• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Joy the Baker
Joy the Baker
  • Cookies
  • Bread
  • Cakes
  • Pies
  • Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Cookies
    • Birthday Cake Recipes
    • Biscuits
    • Muffins
    • Cupcakes
    • Drinks
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Fruit
    • Nuts
    • Buttermilk
    • Chocolate
    • Vanilla
    • Holiday
    • Healthy
    • Gluten-Free
    • Vegan
  • Blog
    • Baking 101
    • Tips
    • Beyond the Kitchen
    • Let It Be Sunday!
    • New Orleans
  • Camp Joy
Watch VideoRead CommentsLeave a Review

Grape and Herb Chicken Salad

June 16, 2016 by Joy the Baker 24 Comments

Jump to Recipe

Grape and Herb Chicken Salad

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.

Grape and Herb Chicken 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.

Grape and Herb Chicken Salad

Whisk it up to smooth before adding all of the chicken salad fixins.

Grape and Herb Chicken Salad

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.

Grape and Herb Chicken Salad

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.

Grape and Herb Chicken Salad

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.

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Grape and Herb Chicken Salad

★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆ No reviews
  • Author: Joy the Baker
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
Pin Recipe
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale
  • 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

  1. Coarsely chop cooled poached chicken. Set aside.
  2. 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.
  3. 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

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can't wait to see what you've made!

Previous PostNext Post

Categories: Dinner, Fruit, Gluten-Free, Healthy, Recipes, Savory

Previous Post: « What Inspires You About Your Best Friends?
Next Post: Let It Be Sunday! »

Reader Interactions

All Comments
I Made This
Questions
  1. Nathalie

    July 20, 2016 at 9:44 am

    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.

    Reply
  2. Ashley M.

    July 1, 2016 at 4:58 pm

    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!

    Reply
  3. Dawn D.

    June 29, 2016 at 9:46 am

    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?

    Reply
    • joythebaker

      July 5, 2016 at 10:34 am

      Nope, nothing special just red grapes. Keep it simple.

      Reply
  4. gerry @ foodness gracious

    June 17, 2016 at 10:51 pm

    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! :)

    Reply
  5. Chandra Meyers

    June 17, 2016 at 6:40 pm

    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!

    Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

RELATED POSTS IN Dinner

stacks of sandwiches
Sandwich Series: The Green Goddess Tomato Sandwich

Let’s talk about the summer tomato.  They’re at their best exactly ripe and with a touch of salt and pepper, they’re perfection.  Over the summers I’ve perfected my favorite tomato sandwich recipe.  It’s extra – with Havarti cheese, avocado and a zippy grinder salad.  Here’s how! Sandwiches are better in the summer.  I don’t know…

Read More

close up of a French dip sandwich cut in half
Sandwich Series: French Dip Steak Sandwich with horseradish mayo

We’re making a classic french dip sandwich, even better with seared and sliced flank steak, caramelized onions, and spicy horseradish mayonnaise.  This is a next-level at home sandwich. Fire up the cast iron – you can’t miss this! A few weeks ago I took my friend Emily to my one of my most nostalgic Los…

Read More

assembling finished root beer smash burgers
These Root Beer Smash Burgers Will Make Your Weekend!

Let’s elevate our burger game with this mouthwatering smash burger recipe – with a lil’ soda pop twist! We’re taking this classic to new heights by introducing root beer barbecue sauce (you heard that right!) that adds a sweet meets savory kick. It’s an elite compliment to these caramelized cheesy burgers! Listen friends,  I know…

Read More

Primary Sidebar

Fresh baked emails, delivered to your inbox

Jump to Recipe

Receive recipes from Joy the Baker and updates on events at The Bakehouse.

HI! I’M JOY!

Jump to Recipe

Welcome! This has been my little corner of the internet since 2008!

I’m a baker, photographer, cookbook author and teacher.  I live laugh love in New Orleans. 

MORE ABOUT JOY AND THE TEAM

BOOKS + Magazines

Jump to Recipe

2023 CAMP JOY SUMMER ZINE – get it here!

JOY THE BAKER 2022 SUMMER MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2021 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2020 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

HOMEMADE DECADENCE

OVER EASY: SWEET AND SAVORY RECIPES FOR LEISURELY DAYS COOKBOOK

JOY THE BAKER COOKBOOK

MY FAVORITE CAMPING GEAR

Jump to Recipe

SHOP MY FAVORITE GEAR HERE! 

