I just made a huge batch of my favorite chicken salad, and as much as I want to make sandwiches out of this Awesome Chicken Salad with Grapes and Walnuts for the rest of the week, I’m not sure it’s going to last as I keep visiting the refrigerator for spoonfuls of it.
It has the PERFECT sweet/salty flavor, with a wonderful crunchy texture and might just be the most perfect chicken salad in the world.
This chicken salad recipe was inspired by a sandwich at Galaxy Cafe in Austin, and includes grapes, celery, and walnuts. It’s simple, and easy to make in bulk on the weekend so you can have sandwiches or lettuce wraps (or spoonfuls) all week. It’s the perfect weekend meal prep recipe.
Sometimes, I substitute sour cream for mayo, like in homemade ranch dressing. For this chicken salad, you can use mayo, sour cream, or a mixture of both.
You will need about 1 pound of cooked chicken. I sometimes grill mine on my cast iron grill by brushing with olive oil and adding salt and pepper to each side. This time, I just used leftover rotisserie chicken from the store.
You can use leftover roast chicken, or whatever cooked chicken meat you have.
Here’s a tip: shred the chicken. Don’t chop, shred. I used two forks to do this.
When you shred it, there is more surface for the sauce to stick to, and it will stay in your sandwich better without falling out the sides as much. Physics, people.
Add to the bowl 2/3 cup of mayo or sour cream, or 1/3 cup of each. Season with salt and pepper to taste, add some fresh parsley, and mix.
Add the shredded chicken to the bowl and mix well.
Quarter some red grapes and slice some celery very thinly. Add them to a large bowl, along with some chopped walnuts and red onions.
Go ahead, try a spoonful. Or 7.
This recipe makes a bulk batch of chicken salad with grapes and walnuts, which is enough for 6-8 sandwiches. Elizabeth-sized sandwiches. I don’t mess around.
If you want less, adjust the ingredients accordingly :-)
Recipe below. Enjoy!
Chicken Salad with Grapes and Walnuts
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken shredded (such as rotisserie)
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion finely diced
- 1/2 cup red grapes quartered or halved, depending on size
- 1/2 cup celery diced
- 1/4 cup walnuts chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more if needed
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper plus more if needed
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the mayonnaise (2/3 cup), salt (1/2 teaspoon), black pepper (1/2 teaspoon), and fresh chopped parsley (2 tablespoons).
- Add the shredded chicken (2 cups), halved or quartered grapes (1/2 cup), diced celery (1/2 cup), chopped walnuts (1/4 cup), and diced red onion (1/4 cup). Stir well to combine.
- Serve on sandwiches with toasted bread, on lettuce wraps, or on top of a green salad.
Notes
- Not a fan of walnuts? You can use slivered or sliced almonds, or chopped pecans, instead. For a nut-free version, use sunflower seeds in place of the walnuts, so you still have that awesome crunch.
- For a mayo-free version, try sour cream or Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise.
- Mix it up! Fruits are great in chicken salad- try using dried apricots, chopped apples, or even strawberries in place of the grapes.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
This was SO easy and delicious! I’ve made it many times now sometimes substituting craisins for the grapes. This is the only chicken salad recipe I now use! Thanks for the great recipe!
SO happy you liked it! Craisins work really well in this recipe. Actually, I have another very similar recipe made with craisins and turkey instead of chicken- more of a Thanksgiving feel to it :-) (here’s the recipe: https://www.bowlofdelicious.com/turkey-salad-with-cranberries-and-walnuts/)
I’ve been making this with fresh tarragon and a combination of real mayonnaise and greek yogurt for more than 20 years. So fresh and flavorful! Thanks for bring this fantastic chicken salad back!
Oh wow, I LOVE the idea of using fresh tarragon and part Greek yogurt! I’ll have to try that next time. Thanks for the tip!
I made it with yoghurt for a friend who doesn’t eat mayo. There was some left and I add mayo — 500% better!’
Do you use miracle whip or real mayonnaise?
I use real mayo!
Thank you for the delicious recipe! I made it tonight and my husband who dislikes chicken salad loved it!! I added some chunks of Granny Smith Apple because I’d tasted some years ago very similar to yours that had them in it. This is now my go to recipe! ?
This is my go to recipe also! Apple is a must; pear is also good addition.
So glad you liked it!
Best chicken salad yet. I combined regular and lite mayo and lite sour cream. My husband was eating it before I could get in frig to chill. Thanks for great recipe!
So happy you and your husband liked it! Thanks for the comment :-)