Sweet & Simple Chicken salad is a STAPLE in this house. Especially when the training for Mat kick up a notch, I make sure to have this Sweet & Simple Chicken Salad stocked in the fridge. The grapes add a refreshing pop of sweetness and the remaining ingredients provide some needed calories and protein for fueling the day of training ahead. This makes for a great snack on it’s own or serve it between two slices of toasted bread for a hearty lunch.
The grocery list.
- Rotisserie chicken– About 2-3 cups skinned and shredded will do the trick! This makes easy meal-prep even easier. I have been known to shred up leftover grilled chicken from dinner into chicken salad for a recipe remix, great way to use up leftover and turn it into a whole new dish.
- Red grapes– Grapes are the #1 go-to for our chicken salad. It’s the perfect amount of crunch and sweet to keep you coming back for more each time. I grew up with apples and celery in our chicken salad and often swap out the grapes for those add-ins to change it up. If you don’t’ have anything fresh on hand, try adding dried cranberries (craisins) for a touch of sweetness.
- Walnuts— Walnut provide a buttery-crunch to the chicken salad. You won’t crack a tooth on these soft nuts and the flavor is deeply nutty. A few other great option we rotate through are pecans or almonds. Get adventurous with your flavors or simply clean out the pantry with whatever you have on hand!
- Mayonnaise— We prefer our chicken salad to be right in the middle of dry and wet, does that make sense? I want some good smoothness to the chicken salad without it being in a puddle of mayo. Dress your kitchen salad to the taste and textures of your household. Feel free to add more or less as needed!
- Poppy seeds— Poppy seeds add the prefect pop and crunch texture to each bite.
- Salt & pepper — If you are using store-bought rotisserie chicken, taste the chicken salad first and then add seasoning. These store-bought birds are often heavily seasoned (that’s why they taste so good!) and it may be overkill to add seasoning before you taste. Same goes if you are using and kind of grilled chicken leftovers from dinner. Give it a taste, then season!
Ideal for meal prep.
This takes all of 15 minutes to whip together and you have an easy, and delicious grab-n-go option on the fridge for when hunger strikes. It’s great to have prepped to free YOU up come meal-time. Nothing better than answering the inevitable “what is there to eat?” question while someone stands in front of the fridge looking at the array of containers with “there’s chicken salad, make yourself a sandwich!”. I love having easy options to offer the family a chance to dish up the grub themselves so I can keep on cooking up a storm in the kitchen.
Looking for more meal prep ideas?
Here are a few to try:
ROASTED SHEET PAN VEGGIES W/ PEPPERONCINI ITALIAN DRESSING
Lastly, if you make this Sweet & Simple Chicken Salad recipe, be sure to leave a comment! Above all, I love to hear from ya’ll and do my best to respond to every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of your dayyyummm good recreations is my favorite!
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Ingredients
- 1 rotisserie chicken, about 2-3 cups
- 1 cup red grapes, halved (apples, celery, or even craisins make great subs or add-ons)
- 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (pecans or almonds work great too!)
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon of salt **
- 1 teaspoon pepper **
Instructions
- Remove the skin from the meat and meat from the bones and shred the chicken. Use your hands to get a good shred.
- Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Toss to combine.
- Store in an air-tight container and chill before serving.
- Use prepared chicken salad on a bed of greens, in a wrap or on toasted bread for a sandwich.
Notes
** If you are using store-bought rotisserie chicken taste FIRST and then add salt and pepper as they have likely already seasoned the chicken in the cooking process.
Nutrition Information: serves 6 / 403 cals / 23g F / 7g C / 26g P
6 comments
Great for meal prep and a summer sammich! I cheated and bought a rotisserie chicken from the store, but it was still great!
that’s my favorite way to make this, it’s just extra simple!
What kind of mayo do you use?
Dawn- I have updated the recipe with link to my go-to products!
What’s your go to Mayo 🙂
I just updated the recipe with links to my go-to pantry items for this recipe!