Chicken Salad for Sandwiches
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Loaded with pecans, grapes, apples, and creamy mayo, this delicious chicken salad for sandwiches recipe is a quick, easy, and game-changing lunch.
This classic chicken salad for sandwiches recipe fits into the category of a “non-recipe” for me, but Mama swears up and down there is someone out there who would like to see how we make chicken salad. So, I’m gonna mind my Mama and post it. Whenever a Southerner “swears up and down” about something, it’s in your best interest to believe them!
I’ve previously shared my ham salad sandwich recipe, but today we’re focusing on chicken. Now, how many of you have tried Arby’s chicken salad sandwich? It is really good. I know some of you are thinking, “A chicken salad sandwich from a fast food place?”. Trust me, Arby’s is good but it doesn’t hold a candle to our recipe!
Our chicken salad for sandwiches is a quick and easy lunchtime option. But it’s also absolutely delicious! It includes an enticing combination of shredded chicken, grapes, diced apple, and pecans. Add in some creamy mayo, layer on some greens, and you have yourself an unbeatable sandwich. I’ve included lots of substitutions and additions below so you can truly make this classic chicken salad recipe your own. So, who’s ready for lunch?
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken
- Apple
- Pecans
- Grapes
- Mayonnaise
FYI, this is enough for two chicken salad sandwiches.
How To Make Chicken Salad For Sandwiches
Coarsely chop your pecans, grapes, and apples.
If your cooked chicken is in large pieces, give that a little chopping, too. Add about a half cup of mayonnaise.
Stir that up and add salt and pepper to taste. As you can see, I used about a 1/4 tsp of each.
I placed a few pieces of lettuce to line my wheat bread with and then piled it high!
Didn’t that make a pretty sandwich?
My Katy said it was too “puffy” so she fixed that for me. 🙂
Now doesn’t that look scrumptious!
Storage
Unfortunately, the mayo in this chicken salad recipe doesn’t always work out so well if you try to freeze and then thaw it. It would keep fresh in a sealed container for a couple of days. But there are rarely any leftovers after making these sandwiches.
Recipe Notes
- You can use any kind of chicken. This is a great way to use up any . I used some leftover smoked chicken, but you might like to use up a leftover rotisserie chicken, canned chicken, roasted chicken, or shredded poached chicken breast. Another option is to swap the chicken for turkey.
- Want to jazz this chicken salad sandwich recipe up a bit? Try some of these add-ins:
- Add different nuts. Cashews, sliced almonds, or walnuts would also go great with this salad.
- Slice up hard-boiled eggs and fold them in to increase your protein.
- Substitute the grapes for dried cranberries or raisins.
- Add extra flavoring, like 1 teaspoon of onion powder or garlic powder, Worchestershire sauce (that’s a mouthful LOL), 1/4 cup of Dijon mustard, or Morton’s seasoning salt.
- 1 tablespoon of freshly chopped dill, chives, parsley, or even is always a great addition.
- Speaking of dill, you can also add 1 tablespoon of dill pickle relish.
- Add more veggies, like 1/2 red onion and 2 celery stalks (both finely chopped).
- Substitute the mayo for ranch dressing or your favorite salad dressing (check out my chipotle ranch dressing).
- Layer more vegetables on your sandwich too, like fresh tomato slices, cucumber, or a spread of avocado. Don’t forget the , either!
- Instead of spreading your chicken salad on a sandwich, simply toss it with lettuce to make a delicious salad. You can also serve it on my homemade dinner rolls, wrapped in a tortilla, or in
You may also enjoy these sensational chicken salad recipes:
Recipe for Caprese Salad with Chicken and Avocado
Treasure Found: Granny Jordan’s Chicken Casserole / Salad
Fresh Summer Salads with Simply Dressed Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked chicken chopped
- 1/2 cup grapes
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1 small apple
- 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Coarsely chop the apple, grapes, and pecans. Place in a bowl with the chicken, mayo, salt, and pepper. Stir until combined.1 cup cooked chicken, 1/2 cup grapes, 1/2 cup pecans, 1/2 cup mayo, 1 small apple, 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper
- Serve on a bed of lettuce or on lettuce-lined bread.
Nutrition
I just wanted to say I did not know how to make chicken salad until I read your post! I have never really had anyone to teach me how to cook so I have had to learn on my own. Thanks so much for not listening to your mom!! LOL
Hey! Today is my first visit to your site ,I’m really enjoying myself , GREAT site!! Just wanted to tell ya’all what I add to my chicken salad, I like to add ,dried cranberries , smoke house almonds & sliced green onions & of course mayo .Everyone loves it and will always request it for brunch & lunch. Thanks for good stick to your ribs recipes .
Also, if you will throw several chicken breasts in a crock pot with minimal seasoning, they will be ready to pop out of the freezer when you need them…
I was just checking to see the “sauce” that held the chicken together since all I had was miracle whip light. I couldn’t find it in my go to… foodtv. So thank you for posting it. Sometimes I use candied pecans/walnuts and blue cheese crumbles.
You mean there really something besides Dukes Mayonnaise……………..NO, say it’s not so!
I’ve heard tales …
This is pretty much how I make mine, too, except I use almonds instead of pecans (just ‘cuz I like ’em better). 😉 Sometimes I throw in some finely chopped green onions, too.
PEOPLE OF THE WORLD, NOW HEAR THIS:
acquaint yourself with the benefits of lazy poaching–it will make MANY dishes much quicker, especially if you just need a quick bite without all the fat (as much as i love thee, blessed fat.)
the laziest, easiest version of the poach:
take a small saucepan, fill half to midway with tap water and boil, then drop in a frozen chicken breast,or cheaper even (bare) chicken tenderloin hunks from one of those big wally world bags and continue boiling for around 10 minutes. THAT’S IT!!! (but i always into mine on a small saucer to make sure it’s cooked fully first!)
from there, feel free to shred the meat with a fork for a quick bbq sammieon toast, or a fast foldover sammie with whatever you like, or diced/shredded to your liking for a million things, like chicken salad. all in lieu of more expensive rotisserie chicken, too!
of course, you can always toss things in the boiling water like garlic or onion or herbs, and/or use fresh or high quality chicken, but that defeats the purpose of the sloth of this workaround.
enjoy! now, off to the recipe…
Oh, I can’t wait to try this recipe. I have some frozen chicken breasts but need the grapes and apples. To the grocery store I go.