Chicken Salad with Grapes, Apples and Pecans is so colorful and healthy, loaded with fresh herbs, fruits and veggies! It's easy to make up a large batch using rotisserie chicken, and is a great meal prep lunch for busy weeks! Ready in 25 minutes!
- Perfect Meal Prep Lunch! - Fruit Chicken Salad is one of my favorite meal prep lunches! I love making different a big batch to have prepped in the fridge for the week. It's good up to 4 days and can be eaten as a sandwich, deli wrap, or as a quick dip with crackers or pitas. I've even had luck with the kids liking it rolled up in a tortilla!
- Amazing Flavor! - There are millions of recipes for chicken salad, but this has always been my favorite! Chicken salad with apples, grapes and pecans, plus fresh herbs, lemon, onion, celery and the perfect mix of spices. It's essentially a Waldorf Chicken Salad that's simply delicious!
- Versatile and Easy to Substitute! - I love the combination of the juicy grapes and apples, but this recipe can easily be adapted. You can swap pears for the apples, or substitute blueberries or dried cranberries for the grapes for a whole new combination. The nuts can be any kind, like chopped almonds, walnuts, cashews or pistachios. Use a rotisserie chicken or cook your own Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breast! You'll love this Curry Chicken Salad variation too!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
- Cooked Chicken - Rotisserie chicken salad with grapes and apples is a great way to make this super fast and easy! It's easiest to remove and shred the meat from the bones when you get it home hot from the store, it's a bit more difficult after being refrigerated. And freeze those bones for Homemade Chicken Stock! Another great option is to cook Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breasts. Cooled leftover chicken, cooked in any way, can also be used!
- Celery - Adds nutrition and a fresh crunch!
- Onion - Adds flavor and a bit of sharpness. Any onion like yellow, white, red or shallots will work great.
- Grapes - Chicken Salad with Grapes really adds so much fresh flavor and juiciness! You could also substitute fresh blueberries or a big handful of dried cranberries or golden raisins.
- Apples - The apples are so delicious in this recipe! They add a juicy, bright tart flavor, extra nutrition and when mixed in with the lemon and mayo, they stay fresh and won't brown.
- Chives - Herbs bring a vibrant fresh feel so use them if you can! Chives, basil, parsley, scallions or even spinach are all ok to use, although each will give you a slightly different flavor.
- Pecans or Almonds - Nuts add protein and a crunchy texture to the chicken salad. Other nuts can be substituted like walnuts, cashews or pistachios.
- Lemon Juice - Fresh lemon juice brings so much flavor, but also helps preserve the chicken salad. Use all the juice from half a lemon and make sure to discard the seeds!
- Nutmeg - Adds a subtle layer of underlying spice, you don't really notice it, but it's there. Super delicious!
- Cayenne Pepper - Adds a little kick while hardly being noticeable!
- Salt & Pepper - Flavors your chicken salad, but adjust the seasoning based on how salty your chicken is. Rotisserie chicken can be very salty, so you may want to start with a bit less, or even none, and adjust as you taste.
- Dijon Mustard - Adds a pop of flavor.
- Mayonnaise - Mayo is the base of the salad and the amount can really be a personal preference. Start with a little and add more until you reach the consistency you like!
See recipe card below for full quantities.
Instructions
Step 1 - Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
Step 2 - Serve chicken salad on sandwiches, toast, buns, croissants, deli wraps, salad, crackers or pitas.
How to Serve Chicken Salad
- Chicken Salad Wraps or Sandwiches - Rolled up in large tortillas with lettuce or spinach, they make a perfect lunch! And any sandwich tastes better on Homemade Dutch Oven Bread!
- Chicken Salad Croissants - Being able to make this recipe ahead means it is also great for entertaining. My mom and I have hosted many an afternoon baby shower with fancied up chicken salad on croissants, a simple fruit platter, a Blueberry Goat Cheese Salad, and an appetizer like this Raisin Pine Nut Goat Cheese Dip.
- Chicken Salad Melts - This fruit and veggie chicken salad can be served hot with melted cheese just like a tuna melt. Just pile it on a slice of bread with a slice of cheese and bake on a sheet pan in the oven at 400° until heated through and melty. Makes a great dinner too!
- Chicken Salad Salad - Yes, scoop a bit of your apple grape chicken salad over lettuce greens for a healthy lunch! Add extras like chopped strawberries or blueberries, cucumber, goat cheese, cherry tomato, avocado, and this Easy Vinaigrette in a Jar!
- Chicken Salad Dip - For the easiest lunch, just pull out your meal prepped pecan apple chicken salad and scoop it onto crackers or tortilla chips. Serve with veggies and Mediterranean Hummus, it's a complete meal!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Chicken salad can be made and stored in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If making for a party, make it a day in advance.
Yes! This is a naturally gluten-free chicken salad, no need to change a thing! It's a healthy option, full of fruits and vegetables, and can be served with gluten-free bread, pitas, crackers or corn tortilla chips.
Yes! Chicken salad is high in protein from the chicken and nuts. It also incorporates lots of fresh fruits and veggies. You can go light on the mayo or even substitute a bit of plain yogurt.
Chicken salad with mayo does not freeze well, the mayo separates when thawed and the texture becomes watery and unpleasant. For meal prep, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days instead. If you want to get ahead for a bigger event, you can cook and shred the chicken and chop all the other ingredients ahead of time, storing them separately, then mix everything together with the dressing the day before serving.
Yes, this recipe is essentially a classic Waldorf chicken salad. The original Waldorf salad (created at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York) combined apples, celery, and mayo, and the chicken and grape versions have become the most popular modern interpretation. If you're searching for Waldorf chicken salad, this is it! The addition of pecans, fresh herbs, and a touch of nutmeg makes it a little more special than most versions.
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Chicken Salad with Grapes, Apples, and Pecans
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Print Pin RateIngredients
- 4 cups cooked chicken, shredded (rotisserie chicken works well)
- 3 ribs celery about 1 cup, chopped
- ½ cup onion, yellow or red chopped
- 1 cup red grapes halved
- ½ apple about ½ cup, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons chives chopped
- ½ cup pecans or almonds chopped or sliced
- ½ juice of a lemon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 grinds freshly ground black pepper freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- ½ cup mayonnaise or more to taste
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
- Serve on sandwiches, toast, buns, croissants, deli wraps, crackers or pitas.
Notes
- Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Use leftover or rotisserie chicken or try this method for Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breast when you need cooked chicken for any recipe.
Kelly says
Used chicken thighs prepared in instapot and subbed parsley for the chives otherwise made as written but the dressing didn’t quite give me the little tang I was looking for (perhaps it was the Mayo I used Chosen brand made with avocado oil) so I added a little poppy seed dressing by Primal, which was perfect!
Sherry Collins says
Absolutely the best Chicken Salad I have ever eaten... and ever so easy to make!
Thanks a million for posting this recipe.
Meryl Downing says
Thanks Sherry! Wow, so happy to hear that!
Joanne says
Can plain greek yogurt be used instead of mayonnaise?
Meryl Downing says
Hi Joanne, I have not tried that, but yes, I do believe that should work just fine.