Chicken Salad with Grapes
This chicken salad with grapes combines chicken, red grapes, celery, green onions, and toasted pecans in a creamy lemon-Dijon dressing. It’s easy to make ahead and perfect for sandwiches, croissants, lettuce cups, or crackers.
Servings 8
Calories 262kcal
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Salad:
- 1/2 cup pecans roughly chopped
- 3 cups cooked, cooled, and diced chicken see notes
- 1 1/2 cups seedless red grapes halved
- 1/2 cup celery, finely diced
- 1/4 cup green onions thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 4-6 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Alternatively, spread them on a baking sheet and toast at 350 °F (175 °C) for 5-8 minutes, stirring once. Let cool completely.1/2 cup pecans
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper until smooth.1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, grapes, celery, green onions, parsley, and cooled pecans (if making this to serve in advance, reserve the pecans and stir in before serving).3 cups cooked, cooled, and diced chicken, 1 1/2 cups seedless red grapes, 1/2 cup celery,, 1/4 cup green onions, 1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, 1/2 cup pecans
- Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture and stir gently until everything is evenly coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- Stir gently before serving. If the salad is very cold, let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes first.
- For the best texture, prepare the chicken salad no more than 24 hours before serving. Keep it tightly covered in the refrigerator and stir it gently before serving. Store the chicken salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days from the day it was prepared. For the best flavor, let the chicken salad sit at room temperature for about 5-10 minutes before serving so it isn’t extremely cold straight from the refrigerator. The dressing should remain creamy for up to 3 days, but the pecans will gradually soften and the grapes may release a little moisture as it sits. Do not freeze.
Notes
- For the chicken, use roasted boneless, skinless chicken breasts or meat removed from a rotisserie chicken, with the skin and bones discarded. A combination of breast and thigh meat also works and produces a slightly richer chicken salad.
- If roasting your own chicken, preheat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C). Place about 700 grams (1 1/2 pounds) boneless, skinless chicken breasts on a baking sheet or in a baking dish. Rub with 1 teaspoon olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Roast until the thickest part reaches 165 °F (74 °C), approximately 18-25 minutes, depending on the thickness. Let cool completely, then dice and measure out 3 cups (420 grams).
- Low-fat mayonnaise also works well when paired with full-fat sour cream.
- This recipe is naturally gluten-free when made with gluten-free mayonnaise and Dijon. If using rotisserie chicken, check that its seasoning is gluten-free as well.
Nutrition
Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 216mg | Potassium: 243mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 200IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg