Southern Chicken Salad Recipe
A little bit Southern, a whole lot of flavor and 30 years in the making, equals one great Southern chicken salad recipe.
I’ve been perfecting this Southern Chicken Salad recipe for 30 years:
I have been making chicken salad- forever.
Here are just a few of the recipes I tried over the years:
All mayo dressing, a poached chicken recipe, Hidden Valley Ranch chicken salad (too salty), Polynesian Chicken salad- add in pineapple tidbits, coconut and mango) and Texas chicken salad-(just add a can of chilies and cayenne pepper) but this recipe is by far my favorite.
This recipe adds in three types of dressing- mayonnaise, greek yogurt and mustard.
Stir in sweet crunchy grapes, a little heat from purple onions, crisp celery, warm nutty pecans and a whole lot of love.
Ingredients in Meggen’s Southern Chicken Salad:
- Bone in- skin on chicken breasts
- celery
- grapes
- golden raisins
- purple onion
- pecans
- mayonaise
- greek yogurt
- dijon mustard
- dry mustard
- salt, pepper
- herbs de Provence
Why this Southern Chicken Salad Recipe reigns supreme:
- Greek yogurt– it adds creaminess without that claggines from too much mayo. Be sure to use real greek yogurt and it has to be thick. I like Fage– it’s holds up best and doesn’t get “weepy”.
- Dijon Mustard– it’s fancy. I know. But that’s why you’re here. Don’t skip and use yellow mustard- that’ll just make your chicken salad salty.
- Add in the mayo slowly. Start with 1/4 cup and add it in as you like- it’s your chicken salad. I like Good & Gather (Target) Duke’s or Blue Plate. Trader Joe’s doesn’t bring much tang.
- Roast your chicken breasts. I know- it’s hard to find bone in- skin on chicken breasts… but it is worth the trouble to look. You can find higher quality chicken and then save the bones and skin for chicken stock.
- Pecans– it can’t be Southern Chicken Salad without pecans- toast them up first so they stay crunchy and do not get soggy in the dressing.
- Chill overnight– just like lasagna, this recipe is best made a day ahead.
How to make Meggen’s Southern Chicken Salad even better:
- Serve in a pineapple sliced in half and carved out. the pineapple makes a great add in
- Serve in a hollowed out mango shell
- Add in chopped apple, mangos, or toasted coconut
- Bibb lettuce cups make for a great presentation
Common Questions:
No! The vinegar actually cuts the sweetness and the tang of the mayo and yogurt. It provides the perfect balance of earthiness.
Yes- it is actually better the day after you make it. Perfect for sharing with new moms, neighbors or with co-workers.
Yes- but don’t tell me you did.
Yes- but toasted walnuts add a bit of bitterness to this recipe. Just be aware. Almonds might be better.
Most of the china and silver on my site Ive had my entire married life, but I do find good deals on Live Auctioneers and EBay. I love estate sales as well.
What to Serve with Meggen’s Chicken Salad:
- John Daly Cocktail
- a bowl of fresh berries
- Firecracker saltines
- Baked pineapple gratin
- Tropical salad
- Blueberry Broccoli salad
Southern Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 large chicken breasts bone in- skin on
- 2 cups red or green seedless grapes washed and halved
- 2 stalks celery chopped with leaves
- 1 cup golden raisins
- ½ cup purple onion chopped fine
- 1 ½ cups toasted pecans chopped
- 1 cup mayonnaise See notes about mayo
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- ½ cup 0% fat plain Greek yogurt I prefer the thickness of Fage
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- 1 tsp Herbs de Provence
- ¼ tsp dry mustard
Instructions
- On a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, drizzle olive oil over chicken breasts. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. Roast at 375 degrees until done or the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. this typically takes 30-40 minutes. Let cool. Remove the skin and bones. Tear or chop the chicken into small 1-2 inch pieces, so that the dressing will have little pockets to soak into. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine chopped nuts, grapes, raisins, celery and onion. Mix well. Stir in chicken.
- In add mayo- 1/4 cup at a time, all the yogurt, all the mustard, salt and pepper herbs and dry mustard to chicken mixture. Add in 1/4 cup of mayo and test to see if you need to add more. Add more mayo if needed- often the chicken can be very moist and it does not need a full cup of mayo. Let cool at least 1 hour. Overnight is best. Serve over a bed of fresh bibb lettuce.
- Taste the salad for saltiness and if you have enough dressing. I do not like “wet” chicken salad, so I add my mayo in 1/4 cup portions at a time.
Nutrition
