Creamy Herb Chicken Salad

You’ve found the perfect chicken salad for the home chef. It levels up a warm weather classic with gourmet details—like capers, toasted nuts, and a complex (tasting – not difficult to make!) dressing. But it also stays strong with everything we love in the classic: sweet grapes, crunchy celery, and delicious chicken.

Do not forget to check out my Chefs Tips and Wine Pairings sections below!

Skip the deli counter and make your own upscale chicken salad!!

This masterpiece (that’s pretty confident isn’t it?) starts with poached chicken (part breast, part thigh) covered in a creamy, tangy dressing.

Fold in celery and toasted nuts for major crunch. Drop in grapes for sweetness, run to the garden for some fresh herbs to brighten it up, and some capers for good measure.

This is an elegant version of the picnic classic. Serve it on toast, in lettuce cups, or straight from the bowl.

How to make Creamy Herb Chicken Salad

Step 1: Mix the Creamy Dressing
Whisk together the mayo, Greek yogurt or sour cream, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, lemon zest, and optional pickle brine until smooth. Stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano, capers, seasoned salt, and black pepper.

Step 2: Prep the Crunch and Sweet Stuff
Dice the celery, slice the green onions, toast the nuts, and halve the grapes. (Dice the apple if using.) Chop the fresh dill and tarragon.

Step 3: Combine and Chill
Add the shredded chicken and all chopped ingredients to the dressing. Gently fold to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning. Chill for 30 minutes, then top with finishing salt just before serving.

Take It to the Next Level

Poach in Broth, Not Water: Drop a bay leaf, garlic clove, and splash of vinegar in the poaching liquid. This adds lots of flavor to the chicken.

Roast the Chicken Instead: Want texture with your chicken? Roast bone-in thighs and breasts with olive oil and herbs. This will give you a warmer flavor, better for fall and winter chicken salads.

Layer Herbs: Mix some herbs into the salad, but reserve a pinch to sprinkle on right before serving. The fat in the sauce will weigh down some of the herbs you mix in with everything, so the fresh sprinkle keeps things lively.

Chop Grapes Smaller: If you have very large grapes, don’t be afraid to quarter them. It all depends on what kind of bites you are looking for, but generally, you want the sweetness of the grapes to be distributed evenly.

Add a Touch of Heat: Spiciness rarely comes with chicken salad, but this is where your experimentation can set your dish apart. Aleppo or jalapeno pepper can really wake this up.

Swap Nuts with Seeds: Toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds work great. They typically are much crispier when toasted, giving you even better crunch.

Use Parm Rind in the Dressing Base: Let it soak in the mayo/yogurt mix for 10–15 minutes before building the salad.

Creative Serving Options: You can serve this scooped into butter lettuce cups with avocado, or pile it onto toasted sourdough with arugula and shaved radish.

Chefs tips

Poach Gently, Don’t Boil: If you boil the chicken, you’ll ruin the texture. To preserve tenderness, go for a simmer, which will produce little bubbles but never turn over into a full boil.

Let the Chicken Cool Fully Before Mixing: Hot chicken will damage some of the fresh ingredients and change the consistency of the sauce. Mix it in once it has cooled to maintain the integrity of everything.

Season in Layers: Salt the poaching liquid. Season the dressing. Taste the final mix. This is how you build flavor layer by layer.

Use a Microplane for Zest and Garlic: You want this about as fine as humanly possible. That avoid chunks that cause unpleasant bites.

Toast the Nuts: A few minutes in a dry skillet brings out warmth, crunch, and nutty flavor. You can also use a toaster oven.

Dry the Grapes: When you wash off your grapes, they often hold a surprising amount of water on their surface. Dry them to avoid soaking your salad.

Don’t Overmix: A big spoon is best for mixing. Go slow and fold gently. This keeps the individual ingredients from getting mashed.

Chill Before Serving: Give it 30 minutes in the fridge. It tightens up the dressing and lets the flavors settle. You’ll get even better results the next day.

Finish with Flaky Salt Right Before Serving: Large flakes add saltiness, obviously, but they also add a little crunch and visual pop.

