A perfect summertime lunch, this Grape Chicken Salad is a simple high-protein meal that the whole family can enjoy. Made with juicy grapes, diced stalks of celery, and crunchy pecans, it is full of flavor and texture.
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in the wintertime, soup, like my Easy Zuppa Toscana Soup, is a go-to dinner.
But during the busy days of summer, sometimes I crave a cold salad over a hot meal. This easy chicken salad recipe is one of my favorites for those occasions.
So, get a slice of your favorite bread – ours is my soft multigrain sourdough bread – and whip up some of this classic chicken salad to go on top for lunch, a snack, or dinner.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
A simple recipe to throw together – The most time consuming part of this dish is cooking the chicken. Otherwise, it comes together in 10 minutes. I like to put a few chicken breasts in the slow cooker in the morning, and shred the chicken for this later in the day.
Easy meal prep – Make this at the beginning of the week, and enjoy it for lunch for the next few days. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
A healthy, high protein dish – Protein from the chicken, healthy fats in the mayo, and all the nutrients of grapes, celery, and pecans, this is a healthy option for a busy summertime meal.
Ingredients
Shredded Chicken – This is a great recipe if you have leftover chicken to use up. You can also roast a whole chicken and shred the amount needed or even use shredded rotisserie chicken. I typically use about 24 ounces.
Mayo – Any mayo will work here, but I like to use my homemade avocado mayo. You could also replace this with greek yogurt for an extra protein boost.
Grapes – The sweetness of the grapes add wonderful complimentary flavor to this savory dish. You can use red grapes or green grapes.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Modifications and Variations
- Add more veggies – If you are making this in the summer, it is a great time to use up garden veggies. Dice up some green onions, red onion, peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, etc.
- Mix in fresh herbs – Grab some fresh dill, parsley, or oregano for more added flavor.
- Trade out the pecans – Not a fan of pecans? Replace with walnuts or almonds. Better yet, include all three of these crunchy nuts!
- Boost the sweetness – Mix in some diced apples, pears, dried cranberries or oranges. This recipe is a great way to use up what you have on hand.
- Play around with flavor – This dish already has so much flavor, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add more. Add in some black pepper, lemon juice, or even red pepper flakes to play around with the flavor profiles.
How to Make Grape Chicken Salad
Step 1: Shred cooked chicken and place into a large bowl.
Step 2: Add in mayo and salt. Mix well.
Step 3: Chop and dice grapes, pecans, and celery. Add in chopped mix ins to the chicken and mayo mixture.
Step 4: Fold together all ingredients. Enjoy!
Tips
- If there is a vegetable your kids don’t like, dice it up really finely. My kids are not fans of onion, so I dice it really small and they eat it up.
- Serve grape chicken salad as a sandwich with sourdough sandwich bread, as a wrap in a sourdough tortilla, or even serve in lettuce cups or lettuce wraps. I also like to use this to top a big bowl full of romaine lettuce.
- While this is a great meal, it can also be an appetizer! Serve with a batch of sourdough discard crackers for your family or dinner guests to snack on before the main course.
Recipe FAQ’s
Grapes are mostly there to add a burst of sweetness. They compliment the savory flavors of the rest of the ingredients. If you don’t like grapes, you can always omit them or add another fruit instead.
I typically cut my grapes in half. This makes it much easier to grab with a fork and eat. If they are extra big grapes, I’ll sometimes quarter them.
Find More Simple Farmhouse Meals
- 20 Easy Summer Dinner Ideas
- Sourdough Skillet
- Southwest Chicken Salad
- Cobb Chicken Salad
- Healthy Tuna Salad
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love it if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.
Chicken Salad with Grapes and Pecans
Ingredients
- 4 medium chicken breasts, cooked and shredded, (24 ounces)
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup grapes, diced
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 2 stalks celery, diced
Instructions
- Shred cooked chicken and place into a large bowl.
- Add in mayo and salt. Mix well.
- Chop and dice grapes, pecans, and celery. Add in chopped mix ins to the chicken and mayo mixture.
- Fold together all ingredients. Enjoy!
Notes
- If there is a vegetable your kids don’t like, dice it up really finely. My kids are not fans of onion, so I dice it really small and they eat it up.
- Serve grape chicken salad as a sandwich with sourdough sandwich bread, as a wrap in a sourdough tortilla, or even serve in lettuce cups or lettuce wraps. I also like to use this to top a big bowl full of romaine lettuce.
- While this is a great meal, it can also be an appetizer! Serve with a batch of sourdough discard crackers for your family or dinner guests to snack on before the main course.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’m glad I read the recipes notes before starting. Can you add the “chopped onions” to the ingredients list? Almost missed it. Thanks! 🙂