t waste any opportunity to enjoy it throughout the year. It’s a complete dish that includes vegetables, carbohydrates, and proteins. It’s sometimes eaten on its own, accompanied by bread or rice. During Christmas/New Year’s Eve dinners, it’s served alongside roasted pork leg, hallacas (traditional Venezuelan tamales), and pan de jamón.
Ensalada de gallina (gallina means chicken or hen in Spanish) is an easy dish to take on a picnic or in a lunch box to the office. It can be eaten cold or at room temperature and definitely pleases even the pickiest of eaters!
Ingredients Needed for Venezuelan Chicken Salad
Potatoes: I like to use russet potatoes or Yukon gold, since they hold up well in the chicken salad.
Carrots: For extra flavor, I like to roast them until tender. For ease, you can boil them instead!
Chicken Breast: You can gently boil chicken breast to prep them here, or use shredded rotisserie chicken for ease.
Garlic & White Onion: Fresh garlic and onion will add flavor to the chicken breast! I also add diced white onion to the ensalada de gallina for crunch and savory flavor.
Salt: To taste!
Green Peas: Green peas add a pop of color.
Green Apple: Green apple balances out the flavors and is traditional in Venezuelan chicken salad!
Mayonnaise: You can use 1.5 to 2 cups of store-bought mayonnaise, or make a homemade version like I did using eggs, oil, mustard, garlic, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, chicken broth and salt.
How to Make Ensalada de Gallina
Prep the Potatoes & Carrots: The preparation of a perfect Venezuelan chicken salad starts with cooking the ingredients. Many people cook boiled potatoes and carrots, but I found a better option, although it requires some time. Wash the potatoes and carrots with plenty of water (use a brush or sponge if necessary). Dry them with a kitchen towel and wrap them in aluminum foil, without peeling them. Preheat the oven to 160 °C (320F) and cook for about 90 minutes. When you insert a knife or a toothpick, they should be tender. If you prefer to boil them instead to save time, that is also perfectly fine.
Cook the Chicken: To cook the chicken breasts, place them in a medium pot and cover them completely with water, add a teaspoon of salt, two garlic cloves, a bay leaf (optional), and a quarter of an onion. Bring to a boil and cook for 20-25 minutes. Remove the breasts from the pot and when they are cold, shred them with your hands or a fork. Reserve a quarter cup of chicken broth for the sauce.
Dice Vegetables: Remove the vegetables from the oven, wait for them to cool before unwrapping them, peel them and cut them into squares. This technique allows the potatoes and carrots to intensify their flavors by dehydration.
Make the Mayo: To prepare the mayonnaise, place the two egg yolks in the blender and beat at maximum speed for 3 minutes, then add the egg whites one by one and continue beating. The secret of mayonnaise is to add the oil little by little so that it emulsifies. Uncover the blender and add the oil so slowly that it forms a thread when it falls. Continue beating for approximately five more minutes until it thickens. When the mayonnaise is white and thick, add the garlic, three tablespoons of olive oil, cider vinegar, mustard, salt and broth; stir for two more minutes and set aside, preferably in the refrigerator.
Combine Everything: In a mixing bowl, add the potatoes, carrots, onion, apple and shredded chicken and half of the peas. Stir until all ingredients are well incorporated. Finally, add the prepared mayonnaise sauce and mix well.
Chill & Serve: Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
Tips for making the best Ensalada de Gallina
Roast the vegetables. The game-changing technique in this recipe is oven-roasting the potatoes and carrots in their skins at 320°F (160°C) for 90 minutes. This concentrates their flavors and creates better texture than boiling.
To poach the chicken, cover chicken completely with water and add the garlic and onion at the beginning. Gently simmer the chicken breasts for about 20-25 minutes to ensure tender meat! If you boil it too quickly, it can turn out tough.
