The best chicken salad recipe starts with chicken breasts poached slowly in seasoned stock, then folded into a creamy mayonnaise and sour cream dressing with celery, grapes, and toasted almonds. That's what you get! This chicken breast salad is savory and tangy with little sweet bites of fruit, and you can serve it in a bowl, in a sandwich or in a wrap.
The poaching liquid does most of the flavoring work, so the chicken tastes like something even before the dressing goes on. If you enjoyed my 33 Quick And Easy Dinner Recipes, this is another simple meal worth keeping in your rotation. Keep reading to see how easy it is to put together.
Try This Stovetop Poached Chicken Salad
I make this most often in warm weather, when I want lunch ready in the fridge and not much cooking to do later. Poaching the chicken in stock with garlic and thyme takes about fifteen minutes on the stove, and once it's cooled I can dice everything and stir the salad together in one bowl.
My best taste is in the mix of textures. The chicken is soft, the celery stays crunchy, the grapes pop with a bit of sweetness, and the toasted almonds add a nutty edge that keeps the creamy dressing from feeling flat.
Why You'll Love It
- Make ahead: The salad tastes better after an hour in the fridge, so it suits meal prep.
- Tender chicken: Gentle poaching in stock keeps the breasts moist instead of dry and stringy.
- One bowl to mix: Everything but the chicken and almonds goes straight into the mixing bowl.
- Serve it many ways: It works on greens, in a roll, in a wrap or in lettuce cups. You can even create your own chicken salad sandwich recipe.
- Balanced dressing: Sour cream lightens the mayonnaise so the salad is creamy being heavy.
Ingredients
- Chicken breasts: Boneless, skinless breasts poach cleanly and dice into neat pieces that hold their shape in the dressing. Thighs form a rotisserie chicken are fattier and shred into softer strands that make the salad greasier.
- Chicken stock: The breasts cook in the stock, so they pick up savory flavor all the way through. Plain water will cook them just as safely, but the meat tastes noticeably flatter.
- Mayonnaise: This is the backbone of the dressing, so use one you like eating plain. A very sweet mayonnaise competes with the grapes and makes the whole bowl taste like dessert.
- Sour cream: It thins the mayonnaise slightly and adds tang, which keeps the salad from feeling like straight mayo. Milk or cream would loosen the dressing without giving you any of that tang.
- Red grapes: Diced small, they spread sweetness through every forkful and add juice. Raisins are sweeter and chewy, so you lose the fresh burst that balances the dressing.
- Celery: One large stalk gives the crunch that makes chicken salad worth eating. Cucumber is crunchy too, but it releases water and thins the dressing as the salad sits.
How to Make Classic Chicken Salad
1. Cut each chicken breast into two thinner pieces by slicing through the thickest part. Even pieces cook at the same rate.
2. Season the chicken all over with the salt and pepper and set it aside while you get the pot ready.
3. Pour the chicken stock into a wide saucepan or small Dutch oven, then add the diced garlic and dried thyme and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
4. Place the chicken pieces into the stock in a single layer. Add a splash of water if the stock does not come at least halfway up the meat.
5. Cover the pan, drop the heat to low, and poach at a bare simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, turning the pieces once. The thickest part should reach 165°F (74°C) on an instant-read thermometer.
6. Lift the chicken onto a cutting board with a slotted spoon and let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Save the poaching liquid in a medium bowl with a lid for a soup if you like.
7. Dice,chop, or slice the chicken into small pieces and transfer it to a large bowl.
8. While the chicken cooks, dice the celery, grapes and green onions or scallions so everything is ready to go.
9. Toast the chopped almond nuts in a dry skillet over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes, stirring often, until they smell nutty and turn golden. They burn quickly, so do not walk away.
10. Add the celery, grapes, green onions, ½ cup mayonnaise, sour cream, tablespoon Dijon mustard and onion powder to the bowl with the chicken.
11. Stir until everything is evenly coated in the creamy dressing. Fold the almonds through now or save them to sprinkle over the top.
12. Taste and season the creamy salad with the remaining salt, pepper and sprinkle some parsley on top, then chill the salad dish in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Cooking Tips
- Keep the poaching liquid at a bare simmer, because a hard boil toughens the chicken breast.
- Halving the breasts horizontally cuts the cooking time and keeps the thin ends from overcooking.
- Use a pan just wide enough to hold the chicken in one layer so the stock surrounds the meat.
- Check the thickest piece with a thermometer rather than guessing from the outside.
- Let the chicken cool before dicing so the juices stay in the meat.
- Dice the chicken small and even for a salad that scoops neatly into a sandwich.
- Toast the almonds in a dry pan with no oil and pull them off the heat as soon as they color.
