Chicken Salad Recipe

A bowl of Chicken Salad with grapes, cranberries, almonds, and more.

This is the BEST Chicken Salad Recipe that's easy to make with grapes, cranberries, almonds, and more! It's made creamy with mayo or Greek yogurt and is perfect in a sandwich or as a side dish!

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 429kcal

Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

Chicken Salad

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts about 1 ¾ lbs. or 4 cups cooked
¾ cup mayonnaise
2 ribs celery finely diced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¾ cup red grapes quartered
3 green onions diced
1/3 cup sliced almonds
¼ cup dried cranberries optional

Seasonings

½ teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon dried dill weed
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon salt plus more to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Submerge the chicken in cool water and gradually bring it to a gentle boil. Stir in up to 2 tbsp. kosher salt once the water is up to temperature. Boil gently for 15 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes, then dice it finely.
Make sure the chicken is fully cooled before mixing it with the mayo to ensure the oil doesn’t separate. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, celery, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and seasonings.
Chill until ready to serve. (At least 30 minutes.)
Add the grapes, green onions, sliced almonds, and cranberries. Stir until combined. If desired, transfer to a clean serving bowl prior to serving.

Notes

Make-Ahead Method:

You can prepare this salad up to 12 hours ahead of time and refrigerate.
I recommend that you combine half of it as outlined in the instructions, then mix in the add-ons just before serving. This way the grapes won't make it watery, the almonds will be crunchy, etc.
You may choose to add 1/4 cup additional mayo (or plain Greek yogurt) just before serving as well, based on the consistency.

Storage:

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Pro Tips:

For extra flavorful chicken: Add 1-2 chicken bouillon cubes to the water that the chicken cooks in instead of adding salt.
To ensure your chicken isn't tough, be sure to boil it gently.
Additional ingredient options include: Bacon, Hard Boiled Eggs, Sliced Avocado, Walnuts, Apples, and more.
I use Fresh Gourmet Toasted Sliced Almonds for this, they're very good!
For convenience purposes, you can combine all of the ingredients at once and chill prior to serving, I just keep the add-ons (grapes, walnuts, cranberries, and green onions), for the last minute for absolute best results.
📘 Find this recipe on page 75 of my 2nd cookbook, Let’s Eat!

The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving. There are 6 servings in this recipe.

Nutrition