Every family has that one dish nobody is allowed to touch until the person who made it says so. In mine, it was my grandma’s chicken salad. She would mix up a giant bowl, cover it tight with plastic wrap, and set it dead center in the fridge like a prize nobody had earned yet. By supper, it was gone, and somebody was always sulking about not getting a second scoop.
For years I figured the magic was just her hands. Turns out it was a jar of pickles that costs about four bucks. She never told a soul, and honestly, I think she liked it that way.
The $4 Jar That Made Her Famous
The secret was Mt. Olive Sweet Salad Cubes. Not grapes. Not fancy nuts. Not some imported mustard. Just a squat little jar of sweet, briny pickle cubes that sat in the fridge door most of the year and got hauled out whenever chicken salad was on the table.
I went around and asked a few friends if their grandmas used the same thing. Every one of them said no. Some had never even heard of salad cubes. That made me feel a little smug, and it also made me realize how much of what we love about a recipe comes down to one weird ingredient nobody else thought to reach for. This one gives the salad a sweet-and-savory balance that keeps you going back for more, which is exactly why my family still fights over the bowl.
So What Are Sweet Salad Cubes?
If you have never bought them, think of sweet relish with a backbone. Regular relish is chopped so fine it turns to mush and basically disappears into the mayo. Salad cubes are cut bigger and chunkier, so they hold their shape and give you real little pops of crunch in every bite. That texture is half the reason they work so well here.
They are cucumbers pickled in a sweet-tangy brine, and the company has been making pickled stuff for close to a hundred years. The one catch: they are mostly a Southern thing. If you live in the Southeast, you can grab a 24-ounce jar at Walmart for $3.97, or find them at Kroger and Publix. Outside the region, they can be tricky, but plenty of folks order them straight from the company, six jars to a box. It sounds like a lot until you taste the salad. Then six jars feels reasonable.
The Four Things That Go in the Bowl
My grandma’s whole recipe was almost embarrassingly short. Shredded rotisserie chicken, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, and the salad cubes. That’s the heart of it. She bought her rotisserie chickens in bulk from Sam’s Club and pulled the meat off while it was still a little warm, which makes shredding easier and lets the meat soak up flavor.
The mayo matters more than you’d think. She used whatever was on sale, but if you can get your hands on Duke’s, it gives you a tangy, extra-rich base that a lot of Southern cooks swear is the only mayo worth using. Hellmann’s works fine too. The apple cider vinegar is the piece people always miss. A single tablespoon cuts through the richness of the mayo and wakes the whole bowl up. Without it, the salad tastes flat and heavy. With it, everything snaps into focus. The salad cubes bring the sweetness and the brine, so you rarely need to add sugar on top of it.
Why She Wouldn’t Touch Grapes or Walnuts
Plenty of chicken salads lean on grapes for sweetness and pecans or walnuts for crunch. My grandma had opinions about both, and she was right. Grapes make the salad too sweet and a little watery, and they slide around instead of blending in. Salad cubes give you that same hit of sweetness but keep it balanced against the brine, so it never tips into dessert territory.
Nuts were the bigger sin in her book. A big handful of chopped nuts can drown out the chicken, which is supposed to be the star. I know some folks love a chunky nut-and-grape version, and if that’s your thing, go for it. But the beauty of the cube method is that it lets the chicken taste like chicken. If you want a little green freshness, a bit of chopped celery does the job without stealing the show. Some cooks also fold in a spoon of something creamy like sour cream or whipped topping for fluffiness. My grandma never did, and I don’t either.
Little Tricks That Keep It From Going Wrong
First, drain the salad cubes before they go in. If you dump the whole jar, brine and all, you end up with a soupy bowl. But save a little of that brine. A splash stirred in at the very end adds brightness and tang without watering things down. It’s the same idea as a spoonful of pickle juice, and it makes a real difference.
Second, taste before you salt. Between the mayo and the brine, the salad is already seasoned, so it’s easy to overdo it. Add a little, taste, add more if it needs it. Third, and this is the one people skip: give it time in the fridge. Chicken salad tastes noticeably better after it sits for an hour or two, and it’s even better the next day once the flavors settle in together. If you can make it the night before a party, do that. My grandma always made hers ahead, which is probably why it tasted like it took all day when it really took fifteen minutes.
