bowl of chicken salad.

Lemon Chicken Salad with Tarragon Recipe

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This how-to recipe for Lemon Chicken Salad with Tarragon Recipe helps you cut down on hands on time by infusing the chicken with flavors of lemon first using: The Poaching Method. Make a batch for quick lunches on the go.

chicken salad ingredients
Photo Credit: The Sifted Field.

Chicken is loaded with protein and is a great option for a lunch salad. This lemon chicken salad with tarragon recipe doubles up on the flavors by poaching the chicken in a quick lemon broth speckled with black pepper. Tarragon is a bright herb that adds punchy, bright flavors to this protein filled salad.

chopped up chicken breast on wooden cutting board with knife and green onion.
Photo Credit: The Sifted Field.

A flavorful chicken salad that is perfect for lunch:

I chose to use just tarragon for this recipe and not a combination of herbs, because tarragon has unique, distinct flavor that can stand on it’s own. Make a batch of this tarragon chicken salad and pack it into your fridge for quick lunches or snacks throughout the week.

Tip!

Only chop the tarragon herb leaves 3 times when instructed in recipe below

bright green tarragon herb across wooden cutting board

Tarragon is strong in flavor, yet delicate when it comes to the actual composition of the herbs leaves

Herbaceous Lemon Flavor Combo…

By adding fresh lemon peel to the water, you release fragrant citrus oils into the water during the cooking process. Bay leaf adds subtle layers of flavors to the salad before you have even sliced the chicken! This technique results in a chicken salad bursting with bright flavor notes.


These little steps cut down on your time spent in the kitchen immensely. 

Tarragon and green onions work perfectly here, a minimal dollop of mayonnaise pulls all of the ingredients together for a quick, scrumptious, bright chicken salad. This recipe is perfection on rye bread with avocado and arugula for a quick lunch. This is a recipe you will make again and again! So make sure to save it!

tarragon chicken salad on rye bread with crunchy frisee lettuce piled on top
Open Faced Tarragon Chicken Sandwich
Storing The Chicken Salad:

This chicken salad will store for 4-5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

This chicken salad is so satisfying and can be served with crunchy crackers, on top of a crisp bed of lettuce or open faced on top of rye with a garnish of frisee greens (my personal favorite!)

I have post all about my love of 100% Rye Bread especially when it is paired with this salad.

chicken salad

Lemon Chicken Salad with Tarragon Recipe

A quick, flavorful tarragon chicken salad infused with lemon
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Lunch, Salad
Cuisine French
Servings 1 person
Calories 238 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 stock pot with lid

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Chicken Breast
  • 2 rinds Lemon Peel
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Black Pepper
  • 2 tbsp Mayonnaise
  • 1 bunch Fresh Tarragon Leaves
  • 2 stalks Green onions

Instructions
 

  • Place chicken breast in stock pot and fill pot with water until water is just covering chicken breast.
    saucepan with lid
  • Add lemon peels and bay to pot and place on stove burner. Place pan lid on pan, positioning at an angle to allow steam to escape. Turn heat to high and bring pot to boil.
    When water reaches rolling boil, immediately turn pan down to barely a simmer. Continue to cook over low simmer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes turn heat off, leaving pan on burner.
    Allow chicken to rest for 20 minutes in hot water. This will complete the cooking process slowly, allowing the chicken to cook slowly and evenly, ensuring a moist breast.
  • While chicken rests, chop tarragon and green onions for the salad.
    tarragon
  • Chop the tarragon herb using only 3 chops, this preserves the flavor of the tarragon herb.
    bright green tarragon herb across wooden cutting board
  • Chop green onion tops, leaving the rounds in tact. Discard the green bottoms
  • Remove chicken from stockpot after the 20 minute resting time and slice into 1/3 inch thick pieces.
  • Add chopped tarragon, green onions, mayonnaise, salt, pepper and sliced chicken into medium mixing bowl. Shred chicken with 2 forks. The poached chicken should come apart easily with this method.
  • As you shred, pull the other ingredients in the bowl into your mixture. Keep forking until you reach your desired consistency.
    I prefer a fully shredded chicken salad with tarragon, but if you like your chicken salads chunky feel free to stop when you are satisfied with the texture. I hope you enjoy this simple, flavor forward chicken salad recipe!

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 238kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 6gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 13gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 2869mgPotassium: 393mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 608IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 124mgIron: 3mg
Keyword chicken salad to make at home, how to make chicken salad, Tarragon chicken salad with lemon
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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