Rotisserie Chicken Salad and Roasted Grapes

This Rotisserie Chicken Salad and Roasted Grapes is sure to become your new favorite meal. It's prepared with store-bought rotisserie chicken, celery, fresh herbs, mayo, yogurt, and balsamic roasted grapes. The roasted grapes add sweetness and texture and elevate this classic lunch staple.

We bet you're thinking to yourself- we can roast grapes? Yep, you can roast any type of fruit. Fair warning, though, once you start- you won't be able to stop! Roasting fruit brings out the fruit's natural sweetness and produces a jammy, caramelized version that is good.

While chicken salads are no stranger to sweet add-ins, (think cranberry chicken salad), roasted grapes bring a new layer of flavor. We roast our grapes with a touch of olive oil and balsamic, which cook down, concentrating their flavor. We add the pan juices to the chicken salad for added moisture, which helps to cut down on the mayo.

Using rotisserie chicken makes this a breeze. Eat it plain or pile it high on your favorite bread for a unique sandwich.

Using a rotisserie chicken means you'll have lunch in no time. Take the time to roast the grapes in advance so you'll have all the ingredients ready to go.

• Rotisserie chicken Keep it simple. Grab a chicken on your next grocery store run, remove it from the bones, then shred it. You can use the white or dark meat- whichever you prefer. We like a mixture of both. If you have leftover grilled chicken, by all means, use that. Look for a plain rotisserie chicken without any additional flavorings.
• Red-seedless grapes make sure they are seedless! You can use green grapes, but we think red grapes have more flavor. Also, we like the contrast of color from the red grapes. The chicken salad already has celery in it (green), so why not add a contrast of different colors and textures.
• Celery Classic ingredient- we love the crunch!
• Olive oil and balsamic vinegar Used to roast the grapes.
• Mayo and Greek yogurt we find mayo-heavy chicken salad too overwhelming, so adding yogurt helps balance it out. It also adds a bit of tang to the dressing.
• Lemon Brightens up the salad, and brings out the flavor in the grapes.
• Dijon mustard Adds acidity and tang to the dressing.
• Fresh herbs we use a combination of chives, dill, and parsley.
• Almonds Sliced for added crunch. You can swap out pistachios or walnuts.
• Salt and pepper To taste.

Instructions for roasted grape chicken salad

Here is a step-by-step guide to making Rotisserie Chicken Salad and Roasted Grapes. Full instructions are located in the recipe card.

Step 1. Add the grapes to a rimmed baking sheet. Toss in the olive oil and balsamic to coat.

Step 2. Roast at 425°F for 15-20 minutes, until the grapes burst and become soft, but not mushy.

Step 3. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken and the celery. Set aside.

Step 4. In a small bowl, whisk to combine the mayo, yogurt, Dijon, lemon, salt, and pepper.

Step 5. Add the mayo dressing to the bowl with the chicken, then add the roasted grapes and herbs.

Step 6. Gently toss the ingredients until the chicken salad is well combined. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

*These are abbreviated instructions. The full list of directions can be found in the recipe card below.

Expert tip

When the grapes are finished roasting, they should be soft (not mushy), browned in some spots, and they will have released a lot of their juices. line your pans to make clean-up a breeze.

Substitutions and variations

You can eat this chicken salad plain, or, better yet, make a sandwich! Our fave? Chicken salad on a bagel! Here are some other ideas you can try:

• Turkey Swap out the chicken for leftover turkey. Got Thanksgiving leftovers? Turkey salad is the solid next day lunch!
• Nuts You can use any nut you like. Pistachios and walnuts are great choices.
• Greek yogurt Feel free to omit the mayo all together or use all Greek yogurt.
• Blueberries You can sub in blueberries for the roasted grapes. keep an eye on their cooking time. Since they are smaller, they will cook a little faster.
• Herbs Use a mixture of fresh and dried herbs. Parsley, dill, chives, and rosemary will go well with chicken.
• Spices Play around with spices such as cumin or curry for a boost of flavor.
• Additional add-ins Try adding more flavor by tossing in chopped red onion, carrots, or cucumbers.

Storage and prep

Homemade chicken salad can last for 3-4 days in the fridge when stored in an air-tight container.

You can prepare the roasted grapes in advance-they will keep for about 4 days in the fridge. If prepping the chicken salad ahead of time, add the almonds when ready to serve so they stay crunchy.

Serve it with

From hummus to refreshing drinks, here are some serving suggestions.

Kitchen questions

What is the best way to cut or shred a rotisserie chicken?

Remove the chicken from the bones as soon as you get home. Shredding a warm rotisserie chicken is easier than shredding one that is cold right out of the fridge. Start by running a knife around the breast to remove the meat. Try to cut the meat as close to the bone as possible. Tear or shred the chicken with a fork (or your fingers). For the rest of the meat, particularly the dark meat, we prefer to use our fingers to remove the meat from the bones (wings and legs).

Ingredients

Makes 6

For the roasted grapes

• 2 cups red seedless grapes (stemmed)
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar

For the chicken salad

• 3 cups store-bought shredded rotisserie chicken; skin removed and torn into bite-sized pieces (you can use white or dark meat or a combination of both)
• ¾ cup chopped celery (3-4 stalks depending on your size)
• ⅓ cup mayo
• 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• ¼ tsp Dijon mustard
• 1-2 tsp reserved grape juice from pan
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp fresh dill
• ½ tsp kosher or fine sea salt
• ¼ tsp fresh ground pepper
• ½ cup sliced almonds

Equipment

• sheet or baking pan

Method

For the roasted grapes

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a small bowl, combine the grapes, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar and toss to coat.

3. 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

1. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken and celery.

2. 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.

Kitchen notes

Storage: Store chicken salad in the fridge for up to 4 days.