How She Served It
There was only one right way in her house: piled high on soft white bread. No toasting, no fancy rolls, just plain white bread that let the salad do all the talking. If you want to get a little nicer for a shower or a lunch, it’s great on croissants, scooped over lettuce, or with a stack of crackers on the side.
The best part is it works all year. She served it on the porch in July and by the fireplace in December, and it never felt out of place. It keeps in the fridge for three to four days, though it rarely lasted that long around us. Just don’t try to freeze it, because the mayo separates and turns the whole thing watery. Make it fresh, keep it cold, and watch how fast that bowl empties.
Here’s the full recipe the way she made it, chunky pickle cubes and all.
Grandma’s Secret Ingredient Chicken Salad
Course: LunchCuisine: American6
servings15
minutes340
kcalThe Southern chicken salad that made my grandma famous, thanks to one cheap jar of sweet salad cubes.
Ingredients
4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (about one whole chicken)
3/4 cup mayonnaise (Duke’s if you can get it)
1/2 cup Mt. Olive Sweet Salad Cubes, drained
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 stalk celery, finely chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon salad cube brine (optional, for extra tang)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Salt, to taste (add after tasting)
Soft white bread, for serving
Directions
- Pull the meat off a rotisserie chicken while it is still slightly warm. Shred it into bite-sized pieces with two forks or your hands, tossing any skin and bones. You want about 4 cups of loose, shredded meat in a large mixing bowl.
- Scoop 1/2 cup of Mt. Olive Sweet Salad Cubes out of the jar and let them drain in a small strainer. Save about a tablespoon of the brine if you want extra tang later. Draining keeps the salad from turning soupy.
- Add the mayonnaise, drained salad cubes, and apple cider vinegar to the bowl with the chicken. Stir everything together until the chicken is evenly coated. The mix should look creamy but not swimming in dressing.
- Fold in the chopped celery if you are using it, along with the black pepper. Stir gently so the celery spreads through the whole bowl. This adds a little fresh crunch without stealing the spotlight from the chicken.
- Taste the salad before adding any salt. Between the mayo and the brine, it is already seasoned, so add salt a pinch at a time only if it needs it. Stir in the reserved tablespoon of brine now if you want more tang.
- Cover the bowl tightly and chill in the fridge for at least 1 to 2 hours. This resting time lets the flavors settle and blend together. Making it the night before is even better if you have the time.
- Give the salad one more good stir right before serving to redistribute the dressing. Taste again and adjust the pepper or brine if needed. Cold, well-rested chicken salad always tastes fuller than freshly mixed.
- Pile the chicken salad high on soft white bread, or serve it over lettuce or with crackers. Keep the bowl over ice if it is sitting out at a party. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days.
Notes
- Duke’s mayo gives the richest, tangiest base, but Hellmann’s works just fine if that’s what you have.
- Those same salad cubes are great in deviled eggs and tuna salad, though chicken salad is by far their best use.
- Do not freeze this salad. The mayo separates when thawed and turns the whole thing watery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Where can I buy Mt. Olive Sweet Salad Cubes?
A: They are mostly sold in the Southeastern states, where you can find a 24-ounce jar at Walmart for around $3.97, plus Kroger and Publix. If you live outside the region, you can order them directly from the company, and they ship six jars to a box.
Q: Can I use regular sweet relish instead?
A: You can in a pinch, but you lose the chunky texture that makes this salad special. Salad cubes are cut bigger than relish, so they hold their crunch. Regular relish tends to melt into the mayo and disappear.
Q: What’s the best chicken to use?
A: A store-bought rotisserie chicken is the easy answer and what my grandma always used. Shred it while it’s still a little warm for the smoothest pull. Boiled or baked chicken breast works too if you’d rather cook your own.
Q: How long does it keep?
A: Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, and it actually tastes better on day two. Don’t freeze it, though, since the mayo separates and turns watery once it thaws.
