This really is the perfect go-to salad for sandwiches or on top of a green salad.
You could easily add crumbled bacon, or raisins, or cashews, or even mix in a little curry powder to the mayo. Of course, homemade mayo puts this salad over the top. But again, a good quality store-bought mayonnaise works perfectly well, too. After cooking the chicken, the salad comes together in only about 15 minutes!
Ingredients
4 lbs chicken parts (bone-in, skin-on thighs and breasts work well) (You’ll need about 4 cups)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup grapes seedless, halved (red and green varieties are great)
1 cup almonds thinly sliced
2 stalks celery finely diced
3 scallions thinly sliced (white and green parts)
2 tbsp dill fresh, chopped
1 tbsp parsley fresh, chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Kosher salt (start with 1/2 teaspoon, then add more, to taste)
Freshly ground pepper
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!
Best-Ever Chicken Salad FAQs
- How far advance can it be made? We recommend serving soon after the salad is assembled. However, you can prepare the chicken and the dressing up to several days in advance. We will say the salad is even tastier after it sits in the refrigerator for a few hours. We just suggest bringing the salad back to room temp before serving. But that’s just a suggestion!
- Is a rotisserie chicken okay to use? Absolutely! We feel pretty strongly that the roasted chicken pieces yield an even tastier salad, but a good-quality rotisserie chicken will work, too. Just please don’t use canned chicken. Please.
- What other ingredients could I include? The sky is practically the limit: We love dried cranberries, sliced apples, cashews or peanuts, even capers! Fresh oregano, rosemary and/or thyme is great, too!
- Can the salad be frozen? Yes! Freeze for up to 1 month in an air-tight container. Let thaw completely and return to room temperature. You may need to make a small batch of the dressing just to stir in before serving after it’s been frozen, but that’s not 100% necessary.