Tarragon Chicken Salad With Sliced Almonds

🍗 What Makes This Recipe So Good

I can’t lie. I’m absolutely OB. SESSED. with this tarragon chicken salad. We go way back, this salad and I. My obsession started during one fateful beach trip. There we are, standing in Publix. Searching for easy snacks and lunches we could munch on the beach with minimal prep. Suddenly, I saw it. Deli tarragon chicken salad. Now it’s a staple, a must-get for every beach vacation. Sadly, we don’t have a Publix near us when we’re not at the beach, but with this quick & easy copycat recipe, I can have my favorite chicken salad anytime I want it. The textures in tarragon chicken salad are so incredible. Traditional chicken salads don’t typically have much crunch, unless you add celery or something like that. That means the salad itself is a creamy, kind-of mushy mixture that really relies on your vessels of choice for contrast. Crackers, celery sticks, lettuce, tortilla chips, crostini. With this salad, though, the sliced almonds take care of that crunchy element. They’re a beautiful compliment to the creaminess of the mayo and the tenderness of the chicken. This recipe has a light, earthy, slightly sweet flavor that’s super refreshing. Since it fits a variety of dietary needs, and isn’t spicy or too bold, it’s a perfect dish to serve at any event. Baby shower, bridal shower, potluck… Basically any gathering where you need to account for a bunch of different preferences. It feels a little elegant, too, which is really nice if you’re trying to make an impression.

👩🏼‍🍳 Chef’s Tips

I highly recommend making up a batch of tarragon chicken salad in advance. You’re welcome to serve it immediately, of course, and it will be delicious. Making it ahead, though, gives the ingredients time to meld, resulting in a deeper, more intense flavor. If you don’t have or can’t find fresh tarragon, you can use dried tarragon instead. Be careful not to overdo it, though. Dried tarragon will be much more potent after the salad rests. Start with just 1 tablespoon, and incorporate it really well. Taste the chicken salad after that and add more tarragon 1 teaspoon at a time only if needed. Remember – you can always add more, but you can’t take it back out! Not sure how to serve tarragon chicken salad? The possibilities are seriously endless. Scoop it into lettuce cups. Halve a croissant to make a chicken salad sandwich. Set it out in a bowl with buttery crackers, apple slices, pretzels, or crostini. It’s a super versatile dish, so you can’t go wrong with any option you choose!

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