Description

This vibrant Chicken Salad with Apples is a refreshing and flavorful dish combining tender rotisserie chicken, crisp apples, and a tangy homemade dressing featuring mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and fresh tarragon. Perfect for sandwiches, wraps, or as a light salad over greens, it brings a delightful balance of sweet, savory, and herbaceous notes with ease and minimal prep time.

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken

2 breasts rotisserie chicken (finely shredded or chopped)

Dressing

½ cup mayonnaise (or more to taste)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (or more to taste)
½ lemon (juiced)
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon (finely chopped) or ½ teaspoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)

Mix-ins

1 small apple (finely diced; Honeycrisp or Fuji recommended)
2 stalks celery (finely diced)
⅓ cup dried cranberries (roughly chopped)

Instructions

Prep Chicken: Remove the skin and bones from the rotisserie chicken breasts and chop or shred the meat into bite-sized pieces for easy eating and blending with the other ingredients.
Mix Dressing: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, freshly squeezed lemon juice, chopped fresh tarragon (or dried), and kosher salt until well combined and creamy.
Combine Ingredients: Add the shredded chicken, finely diced apples, roughly chopped dried cranberries, and diced celery into the bowl with the dressing. Gently toss everything together to coat the ingredients evenly without mashing the apples or chicken.
Chill: Transfer the salad to the refrigerator and let it chill for at least 30 minutes. This resting time allows the flavors to meld beautifully, enhancing the overall taste and texture.
Serve: Enjoy the chicken salad on its own, piled into sandwiches or wraps, or served over a bed of fresh mixed greens for a satisfying and refreshing meal.

Notes

Adjust the amount of mayonnaise and Dijon mustard according to your taste preference for creaminess and tang.
Using fresh tarragon provides a brighter flavor, but dried tarragon can be substituted if needed.
If you prefer a crunchier texture, consider adding chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans.
For a lower-fat version, substitute mayonnaise with Greek yogurt.
Ensure apples are diced finely to distribute evenly and prevent overpowering any single bite.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Category: Salad
Method: No-Cook
Cuisine: American

Keywords: Chicken Salad, Rotisserie Chicken, Apple Chicken Salad, Mayonnaise Chicken Salad, Healthy Chicken Salad, Easy Chicken Salad Recipe