Tarragon Chicken Salad

Let’s talk chicken salad for a minute. Most people have an opinion about what type of chicken salad they enjoy eating. With so many ways to make chicken salad, the options seem endless when it comes to creating a recipe. Texture and flavor come to mind when deciding how to make chicken salad. For example, shredded chicken vs. chunked chicken; with or without pecans and grapes; using mayo vs. Greek yogurt. I haven’t met a chicken salad I don’t like, but I LOVE tarragon chicken salad. Tarragon lends a delightful flavor to my recipe for chicken salad.

I was first introduced to this type of chicken salad years ago at a small restaurant/grocery store called V. Richards. When my husband and I were newlyweds, we lived in Forest Park (an old historic neighborhood in Birmingham), and V. Richards was a short walk from our home. Almost every time we ate lunch there, I would get a scoop of their tarragon chicken salad. V. Richards closed its doors in 2015, so I had to come up with a tarragon chicken salad recipe of my own.

Chicken salad is quite simple to make. I hope you will try making my recipe, which makes about 1 quart of chicken salad. These are the ingredients you’ll need to make my recipe:

• 4 cups chicken broth 

• kosher salt 

• freshly ground black pepper 

• skinless split chicken breast, bone-in (about 2.5 lbs)

• 1/2 cup mayo (Duke's is my brand of choice)

• 1/8 cup stone ground Dijon mustard

• juice of 1 lemon

• 1 celery stalk, finely diced

• 1 green onion, diced

• 2 tbsp of fresh tarragon, finely chopped

• salt and pepper to taste 

• *optional, sliced almonds

To get started, you will need to cook your chicken. For reference, I used a 2.5 lb skinless, split chicken breast, bone-in to yield 3 cups of diced chicken. In a large pot over medium-high heat, add your chicken breasts. Pour 4 cups of broth over your chicken breasts, then season liberally with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the juices from the chicken run clear after cutting into it. Allow the chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes before removing the bones and dicing it into ¾”cubes. Once your chicken cubes are cut and completely cooled, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before mixing with the remaining ingredients.

While your chicken is chilling, gather your remaining ingredients. In a large bowl, combine mayo (I like Duke’s), stone ground Dijon mustard, juice of 1 lemon, finely diced celery, diced green onion, and finely chopped fresh tarragon. Mix these ingredients well until fully combined. Add your chilled diced chicken to the bowl and toss in the mayo mix until the chicken cubes are fully coated. Add salt and pepper to taste. An optional step is to add in ¼ cup of sliced almonds. Store chicken salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Life’s milestones are best celebrated with family, friends, and delicious food. In fact, I’ve attended countless wedding showers, baby showers, and birthday parties where chicken salad was served. This recipe can be served a number of ways: as a sandwich, spread onto club or ritz crackers, or as a scoop on top of a salad. If you try this recipe and like it, I hope you’ll add it to the arsenal of recipes you serve to celebrate life’s milestones.

-XOXO-

Sally

Tarragon Chicken Salad

4 cups chicken broth 

kosher salt 

freshly ground black pepper 

skinless split chicken breast, bone-in (about 2.5 lbs)

1/2 cup mayo (Duke's is my brand of choice)

1/8 cup stone ground Dijon mustard

juice of 1 lemon

1 celery stalk, finely diced

1 green onion, diced

2 tbsp of fresh tarragon, finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste 

*optional, sliced almonds 

To get started, you will need to cook your chicken. For reference, I used a split chicken breast, bone-in to yield 3 cups of diced chicken. In a large pot over medium-high heat, add your chicken breasts. Pour 4 cups of broth over your chicken breasts, then season liberally with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the juices from the chicken run clear after cutting into it. Allow the chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes before removing the bones and dicing it into ¾”cubes. Once your chicken cubes are cut and completely cooled, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before mixing with the remaining ingredients.

While your chicken is chilling, gather your remaining ingredients. In a large bowl, combine mayo (I like Duke’s), stone ground Dijon mustard, juice of 1 lemon, finely diced celery, diced green onion, and finely chopped fresh tarragon. Mix these ingredients well until fully combined. Add in your chilled diced chicken and toss in the mayo mix until fully coated. Add salt and pepper to taste. An optional step is to add in ¼ cup of sliced almonds. Store chicken salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Recipe notes: You need  3 cups of diced chicken to make this recipe. If you don't have time to cook the chicken, use 3 cups of diced chicken from a rotisserie chicken. As an alternative, this recipe can be made with 3 cups of shredded chicken if you prefer that texture. Chicken can be easily shredded with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer.