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    Home » Recipes » Salads

    Chicken Salad with Apples

    Published: Dec 3, 2024 by Fox Valley Foodie · This post may contain affiliate links

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    Chicken Salad with Apples recipe

    Chicken Salad with Apples is a refreshing twist on the classic. The bright clean flavor of crunchy apples stands out among tender shreds of juicy chicken, and a creamy seasoned sauce in this easy recipe.

    A classic chicken salad is not a traditional salad built on a bed of lettuce, but rather a mayo-based creamy salad that combines shredded chicken, vegetables, sweet apples, and walnuts. This is often enjoyed on its own, or as a sandwich for a tasty lunch.

    Chicken Salad with Apples.

    Ingredients and Substitutions

    • Chicken breast - The easiest way to make homemade chicken salad is to use pre-cooked chicken, like rotisserie chicken. It is already cooked and exceptionally tender, so there isn't much you need to do other than shred it. You can even buy it in advance and cool it in the refrigerator a day or two prior to making the salad. Otherwise, you can always use fresh chicken breasts and cook them yourself.
    • Celery 
    • Yellow onion - A sweet onion is a great substitute, otherwise, you can use a white onion too for a nice clean crunch. Red onion can overwhelm the other ingredients with its strong flavor.
    • Walnuts - Crunch pecans are a great substitute for walnuts.
    • Green Apple - Granny Smith is the best choice, but you can substitute another green apple from the grocery store if needed. You can even make a delicious chicken salad with grapes.
    • Fresh Parsley - Green onions are also a great choice, or other fresh herbs can be substituted.
    • Mayo - You can substitute plain Greek yogurt for a healthier twist, or stir in a dollop of sour cream for a little extra tanginess.
    • Lemon juice - Lemon zest or apple cider vinegar can be substituted.
    • Dijon Mustard
    • Table salt
    • Ground black pepper

    How to make it

    To make this chicken salad recipe with apples, I mix all of the dressing ingredients first in a large mixing bowl, without the chicken, or other chunky vegetables and nuts. The reason for doing this is not only to allow the creamy dressing to mix more evenly but also as the chicken is mixed it tends to break apart into increasingly smaller shreds.

    Once the dressing is combined, add the remaining ingredients.

    The smaller the shreds, the less creamy the chicken salad will be because there will be more surface area of the chicken mixture that needs to be covered. If you find your chicken salad with apples needs to be creamier for any reason, there is no harm in adding more mayo.

    Apple chicken salad in a white bowl.

    How to serve it

    Chicken salad can be served in a small bowl and eaten with a fork, with lettuce wraps, or as a hearty sandwich with your favorite bread, which is one of my favorite ways to enjoy it.

    I always recommend toasting your bread when serving a chicken salad sandwich, it adds better texture and helps stand up to the creaminess of the salad. Croissants and ciabatta bread make the best chicken salad sandwiches.

    Serving chicken salad with apples and bread.

    Storing Leftovers

    Leftover chicken salad should be stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator to keep odors from affecting the flavor. Leftovers should be eaten within five days for the best flavor and texture.

    Apple chicken salad is great to make a day or two in advance because the flavors will meld together as it rests in your refrigerator. However, do not expect this dish to freeze well.

    Chicken Salad with Apples recipe

    Chicken Salad with Apples

    Chicken Salad with Apples has a burst of flavor from Granny Smith apples among tender shreds of chicken and a creamy seasoned sauce.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 470kcal
    Author: Fox Valley Foodie

    Equipment

    • Large Bowl

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups shredded chicken breast (can use 1 rotisserie chicken), cooked & cooled
    • 1 rib celery (chopped)
    • ½ medium yellow onion (chopped)
    • ½ cup chopped walnuts
    • ½ medium green apple chopped
    • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
    • ½ cup mayo
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • fresh ground black pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Mix the mayo, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl until combined.
    • Add shredded chicken, chopped celery, onion, walnuts, apple, and parsley to the bowl and mix well to incorporate.
    • Chicken salad can be served immediately or set in the fridge overnight to allow flavors to meld. Serve in bowls or on bread to enjoy as a sandwich.

    Nutritional Information

    Calories: 470kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 425mg | Potassium: 351mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 106IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it Today!Mention @FoxValleyFoodie or tag #foxvalleyfoodie!

    This recipe was originally published on FoxValleyFoodie.com on May 3, 2018.

    More Chicken Salad Recipes

    • Healthy Chicken Salad
      Chicken Salad without Mayo
    • Avocado Chipotle Chicken Salad.
      Chipotle Chicken Salad with Avocado
    • Avocado Chicken Salad
      Avocado Chicken Salad
    • BBQ Chicken Salad
      Rich and Creamy BBQ Chicken Salad

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. paula

      January 15, 2024 at 10:29 pm

      insanely good! 🤤

      Reply
    2. Roberta

      December 24, 2022 at 11:06 am

      5 stars
      Good Morning, this recipe is the closest to the one I have used for years. Only difference, I sub Celery salt for plain as I find it adds an additional depth, start small and add to taste. Second, no mustard. Love the lemon.I will be using up left over turkey!raf
      Happy Hollydaze! Healthy New Year!!

      Reply
    3. Dan M.

      November 20, 2021 at 3:01 pm

      5 stars
      I have made this a few times and follow the recipe as is with the exception of I use the type of apple I have on hand. Today I had a Red Delicious! I use the whole apple because I really like the flavor of the apples. Also today I substituted pecans for the walnuts because that's what I had. This is a five star recipe to me!

      Reply
    4. Ken P

      November 22, 2020 at 5:33 pm

      5 stars
      The best chicken salad I have made or had elsewhere. Super simple with common items stocked in the kitchen.

      Reply
    5. Maria

      April 19, 2020 at 12:26 pm

      I'm going to try this recipe. I use to work at the Black Angus and back in the 80's and 90's. This is the closest recipe I have found. Thank you

      Reply
    6. Maggi

      June 14, 2018 at 1:27 pm

      5 stars
      This is now my go-to chicken salad recipe!

      Reply
    7. Stacy

      May 05, 2018 at 6:56 pm

      I made this today-yum! Love your blog and recipes.

      Reply
    5 from 5 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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