Chicken Salad Recipe With Apples

Ways To Serve Chicken Salad

One of my favorite things about chicken salad is how versatile it is. My kids devote most of their math ability to counting how often Ive made something recently so that they can gently let me know so helpful, right?

Fortunately, its easy to keep this simple chicken salad interesting by serving it in one of six ways:

• In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice and honey.
• In a large bowl, add the shredded chicken, nuts, apples, onion and celery.
• Add the mayonnaise mixture to the large bowl and combine the ingredients thoroughly, then add salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve the chicken salad over a bed of lettuce, as a lettuce wrap, with crackers, or as a sandwich, etc.

My Journey With Chicken Salad

My experience with chicken salad started out with the very sweet, pre-made chicken salads that were sold in small tubs in the grocery store. It was more like sweetened chicken spread because there were hardly any pieces of chicken large enough to identify as chicken. I do remember my least favorite part were the pieces of celery or pickle in it I didnt like the contrasting textures of the pulverized chicken and the occasional crunch of some vegetable-like food. Writing about it I now realize how unappealing it actually was and its surprising I didnt swear off chicken salad forever as an adult.

When I had something labeled as Chicken Salad Alexander for the first time twenty years ago, it was like the moment in The Wizard of Oz when the movie goes from sepia tone to technicolor. This was the chicken salad Id waited my whole life for! I could not eat enough of it and, because I didnt want to pay deli prices, I learned to make it at home.

Lemon Almond Chicken Salad was my next discovery and at this point the wheels started turning in my head. If chicken salad tasted good with grapes and lemon, what other fruit would work? Apples were an obvious choice and thats how apple chicken salad first appeared in my kitchen.

Creamy Chicken Apple Salad

This salad is a low-carb, power-food dynamo. Easy to prepare and packed full of good nutritionprotein from chicken, fiber from the apple, and healthy fat from the walnutsthis is a quick diabetes-friendly recipe that’s perfect for lunches and making ahead. Full of flavor and crunchyou wont believe how easy it is! If there’s extra chicken, whip up a Chicken Caesar Salad Lunch Wrap to go with it and you’ve got a balanced meal.

• medium Jonagold apple

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What Goes In Chicken Salad

Chicken salad is very versatile, a lot of times using what you have on hand. I always used to make mine with chicken, mayo, celery, and some seasonings. But I realized I had been missing out. Try it with the following ingredients, youll be glad you did!

• Chicken: Seasoned baked chicken breast or rotisserie chicken thats completely cooled and chopped.
• Dressing: Mayonnaise, plain Greek yogurt, and mustard.
• Seasonings: Onion powder, kosher salt, and pepper.
• Mix-ins: Dried cranberries, chopped pecans, and diced apple.
• Chicken Salad Sandwich: Simply put the mixture on a croissant or soft dinner rolls with some fresh baby spinach or lettuce, if serving as a sandwich.

How Do You Keep Apples From Turning Brown In Chicken Salad

The best way to prevent apples from turning brown is to add lemon juice to them. If you are storing this chicken salad for later, I suggest spritzing the apple slices with a little bit of lemon juice before adding them to your salad.

You wont be able to taste much of the lemon juice, and it keeps the apples looking nice and fresh.

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What Kind Of Cooked Chicken To Use

I cooked up some fresh chicken breasts just before making my chicken salad . But you can use any pre-cooked chicken like, poached chicken, baked chicken, or rotisserie chicken. If using rotisserie chicken, simply pull the meat from the bone, remove the skin, and give the meat a rough chop. Youll need about 3 cups of chopped chicken for this recipe. You can also use canned chicken breast, if needed, although that option will have the least desirable texture and flavor of the three options.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Great way to use up leftover chicken. This is the perfect recipe if you have chicken left over from dinner last night or extra rotisserie chicken you need to use up.
• Quick and easy recipe. The chicken salad comes together in just about 15 minutes! It’s the perfect lunch for busy days.
• Super versatile. You can eat this salad as is, throw it into a wrap or put it on a bed of lettuce.

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Chicken Salad With Apples

Chicken Salad with Apples is a refreshing twist on the classic. The bright clean flavor of Granny Smith apples stands out among tender shreds of chicken, and a creamy seasoned sauce.

There are things in life we need more of: kindness, generosity, and salads that don’t include lettuce. So I guess making a chicken salad and giving it away to a friend is the type of thing Nobel Peace Prizes are made of. Really, I can’t get enough of chicken salads, they are quick and easy to prepare, pack a ton of flavor and can be enjoyed a variety of different ways.

Can I Make This Recipe Ahead Of Time

The above being said, you can make this recipe a few hours ahead of time.

As I mentioned, this is one of my go-to casual dinners. One of the best things about making chicken salad sandwiches for dinner is that the prep work can be done ahead of time so you can rest in the evening. I make the chicken salad in the afternoon, so all I have to do is assemble the sandwiches at dinner time.

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How To Cook The Chicken

Youll need about 4 cups of chicken, chopped. This usually amounts to 2 chicken breasts or 4 chicken thighs. Im one of those strange people who likes white meat more than dark meat, so I always use chicken breasts. If you can find boneless and skinless ones at your store, these make everything much easier!

You can also use leftover chicken, especially if youve made a whole roast like this Crispy-Skinned Orange and Sage Roast Chicken. Just remember whatever seasoning/brine you used will be incorporated into your salad flavors too!

Seasoning the Chicken.

If youre cooking chicken fresh for this recipe, season as you wish but keep it fairly simple. Youll be adding in lots of flavor to the salad, so dont over season the chicken. You dont need to worry too much about flavor.

I used a bit of salt, some fresh ground black pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice. I also added a few poppy seeds because they pair so well with apples, mayo, lemon and summer dishes in general!

• Combine in a bowl and toss.

Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe With Apples

November 21, 2022 By Jessica

This healthy chicken salad recipe is one of the tastiest Ive ever made. Even my neighbor said it was the best chicken salad hes ever had!

Ive always been a fan of chicken salad especially on sandwiches! Yall know how much I heart my handhelds. Todays version is a little bit lighter, utilizing Greek Yogurt to add a tangy flavor, more protein, and lessen the calories. Other sandwich-salad combos you might enjoy include my Miso-Spiked Deviled Egg Salad, this Cobb Salad Grilled Chicken, and my California-Inspired Chickpea and Avocado Salad .

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How To Serve Apple Chicken Salad

Ive always eaten apple chicken salad as sandwiches. Its wonderful on all sorts of breads . But my absolute favorite baked goods to put any chicken salad on are croissants.

Seriously, these are incredible!

Another way Ive eaten apple chicken salad is in tortillas/wraps. Pita bread is another option.

Im sure this apple chicken salad would make a nice topping for a bed of leafy greens. I just love bread too much to go that route, myself.

Slice And Core The Apples And Chop The Onion And Chives

Once you finish chopping the chicken, it’s a wise idea to keep the cutting board and the knife out, as you still have a few more things to chop. Next, grab your apple. De-core it first, and then dice it into small chunks along with the celery stalks. If you prefer a red apple as opposed to a green one, that’s totally fine, as per Brookes.

Next, grab the red onion and chives. It’s always a good idea to save these for last, since they may cause a few tears to be shed. Chop them both, and then set them aside as you will need them in just a moment.

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Is Chicken Salad Healthy

Depending on the ingredients , chicken salad can definitely be healthyand a great choice for lunch or dinner. The biggest culprit of making it unhealthy is the mayonnaise and how much you use, since it is high in fats and calories.

How many calories in chicken salad? This particular recipe uses a combination of mayo and plain Greek yogurt and is 411 calories per serving.How many carbs in chicken salad? This recipe weighs in at only 9 carbs per serving.

Quick Tips For Best Results

• Use plain precooked chicken that is not covered in any kind of sauce or strong flavors or seasonings.
• Use a crisp crunchy apple that you like. I like Fuji apples, but any of your favorites will work.
• Serve the chicken salad within a few hours so that the nuts and apples dont get soft and mushy.
• If youre short on time, prep the ingredients ahead of time and then mix and serve later.

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Tips For Amazing Chicken Salad With Apples

This is a very easy recipe to make . Even so, here are some tips that take all the guesswork out of it for you.

• Use pre-cooked chicken to save time. Any kind of chicken can be used to make this recipe, but rotisserie chicken or baked chicken breasts are easy and very moist.
• Use both apples and celery. The combination of the celery and apples adds a delicious crunch, so make sure to use both ingredients.
• Sweet apples are best in chicken salad. Use your favorite apple variety to make this easy recipe. Some suggestions are Honeycrisp, Fuji, Gala, or Golden Delicious.
• Roast the pecans for the best flavor. The pecan roasting step is optional, but it only takes a few minutes, and the pecans become so much more flavorful after.
• Customize the recipe for your taste. This chicken salad with apples can be made according to your familys tastes. The measurements are simply guidelines and can be easily adapted. Ideas for additional add-ins are red or green onion, grapes, dried cranberries, or fresh dill.
• Use fresh lemon. The lemon zest and parsley brighten the taste of this salad and add a wonderful flavor. I love tasting a subtle hint of lemon in every bite.
• How to thin the dressing. If you like your chicken salad thinned out a bit, add a tablespoon of milk or plain yogurt. Stir well to make sure everything is combined.

