Smoked Chicken Salad Sandwiches Recipe

Ingredients

3 bay leaves
3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp meat tenderizer
¾ cup pecans, very coarsely chopped
¼ cup butter, melted
¼ tsp salt
1 cup finely chopped celery
140 g dried cranberries
1⅓ cups mayonnaise (approx.)
¼ tsp Cajun seasoning
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 soft buns
Red leaf lettuce
Suggested Wood: Hickory

Preparation

1. Preheat smoker to 110°C. Fill water tray with water and add bay leaves.
2. Pierce chicken breasts with a fork and sprinkle with meat tenderizer. Place chicken on middle rack of smoker and smoke until internal temperature reaches 75°C.
3. Meanwhile, place pecans in a small disposable aluminium foil pan, pour melted butter over top and sprinkle with salt. Stir well to coat pecans.
4. Place pan on top rack of smoker during the last half of smoking time for the chicken. Smoke pecans for 30 minutes. Remove from smoker and drain on a paper towel.
5. Remove chicken. Let cool, then chop.
6. In a large bowl, combine chopped chicken, pecans, celery and dried cranberries. Add 1⅓ cups mayonnaise. Season with Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper. (Add additional salt and pepper to suit your taste, if necessary.)
7. Lightly spread each side of the buns with mayonnaise, and place a large leaf of red lettuce on the bottom half. Place a generous amount of chicken salad on top of lettuce and enjoy!