To assemble, let everything cool to room temperature before mixing. Be sure to cup the vegetables into uniform, bite-sized pieces so that you can get a little bit of everything in each bite! Finally, I recommend chilling the chicken salad at least an hour before serving to allow the flavors to all meld together.
Recipe Variations
Quick Version of Ensalad de Gallina:
Boil vegetables instead of roasting.
Use 2 cups of store-bought mayonnaise.
Make-Ahead Options:
Roast vegetables up to 2 days ahead.
Poach chicken a day in advance.
Make mayonnaise up to 2 days before assembly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it really worth it to roast the vegetables?
Yes! The dehydration process concentrates the flavors significantly, making this chicken salad extra flavorful. However, boiling is perfectly acceptable if you’re short on time.
Is it safe to add raw eggs to the homemade mayonnaise?
When adding raw eggs into a mayonnaise, it is best to use pasteurized eggs to avoid any bacteria! Or, you can opt to use 2 cups of your favorite store-bought mayonnaise.
Can I use low-fat mayo in chicken salad?
While you technically can use low fat mayo for a lighter version, I am not convinced that it would be that pleasant to eat. Low fat mayonnaise has a different texture that just isn’t the same! And yogurt-based sauces will change the flavor significantly.
Ensalada de Gallina (Venezuelan Chicken Salad)
Ingredients
- 6 large potatoes cooked and diced
- 3 large carrots cooked and diced
- 800 grams or 2 full chicken breasts (skinless and boneless) cooked and shredded
- 2 garlic cloves
- ¼ onion
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup finely chopped white onion
- 1 cup green peas cooked
- 1 green apple optional, diced
For the homemade mayonnaise*
- 2 large eggs separate the yolks and the whites
- 1 cup oil use a neutral oil
- ¼ cup mustard
- 1 garlic clove
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar or white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- The preparation of a perfect Venezuelan chicken salad starts with cooking the ingredients. Many people cook boiled potatoes and carrots, but I found a better option, although it requires some time. Wash the potatoes and carrots with plenty of water (use a brush or sponge if necessary). Dry them with a kitchen towel and wrap them in aluminum foil, without peeling them. Preheat the oven to 160 °C (320F) and cook for about 90 minutes. When you insert a knife or a toothpick, they should be tender. If you prefer to boil them instead to save time that is also perfectly fine.
- To cook the chicken breasts, place them in a medium pot and cover them completely with water, add the teaspoon of salt, two garlic cloves and the quarter of an onion. Bring to a boil and cook for 20-25 minutes.
- Remove the breasts from the pot and when they are cold, shred them with your hands or a fork. Reserve a quarter cup of chicken broth for the sauce.
- Remove the vegetables from the oven, wait for them to cool before unwrapping the foil, peel them and cut them into squares. This technique allows the potatoes and carrots to intensify their flavors by dehydration.
- To prepare the mayonnaise, place the two egg yolks in the blender and beat at maximum speed for 3 minutes, then add the egg whites one by one and continue beating.
- The secret of mayonnaise is to add the oil little by little so that it emulsifies. Uncover the blender and add the oil so slowly that it forms a thread when it falls. Continue beating for approximately five more minutes until it thickens. When the mayonnaise is white and thick, add the garlic, three tablespoons of olive oil, cider vinegar, mustard, salt and broth; stir for two more minutes and set aside, preferably in the refrigerator.
- If you prefer to use store-bought mamyonnaise, simply mix 1.5 to 2 cups of mayonnaise with the mustard, crushed garlic, 1 tbs of vinegar (or lemon juice), the chicken broth, and salt/pepper to taste.
- In a large salad or mixing bowl, add the shredded chicken, potatoes, carrots, onion, apple and half of the green peans. Stir until all ingredients are well incorporated. Finally, add the prepared mayonnaise and mix well.
- Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. Add the remaining green peas right before serving. You can also add chopped cilantro or parsley to decorate (optional).
Notes
Step by step preparation for Ensalada de Gallina:
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