Eating chicken salad is just like trust falling into someone’s arms. For this comparison to work, we need to be on the same page about what a trust fall is.
This is a trust fall, except you fall backwards, someone catches you, and you cry less (hopefully).
Chicken Salad is just like a trust fall because, likes arms outstretched, you must trust that the chicken salad chef has cooked the chicken well, chopped it thoughtfully, and ensured that no weird gristles or fatty pieces sneak their way into the salad because that ruins everything… absolutely everything.
You must trust. Or just be like me and make your own chicken salad because life is about managing control issues and trust issues and stumbling and salad.
Here’s the start:
Mayonnaise and plain yogurt. Dijon mustard and a dash of buttermilk. You can use either buttermilk or half and half. I like a little something other than thick mayo and yogurt to extent the creaminess and and some viscosity.
Big flakey sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper plus cayenne pepper. We like spice.
Whisk it up to smooth before adding all of the chicken salad fixins.
Chicken is key. I don’t need to tell you that do I?
I use two boneless skinless chicken breasts, poached, cooled, and coarsely chopped.
Here’s how to poach chicken breasts from The Kitchn. They make cooking much easier. Once I learned how to poach chicken without ending up with two mockingly rubber chicken pieces, boneless/skinless adventures got easier.
Fruit (grapes are great, and blueberries would be mighty fine too!) and herb (parsley is great and dill would be a nice addition) add sweet and savory notes, freshness and crunch.
Green onions and celery or cucumber. Celery is traditional but anything crunchy and green in your fridge might/could do. We’re walking the line between refrigerator dump and fine-lady-salads.
Stir and taste. Stir and refrigerate. This salad is best served chilled after a few hours in the fridge allowing for the flavors to meld.
This creamy summer salad could be a fridge staple. Or you could eat it standing in front of the fridge like I do because formalities are silly when you don’t even have pants on.
Trust.
PrintGrape and Herb Chicken Salad
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, poached and cooled
- 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced (cucumber is nice if you’re out of celery)
- 1/2 cup sliced green onions
- 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 heaping cup halved purple grapes
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons half and half or buttermilk
- sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Salad greens or toasted bread for serving
Instructions
- Coarsely chop cooled poached chicken. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, half and half or buttermilk, salt and pepper, and cayenne. Taste and season according to your taste.
- Add the chopped chicken, celery or cucumber, green onions, parsley, and grapes. Toss. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Enjoy over salad greens or toasted bread.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
Nathalie
Making this tonight, Joy! Excited to have it for dinner and through the weekend. Will include the cornichons as well, which I notice you didn’t include in the recipe (but why?) and is an excellent idea. Love you and all that you do! Keep it up, sister.
Ashley M.
Made this for dinner and it was very good. I’d make two changes next time; cilantro instead of parsley and add almond slices. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Dawn D.
Thanks for this recipe! People don’t seem to appreciate how amazing grapes in chicken salad are. The photos look amazing, but the grapes seem different from the kind normally available in my local stores. Any idea what variety you used?
joythebaker
Nope, nothing special just red grapes. Keep it simple.
gerry @ foodness gracious
Thank you!! I will not buy chicken salad from anywhere just because I’m worried about the cook missing that tiny bone or piece of chicken feather. Call me what ya want but I always shred my own bird! :)
Chandra Meyers
I can totally get behind every bit of this post, except the grapes. Please note the following is personal opinion only, not a reflection of Joy or other people’s taste in food…
The primary reason I have Chicken Salad trust issues is because people seem to think grapes in Chicken Salad are the best part of the salad. This is not true. Grapes are a fruit and they DO NOT BELONG in my Chicken Salad. True the gristly fatty pieces are pretty nasty, but that is a failure of technique, whereas the grapes are an unnecessary addtion!
mecooks1
Great recipe, I will try it for sure in the future :-)
Lori
You make chicken salad look so good!
Nikki
Thank the lord there wasn’t any eggs in this recipe. Hard boiled eggs are icko to the max. I’ll be trying this next week while I’m on vacay.
Melissa
Looks yummy! My mom makes hers with grapes, celery, and pecans, and it’s a classic. I’ll try this one, but might still add the pecans!
The Pastiche
Yum!! My very favorite chicken salad for this summer is made with blackberries and sweet corn, and tons of fresh herbs. Served on a croissant?! Goodnight!
Here’s the recipe: https://thepastiche.squarespace.com/blog/chicken-salad-with-blackberries-sweet-corn
AllTheGoodNamesAreTaken
Now I’m craving chicken salad, but I’ve already changed into a caftan, and I think I’d get some strange looks in Rouse’s if I showed up like this to get some chicken.
I make mine almost exactly the same, and I’ve found that if I want to eat it properly while wearing pants, it’s absolutely yummy on raisin bread.
Carol
Chicken salad and tuna salad … something I prefer to make at home, rather than risk how someone else might prepare — I have too many “bad” experiences to entrust it with others. I like red grapes in my chicken salad, and like your take on the “sauce” and spices. I recently made a curried chicken salad that also called for grapes, and it was delicious, too!
Flying Kitty
I have been trying to learn how to make chicken salad for a really long time. and I failed. because the chicken I made all had a weird smell. Now thanks to your post, I think it’s much more likely for me to succeed. I’m going to try this weekend. I love cooking too. please feel free to check out my lifestyle blog: http://www.flyingkittyadventures.com
Rita
Yes! This is the lunch I’ve been searching for all week! It sounds so delicious.
ecaroline23
This must be amazing! Could it work with just mayo and yogurt or is buttermilk essential?
http://whenhealthymettasty.com
joythebaker
You can certaily skip the buttermilk if you’d like. No problem!
Rachel Myers
You nailed my relationship with chicken salad in the 1st sentence! While I enjoy a good chicken salad, my risk adverse self rarely musters up the courage to order it.
joythebaker
I understand you completely.
Tori//Gringalicious
I love grapes in my chicken salad, YES! This is so what I need to be eating for lunch!
My Style Vita (@MyStyleVita)
I love a good chicken salad but have never made it myself. This looks so easy!
xo Jessica
My Style Vita
Jean Shapiro
Perfect…chicken salad is definitely one of those foods that I love but I never order anywhere. I do have trust issues. My mother spoiled me with her meticulously cooked and cut chicken breasts. Thanks, Joy, your posts always delight, inspire and brighten my day.
francetaste
You nailed it on the icky gristly fatty parts. Ruins everything. If you want something done right, do it yourself.
I might outsource the chicken part, though. There are amazing roast chickens in France. A guy sets up his truck right across the street from me on Friday nights with rows of chickens turning on spits over a wood fire. The smell is intoxicating.
Rena
Honestly I can’t remember if I ever prepared a chicken salad… I see your salad is really a try worth!
xx from Bavaria/Germany, Rena
http://www.dressedwithsoul.com