Jump to Recipe
joy the baker on facebook joy the baker on twitter pinterest-social instagram-socialbloglovin-social

DRAKE ON CAKE

Jump to Recipe

Passionate from miles away since 2015.

CHECK IT OUT ON INSTAGRAM

Drake on cake instagram.

 

BREADS YOU’LL LOVE

close up of strawberry shortcake recipe with soft whipped cream

Dad’s Biscuits Make The Best Shortcake

jambalaya buttermilk biscuits in a row

Smoked Sausage Jambalaya Buttermilk Biscuits

inside of warm cinnamon roll on plate

How To Make The Best Single Serve Cinnamon Roll

LET’S MAKE COOKIES!

a stack of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies with a bite taken out of the top one with milk

Classic White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

wider shot of lemon bars stacked on a plate with a bite taken out of one lemon bar

My Favorite Classic Lemon Bars Recipe

completed recipe close up shot of a blondie so the toasted almonds, chocolate chips, and sea salt can be seen

My Best Classic Blondie Recipe

Footer

Instagram

joythebaker

📚Baker, author of books, lover of butter
🎂Creator @drakeoncake
📝Inquiries megan@underscoretalent.com

joythebaker
Chai-Spiced Sugar Cookies #taylorsversion made wit Chai-Spiced Sugar Cookies #taylorsversion made with an old sugar cookie recipe I made back in 2009 (like whaaat?) and a boatload of warm autumn spiced @taylorswift added to the dough.⁣
⁣
This cookie recipe explodes on my site every September and for good reason. We’re fall girlies and we love a little nutmeg glaze. ⁣
⁣
Find the full recipe linked in the profile! Xo
I don’t know what it is about this year, but I j I don’t know what it is about this year, but I just need more light-hearted fun, more hugs, more breakfast made by mom, and more coffee walks in the sand. Let’s do autumn now, nice and steady.
🥯🥯 for the weekend, babes! Save this no-yeas 🥯🥯 for the weekend, babes! Save this no-yeast bagel magic for your Sunday morning. ⁣
⁣⁣
Two Easy No-Yeast Bagels⁣⁣
1/2 cup self-rising flour⁣⁣
4 tablespoons greek yogurt (plus a teaspoon or two more if needed)⁣
1 large egg, beaten for egg wash⁣⁣
1/3 - 1/2 cup grated gouda or gruyere⁣⁣
Everything bagel seasoning⁣⁣
3 tablespoons baking soda with 2 cups of boiling water. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray the paper lightly with nonstick spray. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
In a small bowl, use a firm spatula to work together the flour and yogurt. Add a few teaspoons of yogurt if it feels dry and knead into a cohesive ball for 5 minutes or so. Sprinkle with a bit more flour if it gets overly sticky. Cover with a damp paper towel and gather your toppings. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Divide dough in two and roll each piece into a roughly 8-inch rope. Bring the ends around and pinch into a circle. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Sprinkle the bottom of the prepared pan with grated cheese in two spots.  Pour boiling water over the baking soda and float each bagel in the water for 20 or so seconds.  Use a slotted spot or spatula to transfer the bagels on top of the cheese.  Brush lightly with egg. Sprinkle with more cheese and everything bagel seasoning. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Bake for 20 - 22 minutes until deeply golden and bubbling.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing and smearing with cream cheese.
The secret to really great muffins is eating them The secret to really great muffins is eating them warm, with a big smear of butter and a sprinkle flakey sea salt. ❇️ This goes for any muffin but is especially delicious on these a Vegan Carrot Zucchini Harvest Muffins because they have so many veggies they’re basically a salad. ❇️ Full recipe linked in the bio! Xo
This fall the ultimate chocolate chip cookie is pa This fall the ultimate chocolate chip cookie is packed with oats, @guittardchocolate baking wafers, and candy coated chocolate pieces from @traderjoes. ✌️ It’s the perfect weekend bake, babes! Full recipe linked in the profile!
Once September hits it’s all cozy couch dinners Once September hits it’s all cozy couch dinners starting with this creamy tomato Marry Me Chicken. Disclaimer: this chicken has yet to get me hitched. Full recipe linked in the bio, bbs! Xo
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 · Joy the Baker
All rights reserved. Violators will be whupped and sent to bed with no dessert · Privacy Policy

Scroll Up