Robyn Stone
This Chicken Salad with Grapes Recipe makes a quick, delicious meal! It also has roasted nuts for the best chicken salad recipe and makes a great chicken salad sandwich too!
Chicken salad has to be one of the most perfect dishes for an easy meal at home or to take to a picnic or potluck. This recipe is absolutely full of amazing flavor, is simple to make and is positively the best chicken salad I’ve ever eaten!
I think this chicken salad recipe is such a delicious one because the generous amount of chicken is combined with fruit and roasted pecans for a savory crunch and flavor that’s a hit every time! It’s a recipe that I turn to time and time again for family meals, picnics, and parties. And you just have to try this for the best chicken salad sandwich ever!
Chicken Salad with Grapes Recipe
This makes a great salad for lunch, a light supper, and takes hardly any time to mix all together. I love to keep a container of it in the refrigerator for super quick lunches. It’s great on its own and makes the best sandwich and is delicious to fill wraps. I also love to make it to serve large gatherings of people at potlucks, picnics, or even tailgating! It is always a hit!
I think everyone enjoys this recipe because of the addition of the fresh grapes. They add a burst of sweetness to the salad for the perfect blend of savory and sweet!
How to Make Chicken Salad
Ingredients you’ll need:
Chicken. You’ll need four cups of cooked chicken that you shred or chop, depending on the texture that you prefer. You can easily shred the chicken in your stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer if you want. Shredding with two forks also works great.
For the chicken, you can use baked chicken that you cook ahead or make Instant Pot chicken. You can even use rotisserie chicken if you wish .
Celery. Chopped celery adds the perfect amount of crunch and freshness.
Grapes. Halved seedless grapes add a touch of sweetness. I love to use red seedless grapes as they add another bit of color to the salad.
Dried Cranberries. Sweet and yet a little tart, the dried cranberries are a delicious addition as well.
Roasted Pecans. Chopped roasted pecans are a great addition. Omit them if allergic to nuts or if you are serving at an event and do not know if there are nut allergies.
Mayonnaise or Greek Yogurt. You can use all mayo or all Greek Yogurt in your salad or even a little bit of each. Greek Yogurt will help to lighten up the recipe, but it is definitely a matter of preference.
Seasonings. Salt and pepper are the perfect seasonings for it.
Celery leaves. Chopped celery leaves add so much flavor, but if you don’t have them just omit.
How Long Does Chicken Salad Last?
In the Refrigerator? This recipe keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Simply store in an airtight container. Refrigerate right after serving.
Left Out at Room Temperature? For food safety, I like to stick to what the FDA advises… “the two-hour rule”….which applies since this recipe has chicken and mayonnaise, you should not leave this out at room temperature for any longer than two hours.
Left Out at Picnic or Potluck? If you are serving this at a summer event and the temperature is warmer, you should be extra careful to refrigerate as soon as possible. Again, I look to the FDA for their safety rule. If the outside temperature is above 90 degrees, the “two-hour rule” becomes ONE hour.
How to Serve:
- Wrap. Stuff and slice in half for a simple wrap.
- Croissant. Toast a croissant and then fill.
- Bibb Lettuce. Make a lettuce cups by washing and drying leaves of Bibb lettuce and placing onto a plate. Then fill with scoops and serve.
How Much to Serve Per Person:
If you are making for serving a large group, at a party or event, you’ll want to increase the amount that you make. Here is the rule of thumb that I use for how much to prepare per person.
- Sandwiches and wraps = 4 – 6 ounces per person
- Lettuce cups = 4 – 6 ounces per person
- Main dish = 8 ounces per person
Other Chicken Salad Recipes We Love:
To say that we enjoy chicken salad in our family is an understatement! My husband is especially a fan – from this all-time favorite and other recipes listed – it’s always a hit around my house!
Here’s my recipe for Chicken Salad with Grapes that I think you’ll love.
Chicken Salad with Grapes Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked, chopped chicken
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup red seedless grapes halved
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
- 1/2 cup roasted pecans chopped
- 1 cup mayonnaise or Greek Yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- celery leaves chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Add chopped chicken to a large bowl along with celery, grapes, dried cherries, chopped pecans, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. If using chopped celery leaves, add these as well. Stir together until just combined.
Notes
To lighten up the recipe, you can use Greek yogurt in place of the mayonnaise. I used plain Greek Yogurt for the nutrition calculations.Â
Nutrition Information
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Very yummy. I used a store bought rotisserie chicken. My teens love this recipe and they’re very picky. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Thanks Rachelle! xo
This is my second time making this recipe its a great recipe this time I substituted apples for the cherries. So yummy I even made a version for my son who has lots of allergies (he usually doesn’t like meats) he’s eating this win win for getting meat into my 2 year old. 🙂
I’m so glad you could adapt this recipe so it had no allergens for your son. Thanks, Cindy!
Delicious! I substituted 1/2 cup of chopped apples for the dried cherries, used a little less mayo, and added a tiny squirt of honey. On toast with a little butter, yum! 😋
I love this chicken salad on toast, Nancy! So happy you enjoyed it! xo
It says serving of 8. Is that if it’s a meal or a sandwich. Making about 35 sandwiches for a baby shower. Not sure if that is 6 oz’s or 8.
