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Chicken Lunch 30 Minutes or Less
4.6 from 46 votes

The Best Chicken Salad

Jump to RecipeVideoPrintRate
By: Joanna Cismaru •3/19/23 39 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This Chicken Salad will turn your lunch from boring to spectacular! It’s packed with flavor and are really quick and easy to make. In 10 minutes you can be enjoying this chicken salad in sandwiches, tortilla wraps or even lettuce wraps!

a chicken sandwich cut in half and stacked with grapes and cucumbers
Table of Contents Open
  • What Makes This Salad Such A Knockout?
  • Ingredients
  • How To Make Chicken Salad
  • How To Serve This
  • How Do You Make Chicken Salad Healthier
  • How Do I Turn This Into A Meal?
  • Leftovers
  • Craving More Chicken? Try These Delicious Recipes:
  • The Best Chicken Salad
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Video
    • Notes
    • Nutrition Information
  • Did You Make This?

Let’s talk chicken salads, shall we? Doesn’t it make for the best lunches? This particular salad however is to die for, not that I’m biased or anything.

It’s crunchy because it has chopped walnuts and then there’s a sweet little hit from the grapes. I think adding these two ingredients to a traditional chicken salad totally turns this filling into a star. It’s perfect for when you’re in a rush and need to pack a lunch or you can always have it for dinner when you don’t feel like cooking.

What Makes This Salad Such A Knockout?

Now you might be a little skeptical about combining sweet grapes with savory chicken and mayonnaise, but believe me it is a marriage made in heaven. I used nice crunchy chopped walnuts and tons of dry dill to make this filling scrumptious and to add lots of texture and dimension to this dish. I can’t wait for you all to try this stellar sandwich, it’ll be your new favorite!

a bowl filled with chicken salad with grapes

Ingredients

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

  • Chicken – Cooked chicken that has been diced. It’s a good way to use up some left over chicken.
  • Veggies – We’re just dicing up some celery and slicing up 1 small onion to go in the filling.
  • Nuts – You can either chop up walnuts or pecans for this sandwich filling.
  • Grapes – Red seedless grapes either halved or quartered.
  • Spices – I used ground mustard today for a flavor punch, if you don’t have any on hand feel free to substitute regular mustard.
  • Herbs – Dry dill is all we’re using today, if you have fresh on hand just keep in mind that 1 teaspoon dried equals 1 tablespoon fresh.
  • Condiments – We want mayo and Worcestershire sauce today.
  • Seasoning – Salt and pepper.

How To Make Chicken Salad

  1. Combine everything together: In a medium sized bowl combine all ingredients together.
  2. Chill: Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

How To Serve This

This recipe is versatile! You can spoon this filling between any kind of bread you’d like, a favorite of mine is combining this with croissants. If you’re trying to cut down on carbs these also make perfect lettuce wraps!

How Do You Make Chicken Salad Healthier

Chicken salads are great because they can be made as healthy as you want. Skip the mayo and add a good plain Greek yogurt instead. You’ll still get the tanginess but less calories. Load it up with more veggies like sliced radish, shredded carrot, spinach, shredded red cabbage, apples, bell pepper, the sky is the limit!

chicken sandwich cut in half and stacked on a plate with grapes and cucumbers

How Do I Turn This Into A Meal?

Best way is to serve this salad on sandwiches and you’ve got yourself the most satisfying meal, but if you are looking to whip up a whole spread, here’s some perfect accompaniments to go along with it!

  • Creamy Cucumber Salad
  • Mediterranean Orzo Salad
  • Mexican Street Corn Slaw
  • Zucchini Patties
  • Greek Salad
  • Italian Roasted Mushrooms And Veggies

Leftovers

Refrigerate your chicken salad in an airtight container and it should last for 3 – 5 days. You can freeze chicken salad too! It will only stay fresh for up to a week and must be stored in small batches in airtight containers.

Craving More Chicken? Try These Delicious Recipes:

  • Loaded Chicken Salad Sandwiches with Guacamole
  • Avocado Chicken Croissants
  • Easy Chicken Salad Sandwiches
  • Garlic and Paprika Chicken
  • Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad
  • Korean BBQ Chicken
  • Chopped Mexican Chicken Salad
  • Cilantro Lime Chicken
  • Firecracker Chicken Meatballs

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

side view shot of two halves of a chicken salad sandwich stacked on a plate exposing the centers
Print
4.64 from 46 votes

The Best Chicken Salad

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 0 minutes
Total 10 minutes
Rate Recipe
This Chicken Salad will turn your lunch from boring to spectacular! It's packed with flavor and are really quick and easy to make. In 10 minutes you can be enjoying this chicken salad in sandwiches, tortilla wraps or even lettuce wraps!
6

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups cooked chicken (diced)
  • 1/2 cup celery (finely chopped)
  • 1 small onion (finely chopped)
  • 1 cup red seedless grapes (halved or quartered)
  • 1 cup walnuts (or pecans, chopped)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
  • 1 teaspoon dill (dry)
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise

Optional Toppings

  • cucumber (sliced)
  • lettuce
  • tomatoes

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions 

  • In a large bowl, add all the ingredients together and toss well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
  • Serve in sandwiches or wraps.

