This chicken walnut salad combines poached chicken, toasted walnuts, red grapes, celery, and dried tarragon in a low-fat mayo dressing. It takes about 55 minutes start to finish, and most of that is hands-off cooking time. The payoff is a creamy, crunchy salad with a mild anise note that works equally well stuffed into a sandwich or scooped onto lettuce leaves.
Shopping notes
- Dried tarragon: This is the ingredient most people skip or substitute โ donโt. Itโs what gives the salad its faintly sweet, anise-like flavor. Find it in any grocery spice aisle. If yours has been sitting in the cabinet for over a year, buy a fresh jar; old tarragon tastes like dust.
- Celery hearts: The pale inner stalks and leaves are less fibrous and more tender than outer ribs. If you only have whole celery, use the inner stalks and include a few of the leafy bits.
- Red grapes: Seedless are easiest. Green grapes work in a pinch but the flavor contrast with the tarragon is less pronounced.
- Low-fat mayo: The recipe is written for it, and it keeps the dressing from feeling heavy. Full-fat mayo makes the salad noticeably richer โ fine if thatโs your preference, but the balance shifts.
What makes this version work
Two things matter most here. First, toasting the walnuts before chopping them โ raw walnuts taste bitter and flat; seven minutes in a 350ยฐF oven drives off moisture and deepens their flavor so they hold their own against the creamy dressing. Second, the mayo is added in two stages: a larger amount first to coat the warm chicken as it absorbs, then a smaller amount stirred in at the end to freshen the texture. That second addition is what keeps the salad from tasting dry after it chills, and it also gives you a chance to adjust the creaminess before serving rather than committing to a fixed ratio upfront.
Troubleshooting
- Salad tastes bland after chilling: Cold mutes salt. Taste again straight from the fridge and add a small pinch of kosher salt before serving โ this almost always fixes it.
- Walnuts went soft: They absorb moisture from the dressing over time. If youโre making this ahead, keep the chopped walnuts in a separate container and stir them in within an hour of serving.
- Chicken is stringy or dry: The simmer time assumes bone-in-free, skin-free pieces of average size. If your chicken breast is very large, give it an extra 5 minutes. The safest check is internal temperature โ 165ยฐF at the thickest point.
- Dressing pools at the bottom of the bowl: This usually means the chicken wasnโt drained well enough after poaching. Let it rest on a rack or paper towels for the full 10โ15 minutes so excess water drips off before you shred it.
- Tarragon flavor is too strong: Dried tarragon intensifies as it sits. If youโre making the salad a day ahead, start with half a tablespoon and taste before adding more.
Storage and make-ahead
The assembled salad keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days โ dress it at the table if youโre serving guests, since a pre-dressed salad that sits overnight loses some of its texture contrast. The one firm rule: add the grapes only when youโre ready to serve. They release juice as they sit, which thins the dressing and turns it slightly pink. If you want to get ahead on a weeknight, poach and shred the chicken up to two days in advance and store it separately; toast and chop the walnuts the same day you plan to serve so they stay crisp. Final assembly takes under five minutes once the components are ready.
Chicken Walnut Salad with Grapes and Tarragon
Equipment
- Large pot with lid
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Cooling rack
- Large mixing bowl
- Chefโs Knife
- Instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
- 1 large chicken breast boneless, skinless, about 225g / 8oz
- 2 medium chicken thighs boneless, skinless, about 280g / 10oz total
- ยฝ cup mayonnaise low-fat, 120g
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise low-fat, added at the end
- ยฝ cup walnuts halves and pieces, 60g
- โ cup celery hearts minced, 40g
- ยฝ cup red grapes quartered lengthwise, 75g
- 1 ยฝ teaspoons dried tarragon increase to 1 tablespoon if you prefer a strong anise flavour
- ยฝ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 dash ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF / 175ยฐC (180ยฐC fan-forced).
- Bring water to boil on high heat in a large pot. Add chicken and reduce heat to medium heat. Cover with a vented lid halfway and simmer for 25 minutes. Make sure water remains at a soft boil. If not, increase heat to medium-high. If boiling too hard, vent the lid a little more.1 large chicken breast, 2 medium chicken thighs
- While the chicken cooks, spread walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and bake on the centre rack at 350ยฐF / 175ยฐC (180ยฐC fan-forced) for 7 to 8 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden. Remove nuts from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes. Mince the walnuts with a chefโs knife โ you want small, coarse pieces, not a paste. (A coffee grinder works too, but pulse briefly to avoid over-processing.)1/2 cup walnuts
- Remove the chicken from the water to a cooling rack. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes or when the chicken is cool to the touch. Pull chicken with your fingers or shred it with two forks.1 large chicken breast, 2 medium chicken thighs
- Add the pulled chicken to a large mixing bowl. Add 1/2 cup (120g) of the mayonnaise and stir to coat the warm chicken evenly โ the warmth helps the chicken absorb the dressing.1 large chicken breast, 2 medium chicken thighs, 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- Add walnuts, grapes, celery and tarragon. Stir. Add salt and pepper. Stir again. Add 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise. Stir.1/2 cup walnuts, 1/2 cup red grapes, 1/3 cup celery hearts, 1 1/2 teaspoons dried tarragon, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 dash ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Consume any leftovers within 2 days. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
Your questions, answered
Can I use rotisserie chicken instead of poaching my own?
Yes, rotisserie chicken works well and cuts the active time significantly. Use roughly 2 cups of shredded meat from the breast and thigh portions to match the recipeโs yield, and skip straight to the mixing step.
Can I substitute Greek yogurt for the mayonnaise?
You can replace up to half the mayo with plain full-fat Greek yogurt without the texture falling apart. Replacing all of it produces a noticeably thinner, tangier dressing that doesnโt cling to the chicken the same way.
How do I know when the chicken is fully cooked if I donโt have a thermometer?
Cut into the thickest part โ the meat should be completely white with no pink, and the juices should run clear. If you see any translucency, return it to the simmering water for another 3โ5 minutes and check again.