Chicken Salad with Grapes Recipe

5 from 13 votes

Classic cold sandwich that's loaded with chopped chicken, grapes, apple, celery and nuts. Serve it on bread, croissants or with crackers!

Prep Time10

Chilling Time1

Total Time1 10

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 596kcal

Author: Julie Evink

Ingredients

4 cups chicken cooked and diced
1 cup seedless red grapes cut in half or quartered
1 cup red apple diced, optional
2 celery ribs about 1 cup, chopped
1 cup pecans, walnuts or almonds chopped or sliced
1 cup mayonnaise
1 lemon juiced about 2 tablespoons
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Serving

Bread
Croissants
Lettuce

Instructions

In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper; stir to combine. Set aside.
In a large bowl add chopped and cooked chicken, chopped grapes, apples celery and nuts. Stir to combine ingredients.
Pour dressing over the top of chicken mixture and stir until mixed. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour before serving.
Serve on bread or croissants with lettuce, or whatever you prefer
Store leftovers in airtight container in refrigerator

Notes

Nutrition calculated for filling only.
I love to use red grapes in this recipe because they are delicious and also add a pop of color! You can substitute green grapes, too, or do a mix of both.
A lot of different kinds of nuts will work so if you don’t love pecans feel free to substitute chopped walnuts or almonds. They’re really good, too.
I love sweet red apples, but if you want a little more tartness substitute Granny Smith apples!
Make sure your chicken is cold when you mix it with the dressing. If it’s warm or hot it will break down the mayonnaise and your dressing will end up runny instead of creamy.
Speaking of chicken, you can use all white meat or use a mix of white and dark meat. You could even use leftover roast turkey to make this salad, too!

HOW LONG IS HOMEMADE CHICKEN SALAD GOOD FOR?

It will keep for up to three to five days in the refrigerator. Just keep it in an airtight container.

When I make it, I usually make it a day in advance so it’s nice and cold when I’m ready to serve it. It also gives the flavors a chance to mix together. Also, making it ahead is perfect for easy lunches!

When you serve it, don’t leave it out at room temperature for more than two hours. If it’s very warm or hot you will want to shorten that time. Since it’s a mayo-based salad it’s best to keep it chilled.

If you are serving it in warm weather I always place the serving bowl inside a bigger bowl that is half full of ice to keep the mixture cold

IDEAS FOR SERVING IT!

Obviously, you can serve it as a sandwich – that’s my favorite way! I love it on whole-grain bread. Sometimes I toast the bread first.
I also love it on croissants like you would get a cafe. The combination of the buttery, flaky rolls, with the cold salad is so delicious.
Or, skip the bread and serve it on top of a bed of lettuce. I like a mix of lettuce like romaine, spinach, and shredded iceberg for lots of crunch! Add other veggies, like chopped tomatoes, sliced cucumber, and radishes to make it even more filling.

Nutrition