Looking for a hearty and chilled salad option that would be perfect for Summer? This Chicken Salad Recipe, made with Grapes and Pecans, is an all-time favorite in my household and a popular option for many celebrating the Fourth of July!
Serve this classic chicken salad as a well-balanced meal in party sandwiches, with crackers, in fresh bread rolls, bagels, or croissants.
Chicken Salad Recipe With Grapes And Pecans
For a low-carb option, serve a helping of this salad on a bed of lettuce leaves for delicious lettuce wraps.
The chunky pieces of chicken breast with sweet and juicy grapes, crunchy salad ingredients, and chopped pecans mixed in with a creamy mayonnaise dressing will keep you coming back for more, and who would blame you?
Why We Love This
- Delicious chicken salad. It’s a super simple and affordable dish that’s well known around the globe and can be enjoyed as a delicious cold main meal - great for summertime!
- There’s no cooking involved in this recipe. In fact, all you need is 15 minutes to prepare and assemble this salad.
- Next time try my other favorite summer salads: Creamy Tuna Pasta Salad and Caesar Salad With Dressing.
Ingredients
- Chicken - You can use cooked and shredded or chopped chicken that was leftover from other meals or made in advance for this salad. Otherwise, consider the convenience of using a rotisserie chicken.
- Red seedless grapes - Sweet red grapes work the best thanks to their sweet juicy flavor. Or you can use a combination of both red and green grapes. They do add so much flavor!
- Pecans - it is the most widely used nut for this salad but you can also use walnuts, cashews, or even almonds. Leave the chopped pecans as is or toast them first for a deeper, richer flavor. Honestly, an excellent tasty chicken salad is not the same without nuts!
- Mayo mustard dressing - I’ve opted to make my own ultra-creamy salad dressing using simple ingredients such as vegan mayonnaise (which is much healthier than regular mayo), yogurt, mustard, apple cider vinegar, and salt and pepper. You can definitely use a store-bought dressing if you would prefer but it may be a good idea to buy more than what’s called for in the recipe in case you store the salad and need additional sauce later on or want to double the recipe quantities.
- Fresh herbs - I used parsley as my preferred choice. Other great choices to use here are chives, fresh dill, or green onions.
- Vinegar - you only need a little to balance the flavors. A good alternative is a lemon or lime juice (freshly squeezed preferred).
How To Make Chicken Grape salad
Prep dressing. Mix all the ingredients for dressing in a large bowl.
In the same bowl add salad ingredients and mix well.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour for flavors to blend.
Serve as it is as a side dish or as chicken salad sandwiches with toast, bagels, croissants, brioche buns, crackers, or lettuce.
Best served chilled!
This recipe makes a large bowl of chicken salad enough to serve 6 people as a smaller side dish portion.
Tips
- Let the chicken grape salad chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour so the flavors mix well.
- If the salad seems dry after storing, just stir in a little extra mayo, sour cream, or yogurt.
- Using rotisserie chicken saves time, but if you cook your own, make sure it’s fully cooled before adding it to the salad.
How to cut grapes for chicken salad?
To cut grapes for chicken salad, wash them thoroughly, then slice them in half or quarters, depending on their size.
This makes them easier to eat and distributes their flavor throughout the salad.
Storing Leftovers
Eat this creamy chicken salad within 1-2 days for best taste. Since it has chicken and dairy, don’t leave it out for more than 1 hour.
Keep it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Don’t freeze it.
You can cook the chicken 1-2 days ahead and store it in the fridge. Use baked, boiled, or slow cooker chicken. Shred it with a hand mixer or cut it into small pieces.
You can also make the dressing 1-2 days ahead and keep it chilled.
Easy Salad Recipes
For more recipes please take a look at my ALL SALAD index.
📖Recipe
Chicken Salad Recipe With Grapes And Pecans
Video
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded or rotisserie chicken (about 3 ½ cups)
- 3 stalks fresh stalks of celery, sliced medium thin
- ⅔ cups red grapes or a combination of green and red, cut in half
- ½ cup pecans, chopped (sub with walnuts, cashew, almond)
- ½ of a medium red onion, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)
- croissants, burger buns, rolls for serving
- lettuce for serving, medium size romaine lettuce or Trocadero Lettuce leaves
- green onions for serving, optional
Dressing
- ⅔ cup of mayonnaise, I used vegan mayonnaise because it is healthier
- 2 tablespoon regular plain yogurt or Greek yogurt, can sub with thicker sour cream or vegan yogurt options too
- 1 teaspoon English mustard or dijon mustard
- salt
- black pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Prep dressing. Mix all the ingredients for dressing in a large bowl.
- In the same bowl add salad ingredients and mix well.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour for flavors to blend.
- Serve as it is as a side dish or as chicken salad sandwiches with toast, bagels, croissants, brioche buns, crackers, or lettuce.
Nutrition
Chicken Salad: FAQ
Yes, this chicken grape salad is a healthy choice. It has lean chicken, fresh veggies for fiber and vitamins, and pecans for healthy fats.
I used vegan mayo for a lighter dressing. Try it in a lettuce wrap for a low-carb option!
The salad itself is completely gluten-free.
You will then want to ensure that any bread rolls, croissants, or crackers that you serve with the salad are gluten-free (either store-bought or homemade).
Chicken salad originated from early 1800s French recipes. It became popular in Southern American cookbooks around 1947, especially as a favorite food for Fourth of July celebrations.
Yes, grapes are okay to use in chicken salad. They add sweetness and a refreshing taste to the salad.
People put grapes in chicken salad to add sweetness, juiciness, and a pleasant contrast of flavors and textures to the dish.
Rita
Chicken Salad Recipe with Grapes and Pecans is an easy and fresh summer salad!