Description
This easy chicken salad recipe combines tender cooked chicken breast with sweet red grapes, crunchy celery, toasted pecans, and a creamy dressing made from mayonnaise and sour cream. Perfect for a quick lunch or light dinner, this salad is flavorful, refreshing, and simple to prepare in just 25 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 1 pound cooked chicken breast meat, diced (about 4 cups)
- 2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
- 1 cup celery, cut into thin slices
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
Dressing
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons dill, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Toast pecans: Place the pecans in a dry skillet over medium-low heat and toast them for 3 to 5 minutes, tossing frequently until they turn golden brown and become fragrant. Then transfer them to a cutting board and chop coarsely.
- Combine ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the diced cooked chicken, halved grapes, sliced celery, finely chopped red onion, and the cooled toasted pecans. Mix gently to combine all the salad ingredients.
- Make dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt), lemon juice, freshly chopped dill, salt, and black pepper until well combined and smooth.
- Assemble and serve: Pour the prepared dressing over the bowl of mixed salad ingredients and stir gently until everything is evenly coated. Cover the salad with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve, allowing the flavors to meld.
Notes
- For a lighter version, substitute sour cream for plain Greek yogurt.
- You can replace pecans with walnuts or almonds if preferred.
- Make the salad up to a day ahead for better flavor, keeping it refrigerated.
- Serve on a bed of lettuce or with whole grain bread for a complete meal.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
