Description
A refreshing and easy-to-make Chicken Salad with Apples, combining tender rotisserie chicken with crisp celery, sweet dried cranberries, and juicy apples, all tossed in a tangy Dijon-mayonnaise dressing flavored with fresh tarragon and lemon juice. Perfect for sandwiches, wraps, or a light salad.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Salad
- 2 breasts rotisserie chicken (finely shredded or chopped)
- 1 small apple (finely diced, preferably Honeycrisp or Fuji)
- 2 stalks celery (finely diced)
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries (roughly chopped)
Dressing
- ½ cup mayonnaise (or more to taste)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (or more to taste)
- ½ lemon (juiced)
- 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon (finely chopped, or ½ teaspoon dried)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)
Instructions
- Prep Chicken: Remove the skin and bones from the rotisserie chicken and chop or shred into bite-size pieces to ensure easy mixing and eating.
- Mix Dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, freshly squeezed lemon juice, finely chopped tarragon, and kosher salt until smooth and well combined.
- Combine: Add the shredded chicken, finely diced apples, chopped dried cranberries, and diced celery into the bowl with the dressing. Gently toss everything together to coat the ingredients evenly without crushing the apple pieces.
- Chill: Cover the bowl and refrigerate the chicken salad for at least 30 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld and the salad to chill properly for the best taste experience.
- Serve: Serve the chicken salad chilled. It’s perfect on sandwiches, wrapped in tortillas, or spooned over a bed of mixed greens for a light, nutritious meal.
Notes
- Use rotisserie chicken for convenience; leftover cooked chicken works well too.
- Adjust the amount of mayonnaise and mustard based on your preferred creaminess and tanginess.
- Fresh tarragon can be substituted with dried, but fresh provides a brighter flavor.
- For a lower-fat option, consider using light mayonnaise or Greek yogurt.
- This salad keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Adding nuts like toasted walnuts or pecans can add crunch and extra flavor.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: chicken salad, rotisserie chicken recipe, apple chicken salad, quick lunch, easy chicken salad, healthy chicken salad, creamy chicken salad