Lisa, this is a meal size serving – 8 ounces. Hope this helps.
My favorite Chicken Salad. I have even used canned chicken in a pinch. Just as good.
I’m so glad you like this chicken salad, Bobbi!
This was delicious. Â I made a couple of alterations. Â I used a rotisserie chicken, also, substuted pistacios for the pecans and I used 1/2 plain low fat Greek yogurt and 1/2 regular Mayo.
Also, I would like to say that it does only take 5 minutes once everything is prepped. Â Pulling the chicken off the carcass and chopping it took longer than 5 minutes, not to mention, roasting and chopping the nuts, washing and chopping the celery, washing and halving the grapes and locating and measuring the dried cherries. Â In all, it took about an hour to come together.
It is a nice make ahead dish and a good thing to keep in the fridge for when you get hungry. Â I served mine on a croissant with lettuce. Â And I had fresh tomatoes on the side. Â
This one is a keeper.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Pat. It is great to make with a rotisserie chicken! Thanks!
Love the addition of the dried cherries!
I am not much of a cook, BUT, I made this up with craisins I had instead of grapes and Cherries. Used the Pecans! And my husband LOVED it! Going to be a go to on a simple dinner night, or lunch!
Thanks Dianne! xo
Robyn, thanks so much for sharing this delicious recipe! Can you please tell me if the calorie count of 263/serving is for a 4 ounce or an 8 ounce serving? Thanks!
Liz, the nutritional value is for an 8 ounce serving. Hope this helps.
Excellent recipe. I am vegetarian, but used a meat alternative, adding just a touch of poultry seasoning and fresh lemon juice to enhance the chicken flavor and lighten up the creaminess of the mayo. Otherwise, followed the recipe exactly as written. Will definitely make again.
Absolutely delicious! Made it exactly as recipe says and I will not be deviating one bit. My sil said only thing wrong was I didn’t make enough! So getting ready to make another batch.Â
Great to hear that you like it Joy! My husband always says the same thing! 😉 Thanks!
What’s better to use mayl or Greek yogurt
Hi Robert,
My family enjoys it best with mayo, but it’s good with Greek yogurt too for those that don’t like mayo, or may want to lighten it up a bit. I hope you enjoy it – it’s one of our favorites! Thanks!
I did not have any grapes which I usually have but I added diced granny smith apples and of course substituted turkey for chicken this time of year! Thanks
Thanks Jill! xo
When using rotisserie chicken, do you use the dark meat? In the past, I have only used chicken breast. Thanks.
You can if you wish, Jenny. It’s a personal preference. Thanks!
I’m hosting a Sip and See for my daughter in law and want to make your chicken salad- what sides would be good with it?
Thanks!
Cindy
Cindy, at the top of the home page of my site, there is a list of categories. Click on Celebrations, then click on Shower Recipes. There are pages of recipes there for you to choose recipes that you might like to make for this event. Hope you have a wonderful Sip and See for your daughter-in-law. Thanks!
My bf ‘s comment and I quote “This is the best sandwich I have ever had. ” (I served it on croissants) Absolutely delicious!!
So glad to hear that Trish! xo
The chicken salad with grapes, small amount pecans, and used small amount apple minced instead of cherries. Made sandwiches of this for church sunday, everyone loved them. Thank you
About how many servings does this recipe make?Â
Hi Abby,
It makes around 8 servings. Enjoy!
How much is a servingÂ
I made it with a rotisserie chicken also. Had a pomegranate I needed to use up, so I used pomegranate seeds in place of dried cherries and also subbed 1/2 Greek yogurt for 1/2 of the Mayo. It tastes great!
I’m happy you enjoyed it Kelly! xo
Can you use canned chicken if you don’t don’t have other chicken
Hi Diane,
I’ve never made it with canned chicken but it would be probably be fine. If you try it, let me know how you like it.
Wow! Â Follow directions for pecans. Amazing.
Thanks, Audrey!
Are the calories per serving or for the whole batch?
Hi Marti,
The calories are per serving. Hope you enjoy the salad. Thanks!
I was skeptical of trying with greek yogurt, but it’s such a good healthy alternative!!
Hi Rebecca,
I love the taste with the Greek Yogurt almost as much as with the mayonnaise! I agree, it is a good healthy alternative! Thanks!
Best Chicken Salad Ever !!!!!
Thanks so much, Carol! This is an all-time favorite at my house, too.
This is my first attempt at chicken salad and I want to say a big THANK YOU! This is delicious and I really appreciated your optional variations.
Pamela, I’m so happy your first attempt at making chicken salad was a success. Thanks!
Well.. fora person who travel a lot, special dish are always welcome! so thanks for that!
This is yummy! I used left over grilled bbq chicken .Added pomegranate seeds instead of cranberries because i needed to use up.
Really tasty.
Thanks, Beth. I haven’t tried using pomegranate seeds but may try that. xo
Perfect my family loved this chicken salad
Thanks, Sherena.
