Chicken Salad with Egg and Dill

Name: Chicken Salad with Egg and Dill
Prep time: 24 min
Cook time: 19 min
Total time: 43 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 whole (200 g) large eggs, cold, straight from the fridge; 4 cups (950 ml) cold water, for boiling the eggs and the ice bath (use more as needed); 4 cups (500 g) ice cubes; 3 cups (420 g) cooked skinless chicken breast or thigh meat, fully cooled, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice; 1 cup (100 g) celery, about 2 large ribs, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice; ¼ cup (25 g) scallions, about 2, white and light green parts thinly sliced; ¼ cup (10 g) fresh dill, loosely packed fronds, thick stems removed, finely chopped; ½ cup (115 g) mayonnaise; 2 tsp (10 g) Dijon mustard; 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about ½ lemon; ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste; ¼ tsp (½ g) black pepper, freshly ground, plus more to taste

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A creamy, old-fashioned chicken salad with chopped hard-boiled eggs, crunchy celery, a tangy Dijon-lemon dressing and plenty of fresh dill. It's good on toasted bread, in lettuce cups or on crackers.

Prep: 24 min
Cook: 19 min
Wait: 40 min
Total: 1 hr 23 min
Makes: About 4 cups (4 sandwiches or 4 lettuce-cup servings)

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Ingredients

4 servings

4 whole (200 g) large eggs, cold, straight from the fridge
4 cups (950 ml) cold water, for boiling the eggs and the ice bath (use more as needed)
4 cups (500 g) ice cubes
3 cups (420 g) cooked skinless chicken breast or thigh meat, fully cooled, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice
1 cup (100 g) celery, about 2 large ribs, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
¼ cup (25 g) scallions, about 2, white and light green parts thinly sliced
¼ cup (10 g) fresh dill, loosely packed fronds, thick stems removed, finely chopped
½ cup (115 g) mayonnaise
2 tsp (10 g) Dijon mustard
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about ½ lemon
½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
¼ tsp (0.5 g) black pepper, freshly ground, plus more to taste

Equipment (7)

Medium saucepan with lid (3-quart / 3 L)
Large bowl for the ice bath
Slotted spoon
Cutting board and sharp chef's knife
Large mixing bowl (3-quart / 3 L)
Rubber spatula
Measuring cups and spoons

Steps

Before you start

Use chicken that is already cooked and fully cooled, such as poached, roasted or rotisserie chicken (meat only, no skin). You need about 3 cups (420 g) diced.
Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water before the eggs finish cooking, so you can chill them right away.
Plan on at least 30 minutes of chilling time. The salad tastes better after the flavors blend.
Wash and fully dry the dill. Wet herbs make the dressing watery.

1
Start the eggs
- Place the 4 cold eggs in a single layer in the medium saucepan.
- Add enough cold water to cover them by 1 inch (2.5 cm).
- Set the pan over high heat, uncovered, and bring to a full rolling boil.
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Ready when: Large bubbles break steadily across the whole surface of the water.
Tip: Start the eggs in cold water so they heat gently and are less likely to crack.
2
Rest eggs off heat
- As soon as the water boils, turn off the heat and cover the pan with the lid.
- Slide the pan off the burner if it's electric.
- Let the eggs stand for 11 minutes.
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Ready when: After 11 minutes the yolks are fully set and pale yellow, with no green ring.
Tip: Set a timer. Eggs left in hot water much longer get rubbery whites and gray-green yolks.
3
Chill the eggs
- Fill a large bowl with the ice and cold water.
- Use a slotted spoon to move the eggs into the ice bath.
- Leave them for 10 minutes, until completely cold.
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Ready when: The eggs feel cold, not warm, when held in your palm.
4
Prep chicken and vegetables
- While the eggs chill, cut the cooled chicken into ½-inch (1 cm) dice and put it in the large mixing bowl.
- Dice the celery into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces and thinly slice the scallions.
- Remove the thick stems from the dill and finely chop the fronds.
- Add the celery and scallions to the chicken and set the dill aside.
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Ready when: The chicken and celery are in similar small, bite-size pieces.
Tip: Keep the celery pieces small. Large chunks make the salad hard to scoop and spread.
5
Whisk the dressing
- In a small bowl or a measuring cup, stir together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, ½ tsp kosher salt and ¼ tsp black pepper.
- Stir in the chopped dill, saving a pinch to garnish if you like.
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Ready when: The dressing is smooth and evenly speckled with green, with no streaks of mustard.
6
Peel and chop eggs
- Tap each egg on the counter and roll it gently to crack the shell all over.
- Peel it under a thin stream of cool running water.
- Pat the eggs dry and chop them into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces.
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Ready when: The eggs are peeled with no shell bits, and the chopped pieces are roughly the same size as the chicken.
Tip: Chop the eggs rather than mashing them. Chunky eggs keep the salad from turning pasty.
7
Fold it together
- Scrape the dressing over the chicken, celery and scallions.
- Fold with a rubber spatula until everything is evenly coated.
- Add the chopped eggs and fold in gently, using about 8 turns, so the eggs stay in distinct pieces.
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Ready when: All the chicken is lightly coated in dressing and the egg pieces are still visible.
Tip: Fold gently. Stirring hard breaks the eggs into crumbs.
8
Chill to blend
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours, so the flavors meld and the salad firms up.
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Ready when: The salad is cold throughout and holds together when scooped.
9
Taste and serve
- Stir the salad once and taste it.
- Add a pinch more salt, pepper or a squeeze of lemon if it needs it.
- Serve on toasted bread, in lettuce cups or with crackers, topped with the reserved dill.
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Ready when: The salad tastes bright and well seasoned, with a clear dill flavor.
Tip: Chilling dulls seasoning, so always taste again just before serving.

Good to know

Tips

Mix thighs and breasts for a richer, juicier salad. Breast alone can taste dry.
Pat the chicken and celery dry with paper towels if they look wet, so the dressing stays creamy instead of watery.
Older eggs (about a week old) peel more easily than very fresh ones.
For a cleaner salad, chop the eggs and add them last, then fold in only 8 turns.

Make ahead

"Make the salad up to 1 day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. The eggs can be boiled and peeled up to 2 days ahead and stored covered in the fridge. Stir the salad and re-season before serving."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: no more than 2 hours (1 hour if above 90°F / 32°C). Fridge: airtight container for up to 3 days. Freezer: not recommended, because the mayonnaise separates and the eggs turn rubbery. Serve cold with no reheating. Stir before serving if any liquid has collected."

Substitutions

mayonnaise → Half mayonnaise, half plain full-fat Greek yogurt. This gives a tangier, lighter salad. Use ¼ cup (58 g) of each.
fresh dill → Fresh parsley or chives. Use the same amount. The flavor is milder and less anise-like. Dried dill doesn't work well here.
fresh lemon juice → White wine vinegar or pickle brine. Use 1 tbsp (15 ml). Pickle brine adds a dill-pickle tang.
scallions → Finely diced red onion. Use 2 tbsp (20 g). Rinse it under cold water first to soften the bite.