Matthew McConaughey has played a chest-thumping stockbroker, a smooth-talking koala, and a love-interest saboteur, among many starring roles, but when it comes to chicken salad, he’s alright, alright, alright.
The actor may have gone viral for a tuna salad packed with unexpected extras, but in a chat with Food & Wine he made a strong case for chicken salad too. I tried his method after reading the interview to see if it really was as simple as it was effective. The result was positive but before we get to that, here’s his tuna offering, and now you have his southern twang in your head.
What’s McConaughey’s chicken secret?
McConaughey says the secret starts with roasting a whole chicken rather than cooking separate pieces. “I’m not a kebab guy,” he said, adding that smaller cuts dry out too easily. If you don’t feel like roasting, a store-bought rotisserie works just fine.
His rule: never cube the meat. Pulling it from the bone gives a better texture, helps the dressing cling, and makes sandwich assembly far easier. As stated, shredding it with two forks in a mixing bowl works, though some may choose a hand mixer for speed.
What’s in McConaughey’s chicken salad base?
He starts with the same trio as his tuna salad: mayonnaise, olive oil, and Italian dressing. Store-bought dressing works, but homemade with oregano, parsley, garlic, and red wine vinegar adds more punch.
From there, he and wife Camila Alves follow a family Sunday night tradition: use whatever’s left in the fridge. Pears, hearts of palm, corn – anything goes, as long as it’s fresh. When I made it, I threw in diced apples and some jalapeño chips, and it still worked.
For simplicity, here’s the basic structure McConaughey suggests:
- Roast or buy a whole chicken
- Pull meat from the bone
- Mix mayo, olive oil, and Italian dressing
- Add fridge leftovers you like
- Season with salt, pepper, and dried herbs
It’s unfussy, adaptable, and tastes like you put in far more effort than you actually did – which, in my book, is exactly how weeknight cooking should be.
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