Thanks for this recipe. This was deliish!! Made it several times. My favorite way to use rotisserie chicken. The grapes, celry and pecans are the key. I’ve used cream cheese for part of the mayo and green onions. So easy to make and so good!! Better the 2nd or 3rd day😉.
Great, easy recipe! While my rotisserie chicken was shredding in the KitchenAid, I chopped up my celery and nuts. I didn’t toast the pecans (would that make a big difference?) Also I used dried cranberries, as I had no dried cherries, so I added a tap of sugar. I used 2/3 mayo and 1/3 Greek yogurt. I also used green grapes mainly for the color. I used light and dark meat so it would have more moisture and lots of flavor. A perfect recipe, thank you so much. I like the suggestion of diced apple, too and may try that next.
Thanks, Jeanne. The toasted pecans add a slightly different flavor and a little crunch but I like it with raw pecans sometimes, too.
Amazing
Thanks, Staci!
This was an absolutely scrumptious dish!
I added a couple spoonfuls of Durkeee Famous Sandwich & Salad Sauce. I like that tart taste and I thought
it was superb! Thank you. I will definitely be making this as my “go to” chicken salad.
My husband made a sandwich but I like this as a salad. Either way we loved it.
Thanks, Gretchen. So glad you and your husband love this salad. xo
This was a delicious big hit for dinner. I used a pkg of Planters wholesome nut mix chopped as I didn’t have pecans and also some frozen cherries thawed out with the grapes and the flavors were perfect. I paired with seasoned red potatoes (baked Alexia oven reds) for easy gluten-free dinner and used a shredded rotisserie chicken. I will definitely make it again.
Thanks, Mellybelle. So glad you liked this recipe. xo
How many can you serve with this recipe? How many wraps? Croissants?
This recipe makes 8 cups for 8 servings for main meal. You can use 4 to 6 ounces per wrap or croissant. Hope you enjoy!
I’m going to buy some grapes and celery with lots of yellow leaves inside and guess what’s for lunch.
So good! I had a curry version of this recipe in restaurant a few years back then spent some time trying to replicate it. I brought my test samples to work so people could give me their opinion and they still beg me to bring it all the time. I think I will make this tonight!
Thanks, Candie!
Love your recipe! Can black olives be added? Bread recommendations? Thanks so much
I’ve never used black olives in this chicken salad recipe, Rita. I’m not sure how it would taste with the rest of the ingredients. I use croissants, wraps, or crackers. Hope you enjoy!
Robyn thank you for the best chicken salad recipe ever written! Made the recipe! Didn’t use the olives! However everything else followed recipe exact! The toasted pecans are indeed a must! Many years ago had a chicken salad sandwich at a high end restaurant that I tried for years to find a similar recipe……this is it! The taste is so delicious! Will make again! Bon Appetit!
Wow…this is amazing and perfect recipe till now…i will trying to make it few days later….am so glad to read it…Thanks for sharing….a beautiful recipe ….!
I hope you like the salad, Lily. Thank you.
This looks ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!!! Will definitely have to try this one, tho will substitute roasted Sunflower Seeds for the pecans, and Dried Cranberry for the Cherries, since both are much more affordable… I’ll have to look at the recipe again — don’t remember any onion? Thanks for such great ideas!
very good
I’m absolutely delighted with this recipe! It comes so close to my Mother’s Chicken Salad from the 1960’s, which used orange yogurt, and mandarin oranges in lieu of the cherries. This recipe, dare I say it, tasted better than Mom’s. Hers adds celery seed instead of the pepper, which really picks up the flavors.
I’ve never had chicken salad the way your Mom made it, Susan, but it sounds good. I’m so glad you like the way I make mine, too. Thanks!
I made this tonight to use up some rotisserie chicken. I actually had all the ingredients on hand. Super delicious with great textures. Thank you.
Thanks, Karen. I like it made with rotisserie chicken sometimes, too. xo
I bought grapes, but they grapes never made it into the chicken salad… soo delicious
You really need to try it with the grapes sometime, Nadia. They really make a difference.
I added chopped apples and used dried cranberries. I also added a splash of ACV and a tsp of sugar to the dressing.
Very delicious, everything you want in a chicken salad. I substituted fried cranberries for cherries and substituted sour cream for half the mayonnaise.
Thanks, David. I sometimes substitute dried cranberries for the grapes in this salad.
Yummm… great way to use my abundance of frozen, cooked chicken!
Hope you enjoy the chicken salad, Karen.
This recipe is a keeper and oh so easy! We’ve bought three different deli chicken salads, and they have all left a lot to the imagination. This recipe does not disappoint! Words of wisdom, roast the nuts, the flavor is worth the time! My husband said that it was the best chicken salad he’s ever had and that it blew the doors off the deli ones we wasted (way too much) money on! Thank you!
Erin, I agree. The roasted nuts do make a difference. I’m so glad you and your family loved this recipe. I think my husband could eat it every day! xo
This is really good. I burned the nuts but it gave it a smoky flavor. I will be making this a lot, especially when/if we get to have guests again.