This Chicken Salad Sandwich is the last recipe you will ever need for any get together or simple lunch! It is full of tender chicken, crunchy celery, toasted pecans and sweet grapes. The poppyseed dressing is super easy to whip together and toss over the chicken salad.
Over the years, I’ve had plenty of chicken salad sandwiches. They always have been served in a croissant of some sort and have always been pretty very bland. It seems like a required menu item at every baby shower or bridal shower!
Easy Lunch Idea
I finally discovered they don’t have to be bland at all and the secret is in the sauce! That, and you must include some toasted pecans.
Using a rotisserie chicken for this recipe makes it super quick to put together. Just make sure the chicken is completely cooled before pulling it apart.
Another tip that makes this salad all that much better is using the center stalks of celery. I’m not talking about the bitter yellow ones, but the light green that have some leaves at the top. They are super tender and not as “stringy” as the outer stalks.
Let me tell you that this recipe is such a hit! It’s always gone in minutes and doesn’t have to be served in a croissant. It is just better that way! Another way to serve it is over a bed of mixed greens and top it with a few chopped green onions.
This chicken salad is completely irresistible and can be made to feed a few or feed a crowd! Serve it along side this Tomato Cucumber Salad and your meal will be complete.
How To Make Chicken Salad
- Combine shredded chicken, sliced grapes and chopped celery in a large bowl and set aside.
- Combine pecan pieces and sugar in a dry medium skillet over medium high heat.
- Cook for about 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly. This will help toast and sugar coat the pecans.
- Place the pecans onto a paper towel or plate and cool for about 5 minutes.
- Stir the pecans into the chicken mixture.
- In a separate medium bowl mix together dressing ingredients. See the recipe below.
- Toss dressing mixture with chicken mixture until well combined. Taste for seasoning.
- Chill chicken salad for 1 hour before serving. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- I really like to use a rotisserie chicken with this recipe. It’s super tasty and very easy to use!
- I also like to use the center stalks for this recipe. They are more tender and not as “stringy” as the outside stalks. I include chopping up the leaves and all. They add some pretty great flavor!
More sandwich and salad recipes you love just as much!
- BBQ Chicken Sliders
- French Dip Sandwiches
- Tomato Mozzarella Salad
- Citrus Pistachio Salad
- Classic Potato Salad
- Sweet Potato Arugula Quinoa Salad by Oh So Deliciouso
Best Chicken Salad Recipe
Chicken Salad
Ingredients
FOR SALAD
- 3 Cups Cooked and Shredded Chicken
- 2 Cups Red Grapes Halved
- 1 Cup Celery Diced About 3 Stalks
- 3/4 Cup Chopped Pecan Pieces About 2 oz.
FOR DRESSING
- 1 1/2 Cups Mayonnaise or Greek Yogurt
- 1 TBSP Honey
- 1 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 TBSP Lemon Juice Freshly Squeezed
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt or Pink Himalayan Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper Freshly Cracked
- 2 tsp Poppy Seeds
Instructions
- Combine chicken, grapes and celery in a large bowl and set aside.
- To a dry medium skillet, toast pecans over medium high heat.
- Cook for about 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
- Place pecans onto a paper towel or plate and cool for 5 minutes.
- Add pecans to the chicken mixture.
- In a separate medium bowl mix together dressing ingredients until well combined.
- Toss dressing mixture with chicken mixture to coat well.
- Chill chicken salad 1 hour before serving. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Serve between a sliced croissants.
- * I really like to use a rotisserie chicken with this recipe. It’s super tasty and very easy to use!
- * I like to use the center celery stalks for this recipe. They are more tender and not as “stringy” as the outside stalks. I include chopping up the leaves and all. They add great flavor and color!
