This delicious chicken salad with grapes and pecans is quick, delicious, and satisfying… A simple 6-ingredient recipe that makes the BEST chicken salad sandwich!
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Chicken Salad With Grapes and Pecans
Growing up, chicken salad wasn’t really on my radar. I mean, we had plenty of other mayo-based salads, like tuna salad and egg salad, but never a chicken with mayo-style salad.
I was much older when I tried it for the first time at little restaurant near my dad’s Lake Erie cottage.
This restaurant was well known for two things: the most amazing thick, hand cut French fries (seriously SO good!) and the very BEST chicken salad recipe. I totally fell in love with it!
No joke — after trying it just once, I ordered their chicken grape salad croissant (with the fries, of course) nearly every time we visited. Oh, and they had the most drool-worthy homemade pies, too!
Yeah, I may have gained a few pounds that summer, LOL…
Best Recipe Chicken Salad
Anyhow, my chicken salad with grapes recipe is very similar to theirs. It’s packed with all of my favorite ingredients: lots of juicy grapes for a touch of sweetness, a bit of crunchy celery, and plenty of roasted pecans.
The sweet red seedless grapes are balanced out by a simple 2-ingredient creamy dressing which is seasoned with just salt and pepper. This is a classic chicken salad that’s sure to be a new favorite!
PRO TIP: Roasting nuts is one of my favorite ways to add extra flavor to any recipe. Making your own roasted chopped pecans using whole pecans is the best way to dress up any classic recipe.
Plus you’ll also save some money by making them yourself! Learn how to toast nuts in your oven, or you can also toast pecans in your microwave.
Healthy Chicken Salad Hack
This creamy chicken salad has ALL of the summery flavor that I crave, while staying more on the healthy end of the spectrum. All thanks to an easy little hack…
I’m really not a huge fan of mayonnaise, so I use a half-and-half mixture of mayo and plain Greek yogurt in the salad dressing. This simple hack lightens up the dressing a bit, while adding a slight tang. Not to mention it’s a great way to add a little extra protein!
I highly encourage you to try it — I promise, you won’t even miss the full-on mayo.
Easy Canned Chicken Salad Recipe
Whether we’re talking cookouts, pool parties, or baby showers, this chicken grape salad is a great recipe for feeding a hungry crowd all summer long! Especially when you use my simple recipe that makes 12 servings in almost no time at all.
My secret? Member’s Mark canned chicken breast from Sam’s Club! Making this chicken salad with canned chicken cuts down on the meal prep time a ton.
AND your salad will still be just as delicious as if you spent the time cooking your own chicken. High quality canned chicken breasts are hard to come by, and this one has great flavor and texture at a budget-friendly price.
You could also make this recipe with a rotisserie chicken (as well as poached or baked chicken breasts), if you’re willing to spend a few minutes shredding it.
Not sure how to best remove the chicken from the bones and/or shred it? I actually have a post with some useful tips on how to shred a rotisserie chicken that you can check out!
Hint #1: shred it while it’s still warm…
Best Chicken Salad Sandwich Recipe
This easy chicken salad recipe with grapes makes a BIG batch, which is perfect for our larger family (or when you’re hosting guests). But even if you’re not feeding an army, this recipe only gets better as it chills.
It’s just as tasty the next day, as it is when it’s fresh. And it’s super versatile, so it definitely won’t go to waste!
For example, this chicken grape salad makes for a delicious meal when served as chicken salad sandwiches on croissants. My kids love (like really LOVE) the big, fluffy croissants from Sam’s Club, so I grabbed a big tray of them.
At under $6 for 12 giant rolls, they’re an excellent value. And they’re SO good piled high with this simple chicken salad recipe. I should have probably snagged two trays, because they don’t last long around here…
Another super easy meal idea for quick lunches is to serve it on a bed of lettuce. Or you could even fill some larger lettuce leaves to make lettuce wraps.
I also love it on this rye swirl sandwich bread that I find occasionally — lightly toasted for a bit of extra texture. And I’m totally not above eating it straight out of the container, either…
What to serve with chicken salad?
This recipe is very filling, so we typically keep our sides easy and minimal. We just purchase a large bunch of grapes and serve what we don’t use in the salad alongside of our sandwich.
Another simple option is pretzel chips. They’re always a great addition to sandwiches, and you can grab a huge bag of them for a steal at Sam’s Club. I’m ALL about no-cook summer meals made simple, and this is about as easy as it gets!
Need something a little more hearty to round out your meal? A pasta salad is always a good choice! Try this delicious lemony orzo salad or this old fashioned macaroni salad.
Chicken Salad With Grapes And Pecans
Yield: 12 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
This chicken salad with grapes and pecans is quick, delicious, and satisfying... A simple 6-ingredient recipe that makes the BEST chicken salad sandwich!
Ingredients
- 3 (15-oz.) cans Member's Mark cannedchicken breast, drained
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup roasted pecans, chopped
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2cups diced seedless red grapes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, shred the drained canned chicken with two forks.
- Add the celery, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, roasted pecans (see: How To Toast Nuts), salt, and pepper, and mix well to combine. Gently fold in the diced grapes.
- Serve on croissants, toasted bread, crackers, or lettuce, as desired.
Notes
Storage: Leftover chicken salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. Freezing is not recommended.
Additional ingredient suggestions: change this recipe up by substituting or adding green grapes, chopped apple, red onions, green onions, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, walnuts, or even some fresh herbs.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 servingsServing Size: 1/2 cup
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 279Total Fat: 19.4gSaturated Fat: 2.4gCholesterol: 55.1mgSodium: 489.2mgCarbohydrates: 7.0gFiber: 1.3gSugar: 6.5gProtein: 18.1g
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Don’t see your question listed here? Leave a comment below and I will respond ASAP!
How long can chicken salad sit out?
Chicken salad can sit out for about 2 hours at room temperature below 90°F. On a hot summer day, the time is reduced to just one hour.
How long is chicken salad good for in the fridge?
Chicken salad that is properly stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator will last for 3 to 5 days.
Can you freeze chicken salad?
Freezing mayo-based dressings causes the emulsion to break down and to separate upon thawing, so I would not recommend freezing this chicken salad recipe.
More Canned Chicken Recipes To Try
If you like this chicken salad recipe, you might also enjoy these other delicious canned chicken recipes:
- Packed with loads of mixed veggies and diced canned chicken breast, these 4-ingredient mini chicken pot pies are a quick and easy weeknight meal… I love baking them in individual ramekins for easy serving!
- This easy buffalo chicken dip recipe will be the star of your next tailgate… It uses just six ingredients, and you can make it in the oven or the crockpot!
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