Chicken Niçoise Salad

This chicken niçoise salad is one of my favorite full-meal salads. It has all the Mediterranean flair, and when paired with a baguette, it makes a complete dinner. The vinaigrette is distinctively delicious and can’t be missed.

Chicken Niçoise Salad

The only thing that could possibly be better than this chicken niçoise salad is eating it in the south of France while enjoying a glass of rosé or a crisp white wine. Sounds good doesn’t it?

Niçoise (nee-swaaz) is traditionally made with tuna, which I don’t mind, but I think I prefer the chicken more. Either way, this full-meal salad is one of my favorites and feels like it captures the essence of a farmer’s market on a plate.

Why I Love This Recipe

• I love a tasty vinaigrette and this recipe delivers.
• Because there is no lettuce involved, the leftovers are great!
• I like making this year-round, since all the ingredients are readily available.

Ingredients

• red potatoes
• fresh green beans
• hard-boiled eggs – make them yourself or buy premade
• skinless, boneless chicken breast – you can purchase premade or you substitute with canned tuna
• salt and pepper
• grape tomatoes – or cherry tomatoes, just make sure they’re bite-sized
• Kalamata olives – niçoise olives work too
• capers – adds briny, salty flavor
• fresh lemon juice
• extra virgin olive oil – use the best quality you can afford
• fresh tarragon – I love tarragon for it’s unique and very light licorice flavor
• shallot
• anchovy paste – this does not add a fishy taste and is what gives this vinaigrette its “wow” factor, don’t skip it
• honey
• Dijon mustard

How to Make Chicken Niçoise Salad

Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Step One: First thing you want to do is get the vinaigrette ready. In a small bowl, whisk together the first six vinaigrette ingredients. Then, slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking until it’s all blended nicely. Season it to taste and set it aside. Easy, right?
• Step Two: Next, let’s move on to the red potatoes. Give them a good wash. Fill a large pot with enough water to cover the potatoes, add a pinch of salt, and bring it to a boil. Once the water’s boiling, toss in the potatoes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and let them cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until they’re tender when you poke them with a fork. Drain the potatoes and immediately plunge them into ice water to cool down. Once they’re cool, pat them dry and slice them into halves or coins. Just set them aside for now.
• Step Three: While the potatoes are cooking, fill another pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add a pinch of salt again. Throw in the green beans and let them boil for 2-3 minutes until they turn bright green and tender-crisp (you are only partially cooking them). Quickly transfer the green beans to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Leave them there for about 3 minutes, then drain and pat them dry. Set these aside too.
• Step Four: Now for the chicken. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat some oil in a pan over medium-high heat and sauté the chicken until it’s cooked through, about 8 minutes per side. Once done, slice the chicken breasts against the grain into about 1/4″-thick pieces.
• Step Five: Prepare your tomatoes and olives by slicing the tomatoes in half and pitting the olives if needed.
• Step Six: In a large bowl, combine the potato slices, green beans, sliced chicken, tomatoes, olives, and capers. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss everything lightly to coat. Transfer your beautiful salad to a platter and garnish with hard-boiled eggs, either halved or chopped.

Enjoy your delicious, Mediterranean-inspired chicken niçoise salad!

Recipe Tips

• You can whisk up the vinaigrette a day or two in advance to save time. Just store it in a sealed jar in the fridge. Give it a good shake before using.
• The potatoes and green beans can be made earlier in the day or the day before. After cooling and patting them dry, store them separately in airtight containers in the fridge. Wait to slice the potatoes just before assembling the salad.
• Cook and slice the chicken a day ahead or earlier that same day. Once cooled, store the slices in an airtight container in the fridge. Let them come to room temperature or give them a quick warm-up before adding to the salad.
• If you’re not buying the hard-boiled eggs premade, boil the eggs a day or two in advance. Keep them in their shells in the fridge. Peel and slice them just before adding to the salad.
• You can prep the tomatoes and olives in advance as well. Store the sliced tomatoes and pitted olives in separate containers in the fridge.

Storing Leftovers

• Cover the salad tightly with plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
• If you want to brighten up the salad before serving again, squeeze a fresh lemon over the top.
• Chicken niçoise salad can also be enjoyed cold or at room temperature, making it convenient for quick meals or packed lunches.

