The Bluster and the Burrow
Chicken Salad with Grapes
This creamy, flavor-packed chicken salad balances tender chicken with crunchy apples, sweet grapes, and toasted walnuts. It’s easy to make, perfect for meal prep, and tastes even better after a short chill in the fridge.
Print Recipe
Equipment
- Instant Pot optional
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken cooked
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup red onion diced
- ½ cup celery diced
- ¼ cup grapes cut into 4ths
- ¼ cup apple diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts toasted
Instructions
Cooking the Chicken in an Instant Pot
- Note: This formula works for whole chickens, bone-in.
- Pour 1 cup of water into the Instant Pot. Add the whole chicken and a teaspoon of salt.
- Check the weight of your chicken and multiply it by 8—that’s your cook time in minutes. (A 5.5 lb chicken = 44 minutes.)
- Set to Manual and cook on High Pressure for the calculated time.
- When the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally.
- Remove the chicken, pull the meat from the bones, and chop it into bite-sized pieces.
- Save the bones and broth to make chicken stock
Roasting Chicken in the Oven
- Let the chicken sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before roasting.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Pat the chicken dry thoroughly and place it in a baking dish or roasting pan.
- Roast on the middle rack for 1 hour, uncovered.
- Increase the temperature to 425°F and roast for another 30 minutes.
- Check doneness with an instant-read thermometer: Breast- 165°F Thigh- 175°F
- Rest the chicken for 15–20 minutes so the juices redistribute, then remove the meat and chop.
Chicken Salad with Grapes
- In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
- Add 4 cups chicken and mix until everything is well coated.
- Stir in half of ½ cup celery, ¼ cup red onion, ¼ cup grapes, and ¼ cup apple.
- Add the remaining mix-ins until it looks balanced and generous.
- Fold in the 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts last so they stay crunchy.
- Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the flavors settle and the salad chill completely.
Notes
- Season in layers.
Salt the chicken as it cooks, season the dressing, and adjust once everything is mixed. Underseasoned chicken salad is where joy goes to die. - Chill time = flavor time.
A 30–60 minute rest in the fridge helps everything marry together. The dressing thickens, the apples firm, the grapes sweeten—magic. - Don’t overmix.
Fold gently, especially once the walnuts go in. You want pockets of texture, not chicken mush. - Add the mix-ins in batches.
Mix in half the fruits/veg, then add more until it looks balanced. This prevents a soggy or overdressed salad. - Instant Pot success trick.
Multiply the chicken’s weight by 8 to get your cook time (in minutes). No guessing. No dry chicken. - Make it yours.
– Add a squeeze of lemon for brightness
– Stir in dill or tarragon for a herby lean
– Swap walnuts for pecans
– Add a pinch of cayenne for a quiet little kick - Storage
This chicken salad keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Calories: 2280kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 250g | Saturated Fat: 68g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 70g | Monounsaturated Fat: 102g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 198mg | Sodium: 740mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 111IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 0.5mg
