Description
Ina Garten’s classic chicken salad blends tender poached chicken with crisp celery and creamy mayonnaise. Fresh herbs and crunchy almonds elevate this simple yet elegant dish you will want to make again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 split chicken breasts (bone-in, skin on, 1 ½ lbs or 680 g)
- ½ cup (60 g) pecan halves
- ½ cup (60 g) walnut halves
- 1 cup (150 g) green grapes (halved)
- ½ cup (120 ml) mayonnaise
- ½ cup (120 ml) sour cream
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh tarragon leaves (chopped)
- Olive oil (as needed)
- Salt (as needed)
- Black pepper (as needed)
- Lettuce leaves (for serving)
Instructions
- Roasting Chicken: Preheat oven to 350°F. Position chicken breasts skin-side up on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with kosher salt and black pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Preparing Ingredients: After chicken cools completely, discard skin and bones, then cube into uniform pieces. Toast pecans and walnuts in the oven for 7-8 minutes until golden and fragrant, allowing them to crisp while cooling.
- Creating Dressing: Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Finely chop half the tarragon and blend into the creamy base.
- Combining Components: Fold diced chicken, toasted nuts, and halved grapes into the creamy mixture, ensuring even coating. Garnish with remaining chopped tarragon for enhanced flavor and visual presentation.
- Serving: Chill the chicken salad and serve atop fresh lettuce leaves, creating an elegant and refreshing dish that balances creamy, nutty, and herbal notes.
Notes
- Perfectly Roast Chicken: Ensure internal temperature reaches 165°F to guarantee safe, juicy meat without drying out.
- Toast Nuts Carefully: Watch nuts closely during toasting; they can burn quickly and turn bitter, ruining the salad’s delicate flavor profile.
- Achieve Creamy Consistency: Whisk mayonnaise and sour cream thoroughly to create a smooth, even coating that binds ingredients perfectly.
- Chill for Enhanced Flavor: Refrigerate chicken salad for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld and develop a more complex taste.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Snacks
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 40 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 30 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg