Chicken Salad with Grapes and Almonds
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This savory-sweet chicken salad is delicious in a sandwich, scooped over greens, or eaten straight from the bowl.
Back in May, The Kitchn published a fun chicken salad showdown by Amelia Rampe, pitting recipes from The New York Times, Southern Living, Ina Garten, and The Pioneer Woman against one another in the name of finding the best chicken salad on the internet. Each recipe uses a different method for cooking the chicken, different mix-ins, and different dressings. The Pioneer Woman’s savory-sweet chicken salad with grapes, almonds, and dill was crowned the winner, with Ina Garten’s recipe coming in a very close second. I loved both recipes, so I took what I liked from each, added a few touches of my own, and combined them into a version that’s delicious on a sandwich, scooped over greens, or eaten straight from the bowl. This is the fun of cooking!
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Salad with Grapes and Almonds
Step-by-Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Rub the chicken with the oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, or until or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads between 160°F and 165°F (the temperature will continue to rise about 5 degrees as it cools).
It’s important not to overcook the chicken or the salad will be dry. I highly recommend using a meat thermometer with a remote probe (affiliate link) so that you can monitor the temperature of the chicken without ever opening your oven. It takes all of the guesswork out of it.
When the chicken is cool, remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin and bones. Dice the chicken into a 1/2-inch pieces.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, mustard, sugar, 1 scant teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. 
Whisk to combine.
Add the diced chicken, celery, scallions, grapes, almonds, and herbs to the dressing.
Toss until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Chill the salad in the refrigerator for a few hours. Before serving, taste and adjust seasoning again, if necessary.
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Classic Chicken Salad with Grapes and Almonds
This savory-sweet chicken salad is delicious in a sandwich, scooped over greens, or eaten straight from the bowl.
Ingredients
- 3 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (about 3 lbs)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3 stalks celery, finely diced
- 4 large scallions, light and dark green parts, thinly sliced
- 1½ cups grapes, halved
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Rub the chicken with the oil and sprinkle all over with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, or until or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads between 160°F and 165°F (the temperature will continue to rise about 5 degrees as it cools). Set aside to cool.
- When the chicken is cool, remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin and bones. Dice the chicken into a ½-inch pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, mustard, sugar, 1 scant teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Add the diced chicken, celery, scallions, grapes, almonds, and herbs and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, sugar, and lemon juice, if necessary. Chill the salad in the refrigerator for a few hours. Before serving, taste and adjust seasoning again, if necessary.
- Note: If you'd like to use leftover or rotisserie chicken, you'll need about 4 cups. Begin at step 3. (Toss very gently if using a rotisserie chicken; it shreds easily.)
- Note: The key to making a good chicken salad is not overcooking the chicken. I highly recommend using a meat thermometer with a remote probe (affiliate link) so that you can monitor the temperature of the chicken without ever opening your oven. It takes the guesswork out of it.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 584
- Fat: 43g
- Saturated fat: 9g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Sugar: 10g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 36g
- Sodium: 679mg
- Cholesterol: 114mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Comments
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This is a delish chicken salad !! Made it exactly as written but used a rotisserie chicken. I questimated the amount of chicken so, I used both breasts and both thighs. Can you give me a cup amount that the chicken should be? Also, for a bridge group of 8 women; would this pair well with your pumpkin muffins or some other muffins?
Hi Joni, so glad you like it! You’ll need about 4 cups of chicken. While pumpkin muffins may be a little nontraditional to pair with chicken salad, I think it’s the perfect time of year for them and you should go for it! Two other good options would be the popovers and the crusty bread. Hope you enjoy whatever you make!
Hi, it would be great if we could search the comments… bc surely someone else has already asked: if you are using your poached method with chicken tenders, how much should we get? I saw where you said you need about 4 cups of shredded chicken- but that doesn’t help me out with how much (weight) of tenders I need to buy. Is it 2lbs like the other recipe? Thanks!
Hi Renee, yes, I’d use 2 pounds of tenders. And I wish you could search the comments! I’ve asked my developer about it and with the current way the site is set up, there’s not a way to do it – sorry!
This was really good. I added a bit more almonds and tarragon, but it was nice and crunchy and was perfect in a pita.
Love the recipe. The only change I made was to use non-fat greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
Excellent!! I make it two days ahead kept air tight in the fridge. This lets the flavors combine. I served this to several now and it’s always a big hit.
Thank you!
I love your recipes and have bought both of your books! How many chicken breasts should you buy if making this recipe for a shower with 24 people? Should I just multiply everything by ? I am planning to serve the chicken salad on mini croissants. Thank you!
Thanks for your nice words about the recipes and support of the books — so glad you like them!
I would multiply everything by 4 to serve 24. Hope everyone enjoys!