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A fresh, creamy, and slightly tangy chicken salad packed with crisp celery, juicy grapes, sweet dried cranberries, and a luscious Dijon-honey dressing. Perfect for sandwiches, wraps, or served over fresh greens.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This Dijon Chicken Salad is not just another chicken salad. It’s a harmony of textures and flavors—crunchy celery, plump grapes, and a creamy tangy-sweet dressing that makes every bite pop. Great for meal prep, picnics, and light lunches, it’s a crowd-pleaser that feels gourmet yet is easy to make.

Dijon Chicken Salad

There are chicken salads, and then there’s this chicken salad—the kind that instantly becomes the centerpiece of your lunch table. It’s fresh, colorful, and bursting with flavor, yet simple enough to make on a busy weekday.

This recipe marries the savory depth of tender chicken with the lively tang of Dijon mustard. The honey in the dressing adds just the right amount of sweetness, balancing out the gentle bite of the mustard. Every forkful delivers a satisfying contrast.

The combination of green and red grapes brings both visual beauty and a dynamic mix of tart and sweet flavors. When you bite into one, the juicy pop is a delightful surprise next to the creamy dressing.

Dried cranberries add another layer of sweetness, with a chewy texture that complements the crisp crunch of celery. These small touches make the salad feel indulgent without being heavy.

Chives lend a light oniony note, lifting the flavor so it feels bright and fresh rather than overly rich. It’s a detail you’ll notice in every bite.

One of the best things about this salad is its versatility. It’s equally at home in a casual picnic basket, a lunchbox, or served in delicate lettuce cups for a brunch gathering.

Because it can be prepared ahead, this salad is a reliable choice for entertaining. The flavors only deepen as it chills, making it even better the next day.

This is also a wonderful recipe for making use of leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken. The dressing ties everything together effortlessly.

The cold, creamy texture makes it perfect for warmer months, but the hearty nature of chicken keeps it satisfying in the cooler seasons too.

You can easily swap ingredients to suit your taste. Turkey works just as well as chicken, and you can experiment with nuts or seeds for an extra crunch.

It’s naturally gluten-free if served without bread, though it pairs beautifully with crusty rolls, soft croissants, or even crackers.

In many ways, this recipe is about balance—sweet with savory, creamy with crisp, simple to make yet complex in flavor.

Once you try it, you may find that your old chicken salad recipe fades into the background, replaced by this vibrant, crave-worthy version.

Servings

Serves: 4

Time

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes (using pre-cooked chicken)
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 (10-ounce) cans chunk chicken, drained and flaked
• 1 cup halved seedless red grapes
• 1 cup halved seedless green grapes
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 2 teaspoons dried chives
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine chicken, red grapes, green grapes, celery, dried cranberries, and chives.
2. In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper until smooth.
3. Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture and toss gently until everything is evenly coated.
4. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving for the flavors to meld.
5. Serve on bread, in wraps, or over fresh lettuce.

Tips

• For extra crunch, add chopped pecans or almonds.
• Freshly cooked shredded chicken works beautifully in place of canned.
• Adjust sweetness by adding more or less honey.
• If you prefer a lighter version, use half mayonnaise and half plain Greek yogurt.