My secret ingredient for the best chicken salad ever? Tarragon! This Tarragon Chicken Salad is packed with so many favorite ingredients, but the slightly sweet, anise-like herb makes this an easy lunch recipe you'll keep coming back to.
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As someone who works from home, I'm always looking for easy go-to lunch options that I can make ahead of time and grab when I'm ready.
Otherwise, I'll either spend too much time making lunch instead of working or I'll spend the day grazing in the snack cabinet instead of having a well-rounded lunch.
Chicken salad is one of my go-to lunch options. I've always loved putting grapes, celery, and nuts in my chicken salad, but after I've recently started adding tarragon. And now I don't ever want chicken salad without the aromatic herb in it!
This tarragon chicken salad recipe is easy to make, but also completely customizable and you can add and/or omit anything you want. And add as much tarragon as your heart desires!
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
Are you a fan of tarragon? No matter how you feel about it, I urge you to give it a chance in chicken salad. Its unique anise/licorice, slightly sweet aromatic flavor really complements the mild neutral flavors of chicken and mayonnaise and it will bring a little complexity to your salad without overwhelming it.
This tarragon chicken salad is really easy to assemble and can be made ahead and stored in your fridge. So, you can quickly assemble a sandwich for lunch or simple grab a serving of the salad when you're in a rush.
This lunch offers a good amount of protein and lots of delicious flavor. Plus, you can make it exactly perfect for your own tastes!
🗒 Ingredients
You don't need too many ingredients to make this tarragon chicken salad and you can, of course, omit any you don't care for or add any of your other favorite chicken salad ingredients.
Here's everything I use (be sure to view the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions):
- Chopped chicken: I like to use breast meat. You can either cook your chicken, cool it, and chop it or you can use a rotisserie chicken. You can shred the chicken if you prefer, but you'll likely need about 4 cups shredded.
- Sliced grapes
- Diced celery
- Diced red onion
- Chopped walnuts
- Chopped tarragon
- Fresh lemon zest
- Greek yogurt
- Mayonnaise
- Garlic powder
- Salt & pepper
What is tarragon?
Tarragon is a perennial herb that's known for its slightly sweet, anise-like flavor. It’s a staple in French cooking, perfect for jazzing up everything from sauces and soups to chicken and seafood dishes.
🥗 How to make tarragon chicken salad
If you've ever made your own chicken salad before, you know just how easy it is. And this one is no different, except I include a lot of favorite ingredients that you will need to chop.
Just add the chicken to a big mixing bowl.
And then add all the other ingredients to the chicken.
I love using a mayo and Greek yogurt combination for the creaminess, but you can use all one or the other depending on what you like.
Stir everything together until completely combined.
Give the tarragon chicken salad a taste and add any additional seasonings you want.
If you want an even creamier salad, you can also add more mayo or yogurt.
If you're going for some visual appeal, I recommend adding some sprigs of tarragon and a little more of the chopped herb over the top of the chicken salad.
When you add the right ingredients, chicken salad can be SO pretty.
And incredibly delicious, too. This tarragon chicken salad has the perfect amount of creaminess, a little sweetness, and lots of crunch. Oh, and the delicious flavor of tarragon.
Just the way I like it!
⏲️ How to store
This chicken salad is a great way to meal-prep your lunch for the week. Make it on a Sunday and enjoy it for the next several days.
Once you make the salad, store it in an airtight container in the fridge. When stored properly, it should keep fresh for 3-5 days.
If you don't want the walnuts to lose a little bit of their crunch, you might want to consider adding them at the last minute before enjoying.
🍽️ How to serve
There are so many ways to serve this tarragon chicken salad that it's nearly impossible to get bored of.
Obviously you can just enjoy a scoop of it or make a regular sandwich out of it, but here are some more ideas:
- On a croissant sandwich
- In a wrap
- On a bagel
- Over a salad
- In an endive boat
- Stuffed in an avocado half
- With cracker dippers
- As a crepe filling
- Mixed into pasta salad
I will choose a chicken salad croissant almost every time.
🎉 Variations on recipe
It seems that everyone has very specific chicken salad preferences. The recipe you see here is my absolute ideal tarragon chicken salad packed with all the add-ins I love.
But here are some more ideas for what you could add (and feel free to omit anything you don't want!):
- Dried cranberries
- Chopped apples
- Lemon juice
- Diced avocado or mashed avocado (it can replace the mayo if you want, like in this avocado chicken salad)
- Pecans, pistachios, or almonds
- Goat cheese or feta cheese
- Olives
- Capers
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Mustard
- Basil, parsley, or dill
🥣 More make-ahead lunch salad recipes
Salads don't have to be boring and they don't all have to be assembled right before eating. I love enjoying make-ahead salad for lunch on busy days and here are some of my favorites:
I also make this chickpea salad all the time.
Now I might have to start adding tarragon to all my favorite salad recipes!
Are you a fan of tarragon? What are your favorite dishes to add it to? I hope you'll try putting it in your homemade chicken salad soon!
📖 Recipe
Tarragon Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups chopped chicken (I like to use breast meat. You can cook your own or use a rotisserie chicken)*
- 1 cup sliced grapes
- ½ cup diced celery
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- 2 tablespoon chopped tarragon
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl.
- Stir everything together until well combined.
- Taste the chicken salad and add more seasonings if necessary. You can also feel free to add more mayo or Greek yogurt if you want a creamier salad.
- Enjoy the tarragon chicken salad as is or turn it into a sandwich. I especially love it when served on a croissant.
Notes
- Store chicken salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
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