Elevate your classic chicken salad with this fun and interesting twist. Oven-roasted grapes add a sweet complexity that goes much deeper than your average grape. Want to know my little secret flavor booster? Adding the pan juices from the grapes to the salad for a taste sensation. This classic chicken salad with roasted grapes is sure to become your new favorite lunch!
I bet you're thinking to yourself- I can roast grapes? I'm here to tell you that you can, and you should! If you have never tried it you would be amazed how they transform in the oven. They are savory, sweet, and their juices remind me of an aged balsamic vinegar. In fact- I save the leftover pan juices to add to my dressings and vinaigrettes.
How Do I Roast Grapes in the Oven?
It's easy! All you need is a pan, some parchment (for easy clean-up), and some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Once you separate the grapes from their stems, you will coat them in the oil and vinegar, and let the oven do all the work. They will become soft and browned, and begin to split and ooze their juices. You want to watch them around the 15-minute mark, so they don't get too mushy.
Ingredients
- Rotisserie chicken
- Red-seedless grapes
- Olive oil and balsamic vinegar
- Mayo
- Greek yogurt
- Lemon
- Dijon mustard
- Fresh parsley
- Fresh dill
- Sliced almonds
- Salt and pepper
See recipe card for instructions.
Top Tips
- Use store-bought rotisserie chicken to make this super easy to prepare. You can use white or dark meat or a combination of both. Skins should be removed
- Red grapes are more flavorful than green grapes. Stick to red for the best flavor
- When the grapes are done roasting they should be soft, not mushy, browned in some spots, and will have released a lot of their juices. Be sure to line your pans to make clean-up a breeze
- If you want to keep the almonds super crunchy, mix them in right before serving
- After preparing this classic chicken salad with roasted grapes, allow it to sit in the refrigerator for up to an hour for the flavors to fully come through
📖Recipe
Classic Chicken Salad with Roasted Grapes
Equipment
- 1 sheet or baking pan
Ingredients
For the roasted grapes
- 2 cups red seedless grapes (stemmed)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
For the chicken salad
- 3 cups store-bought shredded rotisserie chicken; skin removed you can use white or dark meat or a combination of both
- ¾ cup chopped celery (3-4 stalks depending on your size)
- ½ cup mayo
- 2 tablespoon greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon reserved grape juice from pan
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon fresh dill
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- ½ cup sliced almonds
Instructions
For the roasted grapes
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, combine the grapes, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar and toss to coat.
- Add the grapes to the prepared pan and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until the grapes begin to burst and are soft, but not mushy. Remove from the oven and let cool. Reserve the juice from the pan and set it aside.
For the chicken salad
- In a medium bowl, combine the chicken and celery.
- In another small bowl, combine the mayo, yogurt, lemon, dijon, grape juice, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper, and whisk until combined. Add the mayo mixture to the chicken and toss to coat. Add grapes and almonds and stir to combine. Adjust to taste for additional salt, pepper, lemon, or additional reserved grape juice.
Hernan
I can attest that these things are three words: dee lush us!
Jennifer
Thank you for trying the recipe!
Marilyn
This twist on your classic chicken salad was delicious. The dill really elevates the flavor! I prefer a little more tang/acid/savory in my dishes so I used slightly more lemon juice and balsamic where indicated but really it was just to taste and only a personal preference. It was awesome as is! I put it on crackers like a canapé but equally tasty on your favorite bread or crostini. So many of Jenn’s recipes are tasty and easy to follow.
Jennifer
Thanks so much for trying the recipe. I love how you ate them as mini apps- such a great idea!
Joanne
I saw this recipe last month but went right by it because I already make a very good chicken salad with grapes and walnuts. But I got curious so I tried it this morning.
Blew me away! Completely different texture and taste than my tried and true. It was supposed to be for lunch but we wiped it out before 11 AM! This will be my new go to for chicken salad. Recipe was easy to follow and I didn't need to adjust anything. Just perfect!
Jennifer
So happy you loved it!