- Season at the end, after mixing, since the stock and mustard already bring salt.
- Give the finished salad time in the fridge so the dressing settles into the chicken.
- You can adjust this recipe accoridng to taste. Additional ingredients you can add include tomatoes, green leaf lettuce, fresh herbs, apples, walnuts, pecans, or red onions.
What Can You Serve With This?
- Bread rolls
- Lettuce cups
- Green salad
- Crackers
- Cucumber slices
- Tortilla wraps
FAQs
Yes. Dice about a pound of cooked chicken and skip straight to the mixing steps, though the meat will not have the garlic and thyme flavor that poaching adds.
Chilled in an airtight container, it keeps for up to 4 days. Once it comes out of the fridge, do not leave it sitting out for more than 4 hours.
Yes, and it works well. Greek yogurt is a little tangier and thicker, so the dressing tastes sharper and clings a bit more.
Usually the chicken was still warm when it was mixed, or the celery and grapes were cut very wet. Cool the chicken fully and pat the diced vegetables dry before mixing.
Recipe
The Best Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients
For cooking chicken
- 1 pound chicken breasts 2 large breasts, boneless, skinless
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 cloves garlic diced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
For the salad
- 1 cup celery 1 large celery stalk, diced
- 1 cup red grapes diced
- ½ cup green onions about 2-3 onions, chopped
- ⅓ cup almonds chopped or crushed
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup sour cream or Greek yoghurt
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt & pepper or to taste
Instructions
POACHING THE CHICKEN
- Cut each chicken breast into two thinner pieces by slicing through the thickest part, then season with the salt and pepper.
- Pour the chicken stock into a wide saucepan, add the diced garlic and dried thyme, and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- Nestle the chicken into the stock in a single layer, adding a splash of water if the liquid does not reach halfway up the meat.
- Cover, reduce the heat to low, and poach at a bare simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, turning once. The thickest part should reach 165°F (74°C).
- Lift the chicken onto a cutting board and cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then dice into small pieces and transfer to a large bowl. Save the poaching liquid for soup if you like.
MIXING THE SALAD
- While the chicken cooks, dice the celery, grapes and green onions.
- Toast the chopped almonds in a dry skillet over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes, stirring often, until golden and fragrant. Set aside.
- Add the celery, grapes, green onions, mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon mustard and onion powder to the diced chicken and mix well. Stir the almonds through or save them for the top.
- Taste and season with the remaining salt and pepper. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
Cooking Time and Temperature
Poach the chicken at a bare simmer on the stovetop, covered, for 12 to 15 minutes. Thinner pieces cut from smaller breasts sit at the shorter end of that range and thicker pieces at the longer end. The thickest part should read 165°F (74°C) on an instant-read thermometer. Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, and take them out as soon as they turn golden.Taste & Texture
This classic chicken salad is creamy, savory and tangy with sweet bites of grape running through it. The poached chicken stays tender, the celery keeps its crunch, and the toasted almonds add a nutty finish on top.Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- Nuts: Pecans or walnuts work in place of the almonds, toasted the same way.
- Fruit: Diced apple, blueberries or chopped peaches can stand in for the grapes.
- Crunch: Radish, cucumber or carrot can replace the celery if you prefer.
- Dressing: Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream makes the dressing tangier and a little thicker.
- Mustard: Wholegrain mustard gives the dressing more texture, and hot mustard adds a kick.
- Extra tang: A tablespoon of lemon juice or white wine vinegar stirred in at the end sharpens the dressing.
Storage, Freezing & Reheating
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Not recommended, since the mayonnaise and sour cream separate and the celery turns limp after thawing.
- To Serve Again: Serve cold and stir well before eating. If the dressing looks tight, fold in a spoonful of sour cream.
Serving Recommendations
I usually pile this into soft bread rolls with a leaf of lettuce, but it is just as good spooned over greens or cooked quinoa. For a lighter lunch, use large romaine or butter lettuce leaves as cups, and keep the toasted almonds on top so they stay crisp.Proper Storage Tips
- Cool the chicken completely before mixing it with the dressing.
- Refrigerate the salad within 2 hours of making it.
- Keep it in a sealed container so it does not pick up fridge smells.
- Once served, do not leave the salad out for longer than 4 hours.
Pro Tips
- Slice the breasts in half horizontally so they cook evenly and quickly.
- Keep the poaching liquid barely simmering, never boiling, for tender meat.
- Use a thermometer rather than cutting into the chicken to check doneness.
- Dice the grapes and celery small so every spoonful has some of each.
- Season at the end, after everything is mixed, and taste as you go.
- Chill the finished salad for at least 30 minutes so the flavors settle.
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