Make tarragon chicken salad with tender chicken, a creamy dressing, and fresh herb flavor. Try this easy lunch recipe for sandwiches, wraps, or a generous scoop!

Tender chicken, juicy grapes, and crisp celery tucked into a lemony dressing with fresh tarragon make this tarragon chicken salad worth clearing a little space in your lunch plans for! 

What This Tarragon Chicken Salad Tastes Like

Fresh tarragon has a delicate anise flavor, a little like mild licorice with a green, herbal edge, and it works beautifully with chicken and lemon.

Here, a measured amount perfumes creamy dressing without taking over, while Dijon mustard brings a gentle savory bite and halved grapes keep everything bright and juicy.

If your last chicken salad tasted mostly of mayonnaise, this one should feel like a welcome change!

Ingredients

For the Chicken Salad

• 4 cups cooked, cooled chicken, about 1¼ pounds or 570 g
• 1 cup seedless red grapes, about 150 g
• ¾ cup finely diced celery, about 2 medium stalks
• ⅓ cup sliced almonds, about 30 g
• 2 tablespoons finely minced shallot

For the Lemon Tarragon Dressing

• ½ cup mayonnaise, about 115 g
• ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt, about 60 g
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus 1 to 2 teaspoons more if needed
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves, plus up to 1 teaspoon more to taste
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Servings: 6, approximately 1 cup each, depending on how finely you chop everything

How to Make Tarragon Chicken Salad

If you are starting with raw chicken, place breasts in a saucepan in a single layer, add water to cover by 1 inch, and stir in 1 teaspoon salt.

Bring water just to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then immediately reduce heat to low and partially cover; you want an occasional small bubble, with liquid around 175 to 185°F, rather than a rolling boil that makes chicken tough.

Cook gently for about 12 to 20 minutes once water reaches a simmer, checking smaller breasts earlier and allowing extra time for thick ones, until a thermometer inserted into each breast’s thickest part reads 165°F.

Lift chicken out, rest for 5 minutes, then cut into thick slices on a clean board, arrange in a shallow container, and refrigerate promptly until cold, usually another 30 to 45 minutes depending on thickness. Skip this step if you already have cooked, chilled chicken.

Put sliced almonds in a dry skillet over medium-low heat and toast for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring or shaking frequently, until their edges turn pale golden and you notice a warm, nutty smell.

Stay close during that final minute, because almonds can go from beautiful to burnt while you answer one allegedly quick text! Transfer them immediately to a plate, spreading them out so residual pan heat cannot keep cooking them, and let them cool completely.

Cut cold chicken into approximately ½-inch pieces, then prepare grapes, celery, and shallot. Dry grapes and celery well before chopping, because leftover wash water can thin your dressing once everything sits together.

If your shallot tastes especially sharp, place it in a small strainer, rinse briefly under cold water, and pat thoroughly dry; that takes some aggression out of its flavor without making it disappear.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon, 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon, salt, and pepper until smooth.

Taste a small spoonful before adding chicken; dressing should taste bright and a little more assertive than you want your finished salad, because chicken and vegetables will soften those flavors.

If you are uncertain about tarragon, keep to that first tablespoon for now, since adding more is much easier than persuading it to leave!

Add chicken, grapes, celery, and shallot, then fold gently with a broad spoon or flexible spatula until every piece has a light, even coating.

Scrape along your bowl’s bottom as you turn ingredients over so dressing gets distributed without crushing grapes.

You are looking for creamy pieces that hold together loosely on a spoon, with no puddle collecting underneath; if particularly dry chicken absorbs most of your dressing, fold in 1 additional tablespoon mayonnaise, then reassess before adding more.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours before your final seasoning check.

Don’t skip this step if you can help it, because tarragon needs a little time to flavor dressing and chicken benefits from sitting in that creamy mixture. Keep toasted almonds separate during this rest so their lovely crunch survives until lunch!

Stir gently, then taste a forkful that includes chicken rather than tasting dressing alone. If flavor seems flat, add a small pinch of salt first; if it tastes rich but needs brightness, add lemon juice 1 teaspoon at a time.

For a stronger herbal note, add up to 1 more teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon, then fold in most of your cooled almonds and scatter remaining almonds over each serving.

Serve cold, while celery is crisp and grapes still have that juicy snap!

Serving Suggestions

• Croissant sandwiches: Split 6 medium croissants and tuck a dry butter-lettuce leaf into each before adding salad. Lettuce helps protect that tender pastry from moisture, especially if sandwiches need to sit briefly before serving.
• Toasted sourdough: Spoon salad onto cooled toast and finish with black pepper and a few reserved almonds. Letting toast cool first keeps warm bread from softening your chilled filling.
• Lettuce cups: Divide portions among sturdy butter-lettuce or romaine leaves, serving extra cups alongside so nobody has to attempt a three-handed lunch.
• A lunch plate: Serve with sliced tomatoes, cucumber spears, and crackers, or add a cup of vegetable soup when you want a more substantial meal.

A chilled bowl of tarragon chicken salad gives you tender chicken, bright lemon, sweet grapes, and toasted almond crunch in a lunch that feels worth sitting down for.

Give it that short rest, taste before serving, and choose a croissant sturdy enough to hold a generous scoop. A few crumbs on your plate are practically part of lunch!

Hungry for more feel-good meals? Explore these 21 Anti-Inflammatory Breakfast Recipes for a nourishing start and 10 Anti-Inflammatory Dinner Recipes for delicious evenings that make healthy eating easy!