Creamy tarragon chicken salad with sweet grapes, crisp celery and toasted pecans, piled onto buttery toasted sourdough.
Before you start: soften the butter for the toast. No rotisserie chicken? Poach 2 lb boneless chicken breasts in simmering salted water until 165°F, then cool and shred.
Swap half the mayonnaise for plain Greek yogurt for a lighter, tangier salad. Make ahead: the chicken salad keeps 3 days covered in the fridge. Toast the bread just before serving.
Ingredients
Scale
Measurement units
- ¾ cup pecans
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp fresh tarragon (chopped)
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (from 1 chicken; skin and bones discarded)
- 1 cup celery (diced small)
- 1 cup seedless red grapes (halved)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter (softened)
- 8 slices sourdough bread
Ingredients
Scale
Measurement units
- ¾ cup pecans
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp fresh tarragon (chopped)
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (from 1 chicken; skin and bones discarded)
- 1 cup celery (diced small)
- 1 cup seedless red grapes (halved)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter (softened)
- 8 slices sourdough bread
Instructions
Toast the pecans
Toast pecans (¾ cup) in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant and a shade darker, about 3 minutes.
Tip onto a cutting board, let cool a minute and chop coarsely.
Equipment: skillet, cutting board and chef's knife
Make the dressing
Whisk mayonnaise (¾ cup), Dijon (1 tbsp), lemon juice (1 tbsp), tarragon (1 tbsp), salt (½ tsp) and pepper (¼ tsp) until smooth.
Equipment: small bowl and whisk
Mix the salad
In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken (4 cups), celery (1 cup), grapes (1 cup) and the chopped pecans.
Add the dressing and fold gently until everything is coated. Taste and adjust the salt and lemon.
Equipment: large mixing bowl
Toast the sourdough
Spread softened butter (2 tbsp) over one side of sourdough slices.
Toast butter-side down in the skillet in batches until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes.
Equipment: skillet
Build and serve
Pile the chicken salad onto the untoasted sides of 4 slices and close with the remaining slices, toasted-side out. Cut in half and serve right away.
Tomorrow's Meal
Chicken Salad Melts
Leftover chicken salad on buttered bread with sharp cheddar, griddled in a skillet until melty and golden.
You'll need to pick up:
4 slices bread2 slices cheddar1 tbsp butter
Quick overview:
- 1.Spread leftover chicken salad on 2 slices of bread and top with cheddar and the other slices
- 2.Butter the outsides
- 3.Cook in a skillet over medium-low heat, covered, 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden and the cheese melts
- 4.Cut in half and serve warm
Before you cook
Cook notes
- • Before you start: soften the butter for the toast.
- • Make ahead: the chicken salad keeps 3 days covered in the fridge. Toast the bread just before serving.
- • No rotisserie chicken? Poach 2 lb boneless chicken breasts in simmering salted water until 165°F, then cool and shred.
- • Swap half the mayonnaise for plain Greek yogurt for a lighter, tangier salad.
- • Diced apple or dried cranberries are good autumn add-ins.
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