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
This is great! We had a bowl bull of grapes that needed to be seeded and then I decided they had to go into a chicken salad….knew I had a can of chicken in the pantry…..ok! there it is. First check the computer for any emails….and here is the one from Christy Jordan….with just the recipe I need. I do have some leftover celery from turkey dressing so will add some diced up celery for extra crunch. And have almonds cause all the pecans got used up in the Apple/Pecan Upside Down pie I make for turkey day…but today’s meal will be Chicken Salad….thanks for all the reader’s posts…enjoy reading. We are the “south” but not the “deep South”…..we are the Arizona, which is the South-west…..as far as cooking, there is a difference but I love brousing through your recipes!
I love the Arby’s chicken salad and so glad to see a recipe like it, I will be trying today. Thanks
potato salad and fruit salad are two of my favorite salads. i also like the tangy taste of chicken salad’`.
Christy, I hope you have some other “non-recipes” you will share and am hoping your Momma is there “swearing up and down” people will want said recipes. SHE’S RIGHT!! I have tried for years to make a decent chicken salad and never quite knew the secret. THIS IS IT!! This is wonderful to see the simplicity in this and yet it is exactly what I’ve been looking for!!! Never assume your readers won’t be interested in a recipe you might consider “a no brainer” or “unworthy”!!! There’s still plenty out here learning with every recipe! WHAT ABOUT TUNA SALAD??? Please share.
i like potato salad and also mixed fruit salads. they are tasty and so yummy”:,
thanks christie. I am trying to plan a baby shower and it’s just what I needed. Your mom was right.
I LOVE Arby’s chicken sandwich, but don’t get there very often. I had this on my mind, so I decided to look up a recipe. Glad to find this one and enjoyed the added info on violins! Also appreciate the suggestions in the other posts. Will try this ASAP:) and come back to check out the other recipes here.