Tarragon Chicken Salad

This Tarragon Chicken Salad is simple, flavorful, and (dare I say) my favorite chicken salad ever!

 

What makes this chicken salad standout from others that I’ve shared on the blog before is the use of fresh tarragon, which is a leafy green herb widely used in French cooking. It has a strong, anise-like that immediately elevates any dish. For example, this otherwise ordinary chicken salad is truly restaurant-worthy — and I give all the credit to the tarragon! Even if you find yourself turned off by the flavor of licorice, I’m right there with you so trust me when I say that the herb works so well here.

For this recipe, I was inspired by the chicken salad from Bird Bakery (if you’re Dallas or San Antonio, then you know exactly what I’m talking about). It’s savory, but the touch of dried cranberries gives it a bit of sweetness and tartness that leaves you wanting more! 

The other trick that I do here, which makes this salad extra creamy and delicious, is using my stand mixer. While you can use a good old-fashioned spatula and mixing bowl to combine all of the ingredients together, I love throwing everything in my KitchenAid mixer and letting that do the work. It shreds the chicken ultra-fine, which means you get the perfect bite of chicken, celery, onions, herbs, and cranberries in every bite.

ingredients:

• Cooked Rotisserie Chicken
• Celery
• Sweet Onion
• Fresh Tarragon
• Unsweetened Dried Cranberries
• Garlic Powder
• Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
• Mayonnaise
• Dijon Mustard
• Kosher Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper

step-by-step:

step one: mix the chicken salad

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the chicken, celery, onions, tarragon, cranberries, garlic powder, lemon juice, mayonnaise, and mustard. Beat on medium speed until the chicken is finely shredded and everything is very well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

step two: chill and serve

Transfer to an airtight container and chill in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.

recipe faqs:

If you want to change up your usual chicken salad routine, you need to try this herbaceous Tarragon Chicken Salad! Let me know what you think of this riff in the comments below.

want More Chicken Salad Recipes? try these!

Deli Chop Chicken Salad

Clayton’s Favorite Chicken Salad

Herby Chicken Salad