Video

Notes

If you want to cut back on calories, use greek yogurt in place of mayo.
Refrigerate your chicken salad in an airtight container and it should last for 3 – 5 days. You can freeze chicken salad too! It will only stay fresh for up to a week and must be stored in small batches in airtight containers.
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Recipe originally shared July 2012.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1sandwichCalories: 441kcal (22%)Carbohydrates: 9g (3%)Protein: 18g (36%)Fat: 38g (58%)Saturated Fat: 6g (38%)Cholesterol: 56mg (19%)Sodium: 433mg (19%)Potassium: 315mg (9%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 6g (7%)Vitamin A: 95IU (2%)Vitamin C: 2.1mg (3%)Calcium: 37mg (4%)Iron: 1.5mg (8%)
© Author Joanna Cismaru

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.

side view shot of two halves of a chicken salad sandwich stacked on a plate exposing the centers

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Joanna Cismaru

Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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39 Comments
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Diane Owen
Diane Owen
Posted: 9 months ago

5 stars
This is the best chicken salad ever. So full of flavor. So delicious! So wonderful!
It’s my go to recipe for chicken salad.
Yum, yum 😋

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Diane Owen
Posted: 9 months ago

So glad you like it!

0
Reply
Erin Pittman
Erin Pittman
Posted: 1 year ago

5 stars
This is my favorite recipe to use if I’ve got leftover chicken. Every time I make it and someone new tries it, they ask for the recipe. It really is the BEST chicken salad. I don’t change a thing.

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Erin Pittman
Posted: 1 year ago

I’m so glad you like it!

0
Reply
LJ
LJ
Posted: 1 year ago

5 stars
This is absolutely incredible, so delicious with an amazing mix of flavours and so right that leaving it overnight in the fridge helps the flavours meld really nicely. I didn’t have any mustard powder so just did the same amount of dijon mustard. Definitely a new favourite.

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  LJ
Posted: 1 year ago

So glad you enjoyed it!

0
Reply
Armie
Armie
Posted: 2 years ago

5 stars
This is so delicious!!!!! It really is THE BEST chicken salad. Quick and easy to make and with just a few pantry ingredients, this chicken salad recipe can be a “my grandma’s secret” recipe. LOL

0
Reply
Jo Cooks Team
Jo Cooks Team
Reply to  Armie
Posted: 2 years ago

Perfect!! So glad you liked it 🙂

0
Reply
Virginia Bauer
Virginia Bauer
Posted: 3 years ago

made it and put into sandwiches for my daughter’s bridal shower/kitchen tea. Got lots of comments on how great the sandwiches are! And yes I thought they were yummy too

0
Reply
judy
judy
Posted: 3 years ago

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this chicken salad (without onions). I make a VERY similar version with 1/2 c. mayo, 1/2 c. Miracle Whip and 1/2 c. sour cream. While it is delicious the first day, it is even better after the flavors meld for 24 hours. I can’t keep this at home, because my fiancee’ devours it. He works in the heat, so when it is hot outside, he won’t eat a hot dish. This salad??? Gone in 60 seconds!

0
Reply
Nikki Richardson
Nikki Richardson
Posted: 3 years ago

What can I use in substitute for Celery? I dont have any on hand and live 30 minutes from grocery store! Excited to try it tonight!!!

1
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Nikki Richardson
Posted: 3 years ago

The celery is there to provide a bit of crunch to the salad, so you could totally just skip it or if you did want a bit of crunch you could always use finely chopped cabbage.

0
Reply
Cindy
Cindy
Posted: 3 years ago

5 stars
Totally delicious! Thanks so much for the awesome recipe Jo.

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Cindy
Posted: 3 years ago

My pleasure, glad you liked it!

0
Reply
Laiken
Laiken
Posted: 3 years ago

5 stars
It’s amazing and so easy! I look forward to eating it every time I bring it for lunch!

0
Reply
Sunflower
Sunflower
Posted: 3 years ago

5 stars
This recipe is ah-mazing! Absolutely delicious! I’m making it again tonight for lunches tomorrow – if the fam doesn’t eat it all in the process!

0
Reply
Kina
Kina
Posted: 4 years ago

5 stars
This was delicious!! Best chicken salad I’ve ever had. We used an avocado oil-based mayo because we’re dairy and soy-free and the salad was spectacular. I loved the sweetness of the grapes combined with the tartness of the onion, mustard, and Worcestershire. I may do less onion next time but this recipe will be a repeat in our house!

0
Reply
Margaret Greenwood
Margaret Greenwood
Posted: 4 years ago

5 stars
INCREDIBLE! Best chicken salad I’ve ever had. Thank you.😀

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Margaret Greenwood
Posted: 4 years ago

I’m so glad you like it, we make this often for lunch, it’s one of our favorites as well.

0
Reply
Kelly
Kelly
Posted: 5 years ago

5 stars
This truly was a knockout! I didn’t have grapes, so subbed in 1/2 cup chopped canned pineapple and 1 Tbsp craisins. All else followed exactly, flavors were perfectly balanced, nothing overpowered. I use Blue Plate mayo, the best IMO if you can find it – very mild and almost a whipped consistency. Never liked mayo in anything until I discovered this brand.

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Kelly
Posted: 5 years ago

So glad you liked this, Kelly!

0
Reply
Jodie
Jodie
Posted: 5 years ago

5 stars
Making this today! What kind of bread do you use?

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Jodie
Posted: 5 years ago

It was a whole grain wheat bread, really good!

0
Reply
Jelena
Jelena
Posted: 5 years ago

5 stars
This was super yummy! I just substituted for fresh dill and added dried cherries (couldn’t find cranberries).

0
Reply

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Hey there!

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

Read More
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