Pioneer Woman chicken salad from Ree Drummond folds roasted chicken with halved grapes, almonds, and celery into a creamy dill dressing made with mayo, Greek yogurt, and brown sugar. And the salad serves 6 at approximately 420 calories per serving in about 3 hours and 15 minutes, since several hours of chilling lets the flavors blend.
Most chicken salads bind everything with straight mayo, but Ree splits the base between mayo, Greek yogurt, and heavy cream for a lighter, tangier texture. So the dressing coats without feeling heavy, and the yogurt adds enough acidity to balance the sweetness from the grapes and brown sugar.
Chilling the dressed salad for several hours or overnight before serving is the step that transforms it from a tossed bowl into a cohesive dish. And if you serve it immediately after mixing, the dressing sits on top of the chicken instead of soaking into each piece, so the flavors taste separate instead of blended.
Pioneer Woman Chicken Salad
Course: Salads, LunchCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy6
servings15
minutes420
kcalA home-roasted or store-bought chicken gets cut into small pieces and tossed with halved grapes, slivered almonds, scallions, and celery. Then a dressing of mayo, Greek yogurt, heavy cream, dill, and brown sugar pours over everything before the bowl chills for several hours.
Ingredients
- For the roast chicken (or use store-bought):
1 (3 to 4-pound) chicken
Olive oil, for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For the salad:
2 cups green or red seedless grapes, halved, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup slivered almonds
4 scallions, sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
- For the dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Roast the chicken (if homemade): Preheat the oven to 400°F, drizzle the chicken with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast about 1 hour and 15 minutes until juices run clear.
- Cool completely: Then let the roasted chicken cool fully before handling.
- Cut the chicken: Once cool, remove the skin and bones and cut the meat into small pieces.
- Combine the salad ingredients: Then place the chicken, grapes, almonds, scallions, and celery in a large bowl.
- Mix the dressing: In a separate bowl, whisk the mayo, yogurt, heavy cream, dill, brown sugar, salt, and pepper together.
- Dress the salad: Then pour the dressing over the chicken mixture and toss gently to combine.
- Taste and adjust: Once tossed, check the seasoning and add more salt or pepper if needed.
- Chill the salad: Then cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
- Garnish and serve: Before serving, top with extra halved grapes and chopped dill, and serve on lettuce or in a sandwich.
FAQs
Can I use a store-bought rotisserie chicken?
Ree lists a store-bought chicken as an alternative on the recipe, and it saves over an hour of roasting and cooling time. Since the dressing carries most of the flavor, the difference between home-roasted and rotisserie is subtle once everything chills together.
But a rotisserie bird is often saltier than home-roasted, so taste the dressing before adding extra salt. And pull only the white and dark meat, discarding the skin and bones, because skin pieces turn soggy in the mayo-yogurt base overnight.
Why does the dressing include brown sugar?
The tablespoon of brown sugar balances the tang from the Greek yogurt and the savory dill without making the dressing taste sweet. And it bridges the fruit sweetness of the grapes with the creamy base, so every component ties together instead of tasting separate.
But do not add more than a tablespoon, because the grapes already bring natural sugar to each bite. Since the salad chills for hours, the brown sugar dissolves completely into the dressing and becomes invisible in the finished flavor.
What bread works best for chicken salad sandwiches?
Croissants add a buttery richness that pairs well with the creamy dressing, and sourdough holds up without getting soggy from the moisture in the grapes. Since the salad sits on the bread for however long it takes to eat, a sturdier slice performs better than soft white sandwich bread.
And wraps or lettuce cups work for a lighter option, because the yogurt-based dressing is already less heavy than an all-mayo version. For a full Pioneer Woman lunch spread, serve the sandwiches alongside the pioneer woman deviled eggs, since both dishes use a mayo base and prep ahead easily.
How long does chicken salad keep?
The mayo and yogurt base limits fridge life to about 3 days in an airtight container, and the celery softens noticeably after day 2. So eat the best portions on the first day and use the rest in wraps or on toast where texture matters less.
And do not freeze chicken salad, because the mayo breaks and the grapes turn mushy when thawed. Since the active prep is only 15 minutes if you use a store-bought chicken, making a fresh batch is faster than dealing with a thawed one.
What other mix-ins can I add?
Dried cranberries swap in for the grapes and hold their texture longer in the fridge, and chopped pecans or walnuts replace the almonds with a different crunch. Since the dressing is flexible enough to carry most add-ins, the combination is really about personal preference.
But avoid watery vegetables like cucumber or tomato, because they release liquid into the dressing and thin it out overnight. And for another Pioneer Woman recipe that uses a similar mayo-yogurt approach for creaminess, the dipping sauce on the pioneer woman sausage balls blends mayo with mustard the same way this dressing balances tang and richness.
