Apple Walnut Chicken Salad

Make this Apple Walnut Chicken Salad the next time you need a quick and easy lunch. It’s packed with flavour and texture that fills you up and keeps you satisfied! Plus, you can enjoy it in many different ways. It’s delicious and super versatile!

Making chicken salad exciting

This isn’t your typical dull chicken salad that’s from your grandma’s cookbook. Although there are so many amazing recipes out of those books! This is a chicken salad that will please the whole family. It’s fresh, crunchy, herby and so so good.

Other than chopping up a few of the ingredients, the only thing you have to do is mix it all together!

Instead of a super creamy dressing we use a light mixture of mayonnaise and Greek yogurt. This coats all of the main ingredients, but not too much that they’re drowning in dressing.

You can also prepare this in batches so you have enough ready for multiple people and multiple days ahead. Don’t worry about getting sick of it because you can mix up the way you serve it. I’ve shared my favourite suggestions below.

I can’t wait for you to try this!

 

Ingredients needed

Here’s what you need to make this Apple Walnut Chicken Salad:

• Cooked chicken breast
  • You can use leftovers, rotisserie chicken, or (my favourite and the easiest option) canned chicken.
• Apple
  • Feel free to use your favourite type of apple in this recipe.
• Celery
  • I recommend slicing this lengthwise before chopping so the pieces are even smaller.
• Red onion
  • I love how the red onion pairs with the other ingredients here but if you want to use green onion. instead, you can.
• Mayonnaise
  • There isn’t a particular brand that works better than another. Use whatever you have.
• Greek yogurt
  • Make sure you use plain Greek yogurt in this recipe for a mild and tangy flavour.
• Dill, garlic powder and ground black pepper
  • A little bit of these seasonings goes a long way and provides so much flavour!

 

Substitutions and alternatives

If you don’t have some of the recommended ingredients for this chicken salad or you would prefer to make some substitutions, here are my suggestions:

• As mentioned above, for the chicken component, you can use leftover chicken breasts (baked, barbequed, cooked in a slow cooker or air fryer, etc.), rotisserie chicken, or canned chicken.
• Any variety of apple
  • You can opt for your favourite type of apple here! If you want some extra tang, try out a Granny smith apple.
• Almonds, pecans or pumpkin seeds
  • Use either of these options if you want to replace the chopped walnuts.
• Green onion
  • Use this in place of red onion, if you prefer.
• Sour cream
  • If you don’t have plain Greek yogurt, sour cream would provide a similar flavour and consistency so use this instead.
• Lemon juice
  • Brighten up this chicken salad with a touch of citrus. Add a splash of lemon juice for a zesty flavour.
• Dijon mustard
  • I debated using this in the original recipe but I didn’t want to complicate things. If you love the taste of dijon, feel free to add 1-2 tsp of it into the Greek yogurt and mayonnaise dressing.
• Basil or parsley
  • Instead of dill, consider using dried basil or parsley as your choice of herb.

 

How to make this easy chicken salad

This Apple Walnut Chicken Salad is incredibly easy to make and takes less than 10 minutes to prepare. The bulk of the recipe is chopping the ingredients. Then it’s a matter of throwing it all together. Here’s how you make it:

1. In a large bowl, add the chicken, chopped apple, celery, walnuts and red onion together and mix.
   1. Note: if you’re using canned chicken, remember to drain the liquid from the can before adding the chicken to the bowl!
2. To the same bowl, add the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, dill, garlic and black pepper. Mix well until everything is well combined.
   1. Feel free to adjust any of the seasonings to your preference. You’re also welcome to add more mayonnaise or Greek yogurt if you want a saucier mixture.
3. Once this is done, you can serve it and enjoy immediately or you can store it in the fridge for later!

 

Storing

Keep the chicken salad in an airtight container in the fridge. It will stay fresh for up to 3-4 days.

How to serve Apple Walnut Chicken Salad

One of my favourite things about this recipe is its versatility and ability to be paired with a number of different foods. You can eat this in many ways. Here are some of my favourites.

• In a sandwich
  • Smash the chicken salad between two pieces of bread with your choice of toppings (ex. Lettuce, cheese, avocado, etc.). Don’t forget to layer some extra mayonnaise on the bread before you add the chicken.
• In a wrap or lettuce wrap
  • If you want an easy handheld lunch, this is a fun way to do it. Simply add the chicken salad to the middle of your wrap or lettuce wrap, add any additional toppings you may like, roll it up and enjoy! You could even make a bit of extra dressing (mayonnaise, greek yogurt, garlic powder, dill and black pepper) and drizzle some on top of the chicken before wrapping it in a tortilla or lettuce wrap. Alternatively, the dressing could act as a dip for your wrap!
• On crackers
  • I love to pair different types of food with crackers for lunch. My most common is tuna salad but now this Apple Walnut Chicken Salad is a new top contender. Prepare the chicken salad as recommended. Take your favourite cracker, dip it into the mixture, or spoon some on top of the cracker and enjoy!

 

Apple Walnut Chicken Salad nutrition

As a dietitian, I try to make the majority of my meals healthy and satisfying. This chicken salad checks those boxes and more! This recipe makes roughly enough for 2 people, depending on your appetite level, of course!

One serving of this Apple Walnut Chicken Salad provides approximately:

• 25 grams of protein
• 3 grams of fibre 
• 100% of your daily needs of omega 3s
• A significant source of a variety of B vitamins, as well as vitamin K
• Minerals like iron, magnesium, zinc and more.

 

Dietary considerations

This chicken salad is naturally gluten free. For other dietary considerations, here are my suggestions:

• Lactose free: opt for a lactose free Greek yogurt.
• Nut free: omit the walnuts or use pumpkin seeds instead.
• Vegetarian option: opt for chickpeas instead of chicken.

 

Packed with nutrients, easy to make and super delicious. I can’t wait you to try this recipe!

More chicken recipes

• Chicken Quinoa Bowls (Fajita Style)
• Yogurt and Dill Marinated Grilled Chicken
• Balsamic Dill Chicken
• Sheet Pan Dijon Chicken and Rosemary Potatoes
• Peanut Lime Chicken with Zesty Rice Noodles

 

If you make this Apple Walnut Chicken Salad, I would love to see your comment and rating below. It also makes my day seeing your creations of my recipes on Instagram- don’t forget to tag @allnutrition.rd!