This is called the GOAT of chicken salad sandwiches, featuring Traeger smoked chicken, smoke-roasted garlic mayo, and flavor dialed all the way up. It’s an ultimate smoked chicken salad sandwich designed for maximum flavor and texture.
1. **Smoke the Chicken (The day before):** Preheat your Traeger grill to 225°F. Season the boneless, skinless chicken breast or boneless thighs with Traeger Rub. Smoke the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 162°F for breast or 170-175°F for thighs. Once cooked, refrigerate the chicken overnight.
2. **Make the Smoke Roasted Garlic Mayo (The night before):** In a jar or container slightly larger than an immersion stick blender, combine 1 cup canola oil, 2 bulbs smoke roasted garlic, 1 egg, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1/2 tsp Redmond real salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Blitz with the immersion blender for a couple of minutes until emulsified and done.
3. **Prepare the Chicken Salad Ingredients:** For optimal texture, dice half of the smoked chicken and shred the other half in a food processor. Peel the celery stalk to remove any stringy bits before finely dicing it. Dice the red onion.
4. **Assemble the Chicken Salad:** In a large bowl, combine the prepared smoked chicken (diced and shredded), 3/4 cup of the smoke roasted garlic mayo, 1 finely diced celery stalk, 1/2 diced red onion, 2 tsp fresh lemon juice, 2 tsp dried dill, 1 tsp Redmond garlic salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Mix all ingredients thoroughly until well combined.
5. **Assemble the Sandwich:** Choose your favorite bread (such as challah, fluffy white, or a simple brioche), ensuring the bread's thickness does not overpower the filling. Butter the bread. Add fresh crispy lettuce or spinach. Place a generous amount of the ultimate smoked chicken salad filling onto one slice of bread and top with the other. Serve and enjoy one of the most satisfying sandwiches ever!
