4.9 from 774 votes
Best-Ever Chicken Salad
This best-ever chicken salad combines cooked, chopped chicken with sweet grapes, crunchy almonds, celery, scallions, and fresh herbs like dill and parsley. Mixed with a mayonnaise-based dressing enhanced by lemon juice and Dijon mustard, the salad has a creamy, tangy flavor balanced by fruity sweetness and refreshing herb notes. It is chilled before serving to meld the flavors, making it a refreshing and hearty dish suitable for sandwiches or salads.
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
50 mins
Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
Servings:
10
people
Calories:
273 kcal
Course:
Lunch
Cuisine:
American
Ingredients
- 4 lbs chicken parts You'll need about 4 cups, bone-in, skin-on thighs and breasts work well
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup grapes seedless, halved (red and green varieties are great)
- 1 cup almonds thinly sliced
- 2 talks celery finely diced
- 3 scallions thinly sliced (white and green parts)
- 2 tablespoon dill fresh, chopped
- 1 tablespoon parsley fresh, chopped
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (start with ½ teaspoon, then add more, to taste)
- black pepper freshly ground
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Rub the olive oil all over the chicken pieces and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until internal temp reaches 165°F using an instant-read thermometer.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and let cool. Remove the skin then pull the meat from the bones and roughly chop.
- In a large bowl, mix together the chicken, grapes, almonds, celery, scallions, dill, & parsley.
- In a small-medium bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, lemon, mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Add the mayo/mustard mixture to the chicken mixture and gently stir until well mixed.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Serve on a bed of greens with sliced tomatoes and avocado. Or, serve on bread with green leaf lettuce. Add more toppings to your taste!
Cup of Yum
Notes
- Cook the chicken up to two days ahead to simplify preparation.
- Dressing can be made one to two days in advance for convenience.
- Refrigerate the salad for at least three hours or overnight for best flavor development, then bring to room temperature an hour before serving.
- While best served fresh, the salad can be frozen; reheat slowly and refresh with dressing before serving.
- The salad pairs well with croissants or served on leaf lettuce with avocado and tomatoes.
Nutrition Information
Calories
273kcal
(14%)
Carbohydrates
7g
(2%)
Protein
4g
(8%)
Fat
14g
(22%)
Saturated Fat
4g
(20%)
Cholesterol
9mg
(3%)
Sodium
400mg
(17%)
Potassium
165mg
(4%)
Fiber
2g
(8%)
Sugar
4g
(8%)
Vitamin A
135IU
(3%)
Vitamin C
2mg
(2%)
Calcium
47mg
(5%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 10 people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 273
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 273kcal | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 7g | 2% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 14g | 22% |
| Saturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Cholesterol | 9mg | 3% |
| Sodium | 400mg | 17% |
| Potassium | 165mg | 4% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 135IU | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 2mg | 2% |
| Calcium | 47mg | 5% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.