One Of Paula Deen's Favorite Chicken Salads Comes From An Underrated Chain

Paula Deen may be known for her love of butter, her warm Southern style on cooking shows, and her restaurants in the South, but she got her start in the food world in the late 1980s by selling simple sandwiches made in her home kitchen. She prepared several popular varieties daily, and chicken salad was among them. It's fair to assume Deen knows a solid version of this Southern staple when she sees one. In 2015, Deen's magazine, "Cooking with Paula Deen," published a roundup of some of the very best chicken salads, and while most of the recommended restaurants had only a single location, one underrated chain made the list: Chicken Salad Chick.

The brainchild of owner Stacy Brown, Chicken Salad Chick was born from her quest to find the crème de la crème of the creamy, chicken-based classic — ultimately leading her to create her own. In 2008, Brown started selling her chicken salad as a business venture with her husband, Kevin. By 2012, the two began franchising, and while there were only 26 locations when Deen's magazine recommended it, the fast-casual brand has since grown to over 300 locations today.

While many chains sell poultry, few focus solely on chicken salad, a factor that sets Chicken Salad Chick apart. Its fresh ingredients are another key to its success. The brand uses a proprietary spice blend in every chicken salad, and Southerners especially appreciate that it uses Duke's Mayonnaise, a regional favorite. The chicken is also shredded instead of diced, giving the spiced-up mayo more surface area to cling to.

If you don't have a location near you, don't worry — Chicken Salad Chick's original recipe, Classic Carol, is a simple version you can try recreating at home. Start by poaching chicken breast — the best cut of meat for chicken salad — then shred it and combine it with Duke's Mayo, diced onions, and celery. You'll need to experiment to replicate the brand's seasoning, as the spices are a closely held secret. Some copycat recipes suggest a mix of onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, while others call for dry ranch seasoning mix.

Once you have the base down, you can experiment with other variations the brand offers. Try adding diced hard-boiled eggs and sweet pickles for a homemade version of Olivia's Old South, or add texture and sweetness with apples (yes — they absolutely belong in chicken salad), grapes, and pecans to recreate the Fancy Nancy.