Loaded chicken salad is just that… loaded!
There is something decidedly Southern and old-fashioned about chicken salad. Picture a group of ladies lunching while playing bridge. Or an afternoon bridal or baby shower, where the chicken salad main course is served in a pineapple boat. If you’re of a certain age, you know what I’m talking about.
Even so, there’s nothing better for lunch than a scoop of good chicken salad nestled on freshly dressed greens, or piled high on a soft kaiser roll with a pickle on the side.
Let’s qualify what “good” chicken salad is, because there have been so many times I’ve been disappointed by an average, ho-hum effort. You know what I mean, a little diced chicken, a spoonful of mayo and some chopped onion or celery if you’re lucky. Really? I think we can do better.
To me, good chicken salad starts with the mayonnaise — I’m not going to insist that you make it yourself — but you’d definitely score bonus points if you did. Duke’s or Hellman’s works fine here, but I like to jazz it up with fresh lemon juice, some whole grain Dijon mustard and plenty of freshly chopped tarragon.
Then we get to the add-ins. (Think of it like ice cream at Stone Cold Creamery — what mix-ins do you want?) Finely diced red onion and celery are a must. But I also like a sweet component.
Dried fruit would work, but there’s something about crispy sweet-tart apples and seedless grapes that makes this chicken salad sing. That, along with a healthy dose of chopped, toasted pecans. I am from the South, after all!
If you’re packing this as a brown-bag option for lunch, put the chicken salad in a Tupperware container and pack the bread/greens separately. It’s better when it’s assembled just before eating!
Loaded Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 1/4 cup red onion about 1/4 of a whole onion, minced
- 2 1/2 cups chicken breast cooked and diced
- 1 cup seedless grapes halved lengthwise
- 1 small apple peeled, seeded, chopped
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon whole grain dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup tarragon freshly chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Lay pecans on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly toasted and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
- Add celery, onion, chicken, grapes and apple to a large bowl and toss to combine.
- In a small bowl stir together lemon juice, mayonnaise and whole grain mustard. Stir in chopped tarragon and taste for seasoning -- adding salt and pepper as needed
- Add mayonnaise mixture to chicken. Using a large spoon or spatula, fold the mayonnaise into the chicken until well coated.
- Roughly chop the pecans, add them to the salad and stir to combine.
- Great served with toasted bread or on a bed of greens.
This is really close to how I make mine, great stuff. I like on toasted wheat bread romaine lettuce and fresh summer tomatoe!
Great minds think alike! The bread and toppings sound delish!
I invited my neighbor down for lunch and then went to garlic and zest to find a yummy recipe. My neighbor loved it, Bud loved it and I loved it. It is probably better with roasted chicken but since I had canned chicken getting close to its expiration date, I used it. I used less chicken so cut down on the dressing. I’m glad I used all the other ingredients as called for, especially the toast pecans.
Pat, thanks so much for sharing your experience. This chicken salad is also my daughter’s favorite — I’m so glad you, Bud and your neighbor enjoyed it!
This is so beautiful! It’s funny how a bit of arugula just makes everything look (and taste!) better.