Shredded Vs Cubed Chicken: Which Is Better For Chicken Salad?

Making chicken salad at home inspires many hot-button questions: Apples or grapes? Classic mayonnaise or Greek yogurt à la Alton Brown? To cranberry or not to cranberry? However, whether you're a poultry purist or opt for all the creative chicken salad upgrades, it's worth putting some thought into one less commonly debated, but no less important, chicken salad choice, which is whether to cube or shred the meat.

Cubed chicken gives the salad a looser, more rustic quality, while shredded chicken is denser and pastier. There's a case to be made for either option, but many chicken salad chefs prefer shredded poultry, especially if you're using it as a sandwich filling. Shredded chicken has a couple of clear advantages. First, it gives the salad a more compact, cohesive texture that tends to hold together better in a sandwich. (No one wants loose chicken cubes falling everywhere.) Additionally, many people find that shredded poultry soaks up sauces and seasonings better than its cubed counterpart, so if you're looking to maximize flavor, shredded chicken is the way to go.

Generally speaking, shredded chicken is the preferred option for a superlatively dense and flavorful sandwich filling. However, cubed chicken certainly has its place in the chicken salad canon. If you're serving the chicken salad on top of a salad or bowl, rather than in a sandwich, the looser consistency of cubed chicken can be an asset because it makes it easier to distribute the chicken salad evenly throughout the dish and gives it a satisfying, light-yet-hearty bite.

Additionally, there's the convenience factor. Many people find it easier and quicker to cube the chicken, and if you don't have the time or patience to shred it very finely, you'll end up with chunky strips that are even more unwieldy than cubes. You could use an electric mixer, which might be the easiest way to shred chicken. However, if you don't feel like pulling out kitchen gadgets for a quick lunch, cubing could be your best bet.

Finally, shredded chicken's ability to absorb binding agents and seasonings might give it a flavor boost, but it also means you'll likely need to add more mayonnaise to achieve your desired texture. As such, using cubed chicken can be a good way to lighten up the dish without sacrificing creaminess. And no matter how you slice it, just remember your homemade chicken salad doesn't have to be served on white bread.