Why You Should Add Pickle Juice To Chicken Salad

There are two kinds of people in this world — those who can't handle the perfectly piercing flavors of vinegar, dill, and coriander, and those who are cool and love to eat pickles. There is no in-between, and there is no question of which group has the superior taste buds. But there may still be hope for the fallen. A juicy, spiced, and succulent chicken salad is sometimes all it takes to open one up to the wonderful world of pickles.

There's nothing worse than a dry, bland chicken salad. But, as a dry salad turns to ash in your mouth, you can't help but crave better flavor. Pickle juice can elevate your chicken salad to heights unknown by adding spices and moisture to the salad before it's served on a plate or in a sandwich. Thankfully, the extra bite and the juicy texture of the chicken salad are often all your chicken salad is missing.

Because pickle juice or brine is basically just vinegar with spices in it, it has a strong tangy taste that can be substituted in for different ingredients in your chicken salad. Lots of recipes usually call for lemon juice to add some tange, but pickle juice is a far superior and more complex option to use. According to The Kitchn, a good brine is the result of the melding and fermentation of lots of different flavor notes and accents that can be difficult to get otherwise, so make sure to utilize that pickle juice and add some complexity to your chicken salad. Cookies and Cups explains that each pickle brine is unique and gives different things to your chicken salad, so make sure to experiment and find the right brine for you. You may not even have to season your salad as heavily as the pickle juice's strong seasonings will come through organically. 

According to Serious Eats, pickle brine has a lot of uses, one of which is to tenderize meat (it is very acidic). Pickle juice in chicken salads can also help to meld the salad together and keep it from becoming a chunky difficult to eat nightmare.