Jump to recipeSalad · Chicken Salad

Michigan Tart Cherry Chicken Salad

Tart Michigan cherries brighten a creamy chicken salad with crisp celery and herbs, ready for lettuce cups or a sturdy picnic sandwich.

Tart cherry chicken salad with celery and chives is spooned into crisp butter lettuce leaves.

Dried tart cherries bring a sweet-sour note to a familiar picnic chicken salad, while celery and scallions keep each bite crisp and savory. A light mayonnaise-yogurt dressing binds the pieces without burying the fruit or turning the chicken into a spread.

A tart-sweet picnic flavor

Michigan is known for tart cherries, and their bright, concentrated flavor works naturally in a Great Lakes picnic lunch. Here they soften slightly in the chilled dressing while remaining easy to spot among the chicken and celery.

Keep the chicken in pieces

Cut cooled chicken into small pieces instead of shredding it, then fold with a flexible spatula. Gentle mixing keeps the celery crisp and gives each scoop a clear balance of chicken, fruit, and dressing.

A spatula gently folds tart cherries, diced celery, scallions, and dressing through chicken pieces. — Chicken, tart cherries, celery, and scallions are folded together before the chive dressing is added.

Dress for a neat scoop

Yogurt, lemon, and Dijon keep the mayonnaise dressing lightly tangy, with chives adding a fresh finish. Reserving a spoonful before folding makes it easy to loosen the salad after its chill without making it runny.

Choose a picnic base

Dry butter lettuce leaves make cool cups, while sturdy whole-grain bread is the alternate serving choice for a more substantial sandwich. Pack the salad separately from the bread or lettuce when traveling so each base stays in good shape. Keep the chicken salad at 40 F or below, and return leftovers within 2 hours or within 1 hour above 90 F.

A close scoop shows intact chicken, softened tart cherries, crisp celery, and chives in creamy dressing. — A close view shows the scoopable dressing clinging to intact chicken pieces, tart cherries, and crisp celery.

Michigan Tart Cherry Chicken Salad

4 servings

45 minutes total

Ingredients

• 1 lb fully cooked chicken breast, chilled and cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 cup dried tart cherries
• 3/4 cup finely diced celery
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
•

Method

Handle the chicken safely
Start with fully cooked chicken breast. If it is freshly cooked and warm, cut it into smaller pieces, spread them in shallow containers, and refrigerate promptly instead of leaving them on the counter; assemble only once the chicken is cold at 40 F or below.
Look for: The chicken is cold throughout, and warm chicken has been divided into shallow containers for prompt refrigeration.
Cut the chicken
If the chilled breast is whole, cut it into small, even bite-size pieces with a clean knife; keep the pieces distinct rather than shredding or mashing them.
Look for: The chicken pieces are small enough for a spoonful but still hold their shape.
Prepare the crisp ingredients
Finely dice the celery, thinly slice the scallions, and chop the chives. Separate the butter lettuce leaves, rinse them, and dry them thoroughly so the salad will cling instead of sliding off.
Look for: The celery is finely diced and the lettuce leaves feel dry with no water pooled in their centers.
Whisk and reserve dressing
Whisk the mayonnaise, plain yogurt, lemon juice, Dijon, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside 1 tbsp dressing, cover it, and keep it chilled to loosen the salad later if needed.
Look for: The dressing is creamy and lightly tangy, with no streaks of yogurt or mustard.
Combine the salad base
Put the chicken, dried tart cherries, diced celery, and sliced scallions in a large bowl. Toss gently so the cherries and crisp vegetables are distributed while the chicken pieces stay whole.
Look for: Cherries, celery, and scallions are spread evenly among separate chicken pieces.
Fold in dressing and chives
Add the remaining dressing and chopped chives to the bowl. Fold with a flexible spatula just until the pieces are lightly coated; avoid pressing or stirring hard, which can break down the chicken and make the salad pasty.
Look for: The chicken is lightly bound by dressing and the bowl still has distinct pieces rather than a paste.
Chill to settle
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the salad for 20 minutes so the dried cherries soften slightly and the seasoning settles. Keep it at 40 F or below while chilling and until serving.
Look for: The salad is cold, the cherries have softened slightly, and the dressing still holds the pieces together.
Serve cold for a picnic
If the chilled salad seems too firm, fold in the reserved dressing until it is scoopable. Spoon into the dried butter lettuce leaves; for the whole-grain bread fallback, spread the salad across the 4 slices instead. Transport and hold at 40 F or below, refrigerating leftovers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when the temperature is above 90 F.
Look for: A spoonful holds together without looking dry or runny, and the serving base is dry and sturdy.