More Mediterranean Flavored Salads

• Cucumber Feta Salad
• Chicken Orzo
• Cucumber Tomato Onion Salad with Apple Cider Vinegar
• Greek Pasta Salad

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Print Recipe

5 from 5 votes

Chicken Niçoise Salad

This chicken niçoise salad goes way beyond a common side salad and offers one of the best tastes of the Mediterranean. Paired with just a baguette, it makes a complete dinner. The vinaigrette is distinctively delicious.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: French, Mediterranean

Keyword: Chicken Niçoise Salad

Servings: 6

Calories: 518kcal

Author: Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• measuring cups and spoons
• mixing bowls
• large pot
• skillet
• whisk

Ingredients

Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsps. freshly minced tarragon
• 1 tbsp. minced shallot
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 tsps. anchovy paste
• 1 tsp. honey
• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Salad:

• 1-1/2 lbs. small red potatoes
• 1/4 lb. fresh green beans, stems removed
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• salt and pepper
• 2 tbsps. olive oil
• 2 cups (1 pint) grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives or niçoise olives
• 1/4 cup capers drained
• 4 hard-boiled eggs halved or chopped

Instructions

Vinaigrette:

• Whisk first six vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl. Whisk in olive oil slowly to blend. Season to taste. Set aside.
  1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 2 tbsps. freshly minced tarragon , 1 tbsp. minced shallot, 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard, 2 tsps. anchovy paste, 1 tsp. honey, 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

Salad:

• Wash the red potatoes thoroughly. Fill a large pot with enough water to cover the potatoes. Add a pinch of salt and bring the water to a boil. Add the potatoes to the boiling water. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain. Plunge the potatoes immediately into ice water to cool. Remove them and pat dry. Slice them into halves or coins when you're ready to assemble the salad.
  1-1/2 lbs. small red potatoes
• At the same time, fill another pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add a pinch of salt. Add the green beans to the boiling water. Boil for 2-3 minutes until they are bright green and tender-crisp. Immediately transfer the green beans to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Leave them in the ice water for about 3 minutes. Drain the green beans and pat them dry. Set them aside until you assemble your salad.
  1/4 lb. fresh green beans, stems removed
• Season chicken breast with salt and pepper. Sauté chicken in oil over medium-high heat until cooked through (about 8 minutes per side). Slice sautéed breasts against the grain and on the bias into about 1/4"-thick pieces.
  2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, salt and pepper, 2 tbsps. olive oil
• Prepare tomatoes and olives, by slicing them in half and pitting the olives if necessary.
  2 cups (1 pint) grape tomatoes, 1/2 cup Kalamata olives

Assembly:

• In a large bowl, combine potato slices, green beans, sliced chicken, tomatoes, olives and capers. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss lightly to coat. Transfer salad to a platter and garnish with hard-boiled eggs (halved or chopped).
  1/4 cup capers, 4 hard-boiled eggs

Notes

Potatoes and Eggs: When it comes to the potatoes and eggs, you can slice them and add them to the salad however you prefer; coins, quarters or halved are a few ideas.

Vinaigrette: Do not skip the anchovy paste, it does not impart a fishy taste and gives the salad a distinctive taste.

For optimal outcomes when preparing this chicken niçoise salad, it's recommended to refer to the recipe details within the post. The recipe post commonly includes valuable notes, expert tips and frequently asked questions, that are not presented in the recipe card, often including how to make this recipe dairy-free, gluten free or vegan and ideas for healthy ingredient substitutions or variations.

The provided nutrition information is merely an approximation, as variations can arise depending on the specific ingredients/brands you select.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Niçoise Salad

Amount Per Serving (350 g)

Calories 518 Calories from Fat 306

% Daily Value*

Fat 34g52%

Saturated Fat 5.4g34%

Polyunsaturated Fat 3.5g

Monounsaturated Fat 19.3g

Cholesterol 150mg50%

Sodium 562mg24%

Potassium 1076mg31%

Carbohydrates 34g11%

Fiber 4.2g18%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 21g42%

Vitamin A 86IU2%

Vitamin C 31mg38%

Calcium 59mg6%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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