Chicken Salad with Grapes and Dill

What Kind of Chicken Goes in Chicken Salad?

If you have a store-bought rotisserie chicken or some leftover chicken, making chicken salad is a great idea. It’s a quick and tasty way to use what you have and impress your friends or family.

Be careful not to use leftover chicken that is highly seasoned. For example, a chicken roasted with an orange glaze might be too savory for this dish.

I lean towards white meat chicken salad for my family, but some people love chicken thighs, which are dark meat, in their cold salads. Thighs have higher fat content and have more flavor, but for chicken salad, I like to stick with the classic plain white meat.

What You Need

• Cooked Chicken Breasts
• Mayonnaise (sour cream or plain yogurt can be substituted)
• Diced Celery
• Red Onion (green onion or scallions can be used too )
• Fresh dill, chopped
• Dijon or yellow mustard adds a boost of flavor
• Chopped parsley
• Red Grapes, cut into quarters
• Sliced Almonds (you can also use pecans or walnuts)
• Salt and Pepper

Adding the chicken to a Kitchenaid Standing Mixer with the wire whip attachment and mixing for a minute will do the job effortlessly!

1. In a large mixing bowl, take a rubber spatula. Gently mix the cooked, shredded chicken with celery, onion, parsley, dill, mustard, and half of the mayonnaise. Add the remaining mayo until you get the consistency you prefer.
2. Stir in the diced grapes; season with salt and black pepper.
3. Cover the chicken salad with plastic wrap. Place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours. This will help the flavors blend together. garnish with chopped nuts and season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

How To Grate An Onion

Grating an onion is a useful technique in cooking when you want to extract the onion's juice and finely mince it without the need for chopping it by hand. Grated onion adds great flavor to any dish.

Start by peeling the onion and cutting off the root end. Leave the top stem end intact, as it will provide a handle for you to hold while grating.

Using a box grater, grate the onion in the large holes.

Be careful while grating, you don't want to end up with cut hands.

What Can I Use Instead of Mayonnaise?

In place of mayonnaise, try using sour cream or yogurt. I often substitute mayo with thick Greek (10% fat) yogurt. It's great!

How to Serve Chicken Salad

I like to make a big salad with leafy greens and fresh crunchy vegetables. I top the salad with a big scoop of chicken salad, about a half cup per salad.

You can also make lettuce wraps or a sandwich on your favorite gluten-free bread.

I enjoy my chicken salad (and tuna salad) on top of a bowl of romaine or butter lettuce with some crispy vegetables and a few Mary's Gone Crackers on the side.

Storage

To store leftovers, place the chicken salad in an airtight container in the fridge for two or three days. Do not freeze.

Summary

Chicken salad with grapes is the ultimate chicken salad recipe! This creamy salad has big, bright flavors. It mixes savory chicken with sweet, juicy seedless grapes. 

Whether you've got a store-bought rotisserie chicken on hand or some leftover cooked chicken, making homemade chicken salad is a fantastic way to whip up an easy meal that you're going to love!

The combination of cooked chicken breasts with Dijon mustard and fresh herbs including parsley and dill with creamy mayo creates a great contrast in flavors. 

The creamy chicken salad can be enjoyed in various ways. Make classic chicken salad sandwiches on gluten-free bread or use it as a topping on a big salad. You can also enjoy it right out of the bowl with crackers or crisp vegetables. 

For an egg-free alternative, consider using sour cream or Greek yogurt in place of mayonnaise. You can also use a mashed avocado!

Double the recipe and make a big batch to meal prep for the next few days.