Chef Dean
Antipasto Tortellini Salad
Plump cheese tortellini tumbled with the greatest hits of the Italian deli counter, all glossed in a garlicky herb vinaigrette that improves as it sits. This is the potluck dish that comes home empty.
Culinary Explorer
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Classic Chicken Salad
Created by
Properly dressed chicken salad with the crunch of celery, brightness of lemon, and soft anise note of tarragon, bound in creamy mayonnaise and improved by a rest in the refrigerator.
Salads
American
Meal Prep
25 min
Active Time
0 min cook•25 min total
Yield6 servings
Chicken salad belongs to the category of American dishes that seem too simple to require instruction. Mayo, chicken, celery. What's to teach? Everything, as it turns out. The difference between forgettable chicken salad and the kind people request at every gathering lives in technique and proportion.
The dressing must coat without drowning. Too much mayonnaise and you taste nothing but fat. Too little and the salad feels dry and austere. The emulsion matters: mustard and lemon juice whisked properly into mayonnaise create a dressing that clings to every shred of meat rather than sliding off into a puddle at the bottom of the bowl.
I've served this salad to thousands over the years. At picnics, at wakes, at garden parties, at simple Tuesday lunches when nothing else would do. It improves dramatically after an hour in the refrigerator, the flavors knitting together into something greater than their parts. Make it in the morning for lunch. Make it today for tomorrow's sandwiches. This is honest food that rewards patience.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
rotisserie chicken
Quantity
1 (about 3 pounds)
meat removed and shredded to yield 4 cups
best-quality mayonnaise
Quantity
3/4 cup
Dijon mustard
Quantity
2 tablespoons
fresh lemon juice
Quantity
2 tablespoons
lemon zest
Quantity
1 teaspoon
celery stalks
Quantity
3
cut into 1/4-inch dice
fresh tarragon
Quantity
3 tablespoons
chopped
fresh chives
Quantity
2 tablespoons
minced
fresh flat-leaf parsley
Quantity
2 tablespoons
chopped
shallot
Quantity
1 small
minced
kosher salt
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon, plus more to taste
black pepper
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground
butter lettuce or Bibb lettuce (optional)
Quantity
leaves for serving
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| rotisserie chickenmeat removed and shredded to yield 4 cups | 1 (about 3 pounds) |
| best-quality mayonnaise | 3/4 cup |
| Dijon mustard | 2 tablespoons |
| fresh lemon juice | 2 tablespoons |
| lemon zest | 1 teaspoon |
| celery stalkscut into 1/4-inch dice | 3 |
| fresh tarragonchopped | 3 tablespoons |
| fresh chivesminced | 2 tablespoons |
| fresh flat-leaf parsleychopped | 2 tablespoons |
| shallotminced | 1 small |
| kosher salt | 1/2 teaspoon, plus more to taste |
| black pepperfreshly ground | 1/4 teaspoon |
| butter lettuce or Bibb lettuce (optional) | leaves for serving |
Equipment Needed
- •Large mixing bowl
- •Whisk
- •Rubber spatula
Instructions
- 1
Shred the chicken properly
Pull the rotisserie chicken into irregular pieces using two forks or your fingers. You want a mix of textures: some shreds, some small chunks. Pieces too uniform become monotonous in the mouth. Too large and they fall out of your sandwich. Aim for bite-sized portions no larger than your thumbnail, with some smaller shreds throughout for body.
Warm chicken shreds more easily than cold. If using leftover refrigerated chicken, let it sit at room temperature for fifteen minutes before pulling. - 2
Build the dressing base
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and Dijon mustard until completely smooth. The mustard does more than add flavor. It contains natural emulsifiers that help the dressing cling to the chicken rather than pooling at the bottom of the bowl. Add the lemon juice in a thin stream while whisking, incorporating it fully before adding more. This maintains the emulsion. Fold in the lemon zest.
Quality mayonnaise matters enormously here. Duke's or Hellmann's are reliable. If you have homemade, all the better. - 3
Add aromatics and herbs
Stir the minced shallot into the dressing and let it sit for two minutes. The acid in the lemon juice softens the shallot's bite. Add the tarragon, chives, and parsley, folding gently to distribute. Season with salt and pepper.
- 4
Fold in chicken and celery
Add the shredded chicken and diced celery to the bowl. Using a large spatula, fold the mixture gently from the bottom up, rotating the bowl as you work. The goal is even coating without compacting the chicken. Every piece should wear a thin veil of dressing. If the salad looks dry, add another tablespoon of mayonnaise. If it looks soupy, you've overdressed it and there's no fixing that.
The celery must be cut small, no larger than a quarter inch. Larger pieces create textural interruption rather than integration. - 5
Rest for flavor development
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes, or up to overnight. This resting period is not optional. The salt draws moisture from the chicken, which mingles with the dressing. The herbs release their oils. The shallot mellows. Taste again after resting and adjust seasoning. The cold will have muted the salt, so you'll likely need more.
- 6
Serve with intention
Spoon the chicken salad onto cups of butter lettuce or Bibb lettuce, which offer tender structure without competing flavor. Alternatively, pile it generously between slices of good bread, soft white rolls, or flaky croissants. The salad should mound proudly, not spread thin like an afterthought.
Chef Tips
- •Rotisserie chicken provides convenience and built-in flavor from its seasoned skin. For a cleaner taste, poach boneless breasts in salted water with a bay leaf until just cooked through, about eighteen minutes. Cool in the liquid, then shred.
- •Tarragon is traditional and its gentle anise flavor defines classic chicken salad. If you find it too assertive, reduce by half and increase the parsley. Dill makes a fine substitution for a different character entirely.
- •For meal prep, store the dressed salad and the lettuce separately. Dressed chicken salad keeps beautifully for four days refrigerated. Lettuce wilts the moment it touches the dressing.
- •Add textural variations if you wish: halved grapes for sweetness, toasted pecans or almonds for crunch, or a handful of dried cranberries for color. But know that the classic version needs nothing. It has endured because it works.
Advance Preparation
- •Chicken salad improves with resting and should be made at least 30 minutes before serving. Overnight rest produces the best flavor integration.
- •The dressed salad keeps refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Stir gently and taste for seasoning before serving, as chilling dulls salt perception.
- •Do not freeze chicken salad. The mayonnaise will break upon thawing, leaving you with an unpleasant, weeping mess.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 280g)
Calories
540 calories
Total Fat
30 g
Saturated Fat
3 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
26 g
Cholesterol
120 mg
Sodium
192 mg
Total Carbohydrates
1 g
Dietary Fiber
0 g
Sugars
0 g
Protein
62 g
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