After searching and attempting for years, I’ve finally found a truly good chicken salad recipe. I started with a highly-rated recipe online and started tweaking. I ended up making quite a few alterations, but I’m so thrilled with the result, I’ve already added it to my regular rotation. This is loaded with flavor!

A few notes: I started with simple baked boneless chicken breasts. I’m not a huge fan of sweet elements in my chicken salad, so I steer away from fruit and nuts. However, either or both could be added easily. Finally, don’t skip the tarragon; it makes this dish!

Tarragon Chicken Salad with Bacon
(Original recipe: Food Network)

3 cups cooked chicken breast, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 green onion, greens and whites, diced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 tsp fresh chives, chopped

Toss all ingredients into a large bowl and mix gently until combined.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.