Perfect Chicken Salad with Grapes
This is the absolute perfect chicken salad, made with grapes, grated celery, and dairy-free yogurt as the base instead of mayo. Learn my foolproof method for perfect chicken salad every time.
I’m always looking for meal prep-friendly recipes, especially those with lower-heat options for warmer days. Chicken salad is an amazing solution, but it can sometimes either feel too heavy with all of the mayo, or just too boring. This recipe changes that!
This chicken salad with grapes is the perfect recipe! It’s made with yogurt for a lighter option, and the absolute best method for cooking chicken for chicken salad.
The secret to perfect chicken salad
- Use yogurt instead of mayo. This recipe still uses some mayo, but it uses mostly yogurt as the base to make a lighter chicken salad.
- Chop the chicken finely, and use a microplane to grate the veggies. One of the biggest complaints with chicken salad is that it can be dry and chunky. This recipe chops everything fine for the perfect chicken salad!
How do you cook chicken for chicken salad?
A lot of recipes will tell you to use baked chicken or even poached chicken, but it’s key to make perfectly juicy chicken for the perfect chicken salad! Here’s how I make it…
- Pat the chicken dry and season it well on all sides.
- Sear in a pan for 2-3 minutes on each side to get some light browning.
- Add chicken broth and lemon juice to the pan and cover for 10 minutes.
- Allow the chicken to rest before adding to the stand mixer, then chopping!
Is chicken salad better shredded or chopped?
One of my biggest issues with chicken salad is that they can use chicken that’s dry and cut into huge pieces. This one uses juicy chicken and finely chopped ingredients for the perfect dip or sandwich filling! The secret for getting the chicken small enough is using both a stand mixer and a knife! Here’s the process….
- Step one: Cook perfectly juicy chicken according to the method in this recipe.
- Step two: Allow the chicken to rest and shred with a stand mixer.
- Step three: Add the shredded chicken to a cutting board and chop finely into small pieces!
Recipe Ingredients
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
| Ingredient | What it does | Potential swaps |
| Chicken breast | The main protein in the chicken salad | Rotisserie chicken |
| Parsley, dill, garlic, and onion powder | The main flavorings for the chicken salad | Herbs of your choice |
| Chicken broth | Add flavor and moisture to the chicken | Water |
| Celery & shallot | Crunch and flavor | Red onion |
| Grapes | The perfect sweet flavor pop | Coconut yogurt |
| Coconut yogurt | This is the swap for mayo | Mayo or Greek yogurt |
| Rice vinegar | This adds a hint of acid to the chicken salad | Lemon juice |
| Mustard | This adds a bit more acid and flavor to the chicken salad | Horseradish |
How to make perfect chicken salad with grapes
Here are the simple steps, with photos, to make this recipe. Find full instructions in the recipe card.
Step one. Sear the chicken in a pan for 2-3 minutes on each side to lightly brown the chicken. Reduce the heat to medium low and pour in the chicken broth and lemon juice, and cover for 10 minutes. Remove from stove and shred.
Step two. Pour the shredded chicken onto a cutting board and chop further with a knife and then add to a mixing bowl.
Step three. Using a microplane, carefully shred the celery and shallot finely into a bowl with the chicken.
Step four. Add the grapes to the bowl.
Step five. Add the yogurt, mayo, rice vinegar, mustard, garlic puree, salt, pepper, and dill and toss to combine.
Step six. Season further to taste and serve chilled with gluten free crackers or in a wrap or sandwich!
Storage instructions
Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing it, but you can freeze the fully prepped chicken to speed up the prep time!
Serving instructions
- Serve in a sandwich
- Add to a tortilla to make a wrap
- Serve with gluten-free crackers or veggies like carrot sticks
If you tried these Perfect Chicken Salad with Grapes or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Other Gluten-Free Chicken Salad Recipes…
Perfect Chicken Salad with Grapes
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Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1 lb chicken breast
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- ½ tsp dried dill
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
For the chicken salad
- Prepared chicken, as prepared above
- 1 stalk celery
- ½ shallot
- ⅓ cup grapes, chopped
- ⅓ cup coconut yogurt
- 2 tbsp mayo
- 2 tsp rice vinegar, sub lemon juice
- 1 tsp garlic puree
- 2 tsp mustard
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tsp dried dill
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer you can also try to use a hand mixer
Instructions
- Pat the chicken breast dry and season well on both sides.
- Using a large deep pan with a lid, heat the avocado oil over medium heat. Sear the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side to lightly brown the chicken.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and pour in the chicken broth and lemon juice. Cover the pan for 10 minutes before checking the internal temperature for 165 F.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and allow to rest for about 10 minutes before shredding in a stand mixer.
- Pour the shredded chicken onto a cutting board and chop further with a knife. You should have very small pieces of chicken. Pour the chicken into a mixing bowl.
- Using a microplane, carefully shred the celery finely into a bowl with the chicken. Repeat the process of shredding with a microplane with the shallot. Add the grapes to the bowl.
- Add the yogurt, mayo, rice vinegar, mustard, garlic puree, salt, pepper, and dill and toss to combine.
- Season further to taste and serve chilled with gluten free crackers or in a wrap or sandwich!
Notes
