This chicken salad with grapes and pecans livens up the classic with a few delicious add-ins. It is perfect for making ahead and eating all week!
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Chicken salad has long been one of my go-to lunches. It is incredibly versatile and makes for a delicious sandwich or a filling meal over greens, and it is perfect for days when I need lunch on the go.
This chicken salad with grapes and pecans is my all-time favorite version of classic chicken salad. It’s not too heavy on the mayo, meaning we avoid the soggy, flavorless salad you so often get when you order out to eat, and we add a good bit of dijon mustard that lends some tanginess and tons of flavor. Dill gives the chicken salad a nice, fresh flavor while the grapes add a hint of sweetness and the pecans and celery add crunch. Every bite of this chicken salad gives you something new to love!
If you’re looking for another delicious lunch recipe, be sure to check out this high protein bean salad!
Ingredients for Chicken Salad with Grapes and Pecans
Here’s what you’ll need to make this delicious chicken salad!
- Chicken – the main ingredient, of course, is chicken! You can either cook up a few chicken breasts, grab a rotisserie chicken, or use up any leftover chicken you have lying around to make this chicken salad. We find that white meat works best here.
- Mayo – mayo is what binds this chicken salad together. We went lighter on the mayo for this recipe so you can still taste all of the flavors in the salad. If you’d like to make your own mayo (it’s so easy and the flavor is richer and even more delicious than store-bought), be sure to check out our homemade mayo recipe. If you’re a mayo-hater though, feel free to substitute Greek yogurt in its place!
- Dijon Mustard – this is the secret ingredient to making this chicken salad great. First, the use of dijon mustard allows you to use less mayo, and it adds a ton of flavor that separates it from your typical chicken salad recipe.
- Grapes – Red grapes help add just the right touch of sweetness to the recipe.
- Pecans – pecans give the chicken salad a bit of crunch and lend a nice toasted flavor.
- Celery – celery provides a bit of freshness and crunch to the salad.
- Dill – dill is a classic component of chicken salad for good reason! It helps give this recipe its classic flavor and freshens up the salad a bit.
How to Make
Making chicken salad truly couldn’t be any easier! Here’s what you’ll need to do:
- Shred or cube the chicken. First, you’ll want to shred or cube the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Chop the grapes and celery. Next, you’ll cut the grapes in half and slice the celery.
- Add everything to a bowl and mix it up. Once you’ve got your prep work done, you’ll simply add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and mix it together. Once it is mixed, taste the chicken salad for seasoning and add anything that is needed.
- Serve or store for later. From here, you can either serve immediately or store the chicken salad in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Variations To Chicken Salad With Grapes
Though this recipe is dynamite as written, there are several variations you can make to switch it up. Here are a few:
- Swap the Grapes for Dried Cherries or Cranberries – if dried cranberries or cherries are more your thing, feel free to swap them in for the grapes!
- Swap the Grapes for Apple – if you love apples more than grapes, swap in chopped apple (your favorite variety) in for the grapes. They both lend a really yummy crunch to the salad.
- Swap the Nuts – if you don’t like pecans, swap them for walnuts or almonds!
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends where you’re storing it! If you’re storing it in the refrigerator (which is, of course, the very best option), it’ll last for 4-5 days. If you’re serving it at a party and it’s sitting out at room temperature, we recommend not letting it sit for more than 2 hours. If you’re enjoying chicken salad at a picnic outside, we recommend bringing a cooler to keep outside heat off of your chicken salad for a long period of time.
We’d plan for about 4-8 ounces (or 1/4-1/2 pound) of chicken per person, so if you’re looking to serve chicken salad to 8 people, you’ll need about 2-4 pounds of chicken (depending on what else you’re serving).
We love serving chicken salad alongside mixed greens or a simple arugula salad, crackers, or plantain chips!
You can serve this chicken salad with grapes and pecans any way you’d like! When I am meal-prepping lunches for the week, I tend to prefer serving my chicken salad over mixed greens for a healthy veggie boost. However, you can also make a sandwich, and if you want to really take it to the next level, add on some avocado and swiss cheese. This chicken salad is also great eaten on its own or with crackers for a picnic!
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Chicken Salad with Grapes and Pecans
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded chicken either from a rotisserie chicken or 1 ½ pounds cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- ½ cup halved red grapes
- ½ cup chopped raw pecans
- 2/3 cup avocado oil mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Mixed greens for serving
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix until fully combined. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper as needed.
- Spoon over mixed greens and eat immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Do yourself a favor and make a double batch! I’ve had this chicken salad in lettuce cups and over toasted bread. It is so good. The perfect combination of savory and a touch of sweetness from the grapes.
Yeah!! So glad you love it, Tabitha!!! Thank you for sharing this with us!
This was very tasty! Super simple and so quick to make. I’m not a huge fan of pecans or celery so I didn’t use quite as much and I didn’t taste those items individuallybut felt they enhancedthe flavor of the dish. It was even keto friendly!
So awesome! We’re glad you enjoyed it, Stephanie!
Yum! Made this for lunch today with hopes of leftovers to take to work next week, but my whole family gobbled it up! So versatile and easily modifiable! Will definitely add this to our regular rotation!
That’s so great to hear, Lindsey!! We’re glad your family loved it!
Love this chicken salad! It’s quick and easy to make ahead!
So glad you love it, Melissa!!
This was delicious! My husband loved it also. The Dijon mustard and dill were perfect in this! This has been added to my regular meal plan! Thank you!!
Wahoo! So awesome, Joni! Thank you for sharing this with us!
Perfect recipe for meal prepping or a picnic! I love it with Mary’s Gone Crackers. There is just something about dipping right?!
Yes!!! I agree! So glad you love it, Bethany!
Love this recipe for meal prep. I swear the taste gets better over time. Fun to serve it up in different ways each day too to keep it interesting (lettuce cups, wraps, crackers).
I totally agree, Erin!!! Thanks for sharing this with us!
I had thawed chicken breast in my fridge and was trying to figure out what to make. This was the perfect recipe to use it for. Eye simple to put together and the flavor is delicious.
Awesome!! We’re so glad you love it!
Turned out yummy! Definitely a recipe we’ll be using this summer 🙂
So glad to hear that, Kelsie!!
Grapes in chicken salad has always been one of my favorite additions! Made this for lunch w/ leftovers and it was fab.
So crunchy and delicious!! Glad you love it, Abby!
Very tasty! I also left out the dill as I am also not a fan. Very easy and great meal option! I enjoy your website & recipes.
delicious fast and easy summer lunch!!! You must try this recipe…. you won’t regret it!!!
Thanks, Amanda!!! We’re glad you love this chicken salad as much as we do!
Perfect timing for Recipe of the Week Giveaway — I had some leftover rotisserie chicken that needed to be used up, so I made the chicken salad with grapes & pecans! I make a turkey salad with grapes and pecans, so I was guessing this would be fantastic — I was right! And it only took 8 minutes and that included the interruptions I had! Who doesn’t want a quick, healthy, easy lunch?! Thanks Fed+Fit team 🙂
So awesome, Barbara! Thank you for sharing this with us! I totally agree – this chicken salad checks all of the boxes! Enjoy!!
So delicious! I made a big batch to have on top of my salad and in a sandwich. The grapes and pecans were never something I would have thought to add, but so yummy!
We’re so glad you loved it, April!!
YUM! I just started the 28 Day Project and this is something I look forward to eating for lunch this week. As a southern girl, chicken salad is extreme comfort food. Thanks for a healthy and delicious version! The red grapes from Costco were AMAZING to add to this.
Wahoo!! So glad you love it, Emily!!!