How To Make Chicken Salad

Put together this easy chicken salad in just 10 minutes with only a few simple ingredients.

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What Apples To Use

Ive made apple chicken salad with whatever apples Ive had on hand Red Delicious, Granny Smith, and many varieties in between those two. Each apple brings its own distinct nuance to the chicken salad, but they are all quite good.

What I found to be most important is that the apple should be very flavorful its less about whether its tart, sweet, or in the middle. The apple flavor should be strong enough to be noticed in the salad, so taste your apples in advance to make sure they will work.

I was excited because I had a bag of an unfamiliar apple variety in my pantry that I planned to use for this recipe. The apples looked great, but when I cut a piece to sample, I found it to be bland. Because Ive never tried that kind of apple before, Im not blaming the variety itself because it could just be a blah bag I happened to get. Eh, it happens.

Luckily I have a few other bags to choose from and I decided to go with Fuji for this recipe.

How To Make This Waldorf Chicken Salad Recipe

Using a classic Waldorf salad as inspiration, this chicken salad recipe combines apples, celery, mayo, and walnuts, plus other ingredients like fresh scallion and tarragon, for something truly special and flavorful, balanced and crisp.

Chicken cooking and cooling time aside, chicken salad takes minutes to make and will keep for a few days in the fridge.

Serve atop toast or crisp salad greens, or enjoy straight from the bowl. Here are the main steps:

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Easy Chicken Salad Recipe With Apples

Heather Dessinger This post contains affiliate links. to read my affiliate policy.

Light and delicious, this easy chicken salad recipe is one of my favorite ways to keep lunch simple. Its sweet with a bit of tang, and the apples and nuts give it just the right amount of crunch. My kids gobble it up when served over a bed of lettuce or as a chicken salad sandwich made with this paleo bread.

Quick tip on reducing prep time: One of my tricks for avoiding burnout in the kitchen is to make double batches when possible. That usually means that I bake a couple of chickens together in the oven sometime early in the week so that I have one for dinner and one to use later for tortilla soup, homemade chicken soup, lettuce wraps or this chicken salad.

Why Is My Chicken Salad Watery

Ingredients like celery and apples have water in them. The longer you store them in the salad, the more water will seep out of them and into your salad.

To prevent your chicken salad from becoming too runny, I suggest making sure the apples and celery are thoroughly dry. I dry the produce after I wash it, but I also go back and squeeze the chopped produce gently in a paper towel right before adding it to the salad.

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Personal Preference Plays A Key Role

Chicken salad is one of those foods where personal preference plays into how its made. Some people like the ingredients to be large for a very chunky salad, whereas other people want a chicken salad made of finely diced ingredients. I like my apple chicken salad to have enough texture so that I taste all the major flavors in each bite, but not for the pieces to be so large that the salad falls out of my sandwich as Im eating it.

To allow for personal preference, I offer only basic guidelines for prepping the ingredients: cube, chop, dice, etc. You know what you like, so create the apple chicken salad that makes you happy!

What To Serve With Chicken Salad Apples And Walnuts

Serving it alone, you can pair chicken salad with more veggie-heavy salads like this Watercress and Mandarin Orange Salad You could also try a Chicken Salad Sandwich with a Three Bean Pasta Salad.

In the fall, use some extra apples to make these Chorizo and Cornbread Stuffed Apples on the side! And a Brown Butter Butternut Squash Soup always makes a perfect pairing for colder days.

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Chicken Salad With Apples And Walnuts

Refreshing, creamy chicken salad with apples and walnuts is perfect for all seasons! Delicious for picnics, sandwiches, or a flavorful lunch.

Chicken salad is something I always have to make myself. Ordering any sort of tuna, egg, or chicken salad from a restaurant makes me so uncomfortable. I meanhow can you tell whats in it?! It could be dog food for all you know!

But I also love a good chicken salad. Which means Ive had lots of practice creating various chicken salad combinations to satisfy my own cravings.

Chicken salad in general is very light and summery. But this one uses crisp apples and earthy walnuts. So you can even get away with eating it in fall!

• Cook two skinless, boneless chicken breasts.
• Once cooled, chop them into bite-sized cubes.
• Chop 1 apple, 2 celery sticks.
• Mince 3 tbsp fresh parsley and crush ¼ cup walnuts.
• Combine all together in a big bowl.
• Add in mayonnaise, mustard, juice of 1 lemon, salt, pepper, and dill.
• Serve alone, as a side, or on a sandwich!