Skip ahead Jump to Recipe

Key Ingredients

Chicken (75% Breast / 25% Thigh): The mix means you get some juiciness while staying more or less lean.

Mayonnaise + Greek Yogurt: Mayo is perfect for body, but you’ll want the cool tang of yogurt, too. Each one has its own structure, however subtle the difference might be. You want both for this sauce.

Lemon Juice + Zest + Apple Cider Vinegar: The triple-acid approach brightens for sure, but it also has a complex flavor with all kinds of elements to it.

Fresh Tarragon + Dill: Herbs really bring things over the finish line here. Fresh tarragon has a soft anise note that helps define the salad. Dill keeps things fresh and perky.

Toasted Nuts: Pecans or almonds add crunch and a smoky roasted quality. There’s also a little added satisfaction with the fat and protein.

Capers + Parm: Both of these are salt sources, but they are both so much more than that, too. Capers have that pop of brine we all love. Meanwhile, Parmesan (especially if you get the good stuff) can add just the right amount of complexity.

Celery + Green Onion: No chicken salad worth its salt would be caught dead without celery and green onion. Clean and aromatic, they lift everything up high and keep it fresh.

Grapes (and Apple, Optional): Sweetness is always the finishing touch a chicken salad is looking for. Without it, you don’t get that Summer patio vibe we all yearn for. Grapes are the go-to, but if you want something crisper, you can swap in apple. But make sure the apple is sweet instead of sour.

Wine Pairings

Vermentino (Liguria or Sardinia, Italy)
Why it Works: Vermentino brings bright acidity and a whisper of salinity that mirror the lemon and capers in the dressing. Its herbaceous lift and citrus core complement the dill and green onion, while its lean body won’t overwhelm the salad’s texture.
Tasting Notes: Meyer lemon, sea spray, white peach, and fresh thyme.
Suggested Label: Argiolas Costamolino Vermentino di Sardegna

Grüner Veltliner (Austria)
Why it Works: With its trademark white pepper spice and clean minerality, Grüner Veltliner picks up on the celery, herbs, and crisp apple. It highlights the salad’s savory depth while staying crisp and refreshing.
Tasting Notes: Lime zest, white pepper, green apple, and crushed rock.
Suggested Label: Domäne Wachau Federspiel Terrassen

Chablis (Burgundy, France)
Why it Works: A classic unoaked Chardonnay, Chablis delivers laser-cut acidity and a mineral backbone that slices through the creamy dressing. It plays beautifully with the briny capers, lemon zest, and toasty nuts.
Tasting Notes: Lemon peel, oyster shell, flint, and green pear.
Suggested Label: Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Sainte Claire

Sauvignon Blanc (Loire Valley, France or New Zealand)
Why it Works: The zesty profile and grassy aromatics of Sauvignon Blanc echo the dill and herbs, while its acidity brightens every bite. Perfect for cutting through creaminess without losing nuance.
Tasting Notes: Grapefruit, gooseberry, lemongrass, and lime blossom.
Suggested Label: Domaine Vacheron Sancerre (Loire) or Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough)

Champagne Brut (France)
Why it Works: The fine mousse and bracing acidity of Brut Champagne refresh the palate between bites, while autolytic notes (think brioche and toast) complement the nuts and Parmesan in the salad.
Tasting Notes: Green apple, toasted brioche, lemon curd, and chalk.
Suggested Label: Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Cuis 1er Cru Brut

Faq’s

Equipment Needed for Creamy Herb Chicken Salad

Large Mixing Bowl: For mixing.

Whisk or Fork: For emulsifying the dressing.

Chef’s Knife: For cutting celery, herbs, and grapes.

Cutting Board: For prepping.

Microplane: For grating Parm and zesting lemon.

Rubber Spatula or Large Spoon: For folding everything together gently.

Small Skillet: For toasting nuts.

Measuring Spoons & Cups: For precision.

Storage Container with Lid: For saving leftovers (as if you’ll have any).

Serving Platter or Bowls: For serving.