One thing I absolutely love is Chicken Salad! But I always feel like restaurant and store bought chicken salad falls flat (even a popular chicken salad restaurant we have here in KC). So I make this recipe for Chicken Salad with Grapes that I know I can come back to again and again and it always hits!! This is a classic recipe that combines the savory flavors of cooked chicken with the sweetness of fresh grapes, the crunch of toasted pecans, and the freshness of dill. It can be served as a light meal on its own, as a sandwich on bread or a croissants, on top of a lettuce salad, or just scooped up with buttery Ritz crackers (that’s my favorite way).
Use a rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken to make quick work of putting this recipe together. Or if I make a whole roasted chicken or two on the weekend, I will make this chicken salad recipe with the leftovers!
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Why You’ll Love This Chicken Salad
Perfect marriage of textures and flavors in every bite – savory, salty, sweet, creamy and crunchy.
Fresh dill makes it taste five-star.
It only gets better with time. Just like a good pot of chili, the flavors meld and deepen in the fridge.
Endless ways to serve it depending how hungry you are…. Pile it on a flaky croissant, scoop it over a bed of greens, or dig in with buttery Ritz crackers. See all the options below.
Easy Chicken Salad Ingredients
This will be the best Chicken Salad Recipe with Grapes you have ever had! The sauce is a perfect balance of salty, sweet, creamy and herby. It is all mixed with the perfect amount of sauce to coat the chicken and grapes.
Pictured are the ingredients you need to put together your chicken salad: Cooked chicken, lemon, fresh dill, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, pepper, sugar, celery, mayo, sour cream, green onions, pecans, red grapes.
Mom’s tip
Ingredient Tips
Remember these tips when you are gathering all your ingredients to make this Chicken Salad with Grapes Recipe
- Buy seedless red grapes that are firm to the touch. You do not want to be chomping down on grape seeds while you are eating your chicken salad! Red grapes can tend to be sweeter than green grapes, but either will work.
- Use the white and light green part of the green onion. That is the part that has the most flavor. The dark green part is more of a garnish.
- Don’t skip the lemon or sugar. Adding these two ingredients balances the sauce flavors perfectly. I always say “if you feel like your dish is missing something, it’s probably acid (citrus, vinegar, etc…)”.
- Buy Fresh Dill. The fresh dill adds a bright note to the dish that dried herbs just can’t do.
- Toast your nuts. This is what takes chewy nuts to crispy and flavorful. There are complete instructions for toasting nuts below and in the recipe card.
Cooked Chicken – Shred or Chop
You will need cooked chicken to make this dish. There are a few ways to get cooked chicken:
- Easiest – buy a rotisserie chicken and use both breasts and maybe 1 thigh.
- Moderate – poach chicken breasts, you’ll probably need about 3 to equal four cups.
- Moderate – bake a couple chicken breasts in a 350 degree oven, on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzled with olive oil and salt/pepper, for about 25 minutes.
- Moderate + – make a rotisserie or whole chicken in the instant pot.
- Hardest – bake a whole roasted chicken.
You can shred or chop the chicken for your salad.
If you choose to chop your chicken I recommend chopping it pretty fine into small bite sized pieces, like the size of a blueberry.
If you shred your chicken the very best way is to put your warm chicken in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and run it for about 20 seconds. Shreds perfectly!
Mom’s tip
Toasting Nuts
The recipe calls for toasted pecans but you can certainly swap in walnuts or cashews. To properly toast nuts you place them in a dry pan (no oil), over medium low heat for about 3-4 minutes, shaking the pan once in a while so they don’t burn. You will know they are done once they start darkening in color and you can distinctly smell the nuttiness.
How To Make Chicken Salad with Grapes
If you love cooking shows you can also watch Susie make this Chicken Salad recipe on a 30 minute episode of Pinterest TV, by clicking here.
This is a pretty simple recipe. You will start by making the dressing and then add the chicken and fruit/veggies.
Step 1
In a large mixing bowl combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder, sugar, salt, pepper and fresh dill. Whisk the dressing ingredients until thoroughly combined.
Step 2
Then add the diced chicken, celery, green onions, grapes and toasted pecans to the
dressing mixture and toss gently to combine.
Step 3
Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Serve right away or pop fridge for up to 4 days.
Variations
Swap the nuts: Use toasted almonds, walnuts, or candied pecans in place of the pecans for a different crunch.
Add fruit: Toss in diced apple or dried cranberries in place of or in addition to the grapes.
Make it lighter: Swap some or all of the mayo for plain Greek yogurt to cut the richness.
Change the herbs: Not a dill fan? Try fresh tarragon, parsley, or chives instead.
Curry: Replace the dill with curry powder, swap the pecans for cashews and swap the grapes for golden raisins.
Serving Options
There are so many ways you can enjoy chicken salad. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Chicken Salad Sandwiches: Use this homemade chicken salad as a filling for sandwiches. Spread the salad between two slices of bread or buttery croissant. Add lettuce, tomato, and cucumber for extra freshness.
Salad: Serve scooped on top of a bed of lettuce or mixed greens that are lightly dressed with a vinaigrette. (we love the House Vinaigrette at Aldi!)
Lettuce wraps: Use large lettuce leaves, such as romaine or butter lettuce, as wraps for the chicken salad with grapes. Top the leaves with the salad, and roll them up like a burrito.
Snack: Afternoon snack time- scoop a little chicken salad onto a cracker or cucumber round.
Stuffed avocado or tomato: Cut an avocado in half and remove the pit or cut the top off a pepper and scoop our the seeds. Scoop the chicken salad with grapes into the avocado halves or peppers for a healthy and filling meal.
Storing
Just like a really good chili, this Chicken Salad Recipe with Grapes gets better with a little time, , which makes it great for meal prep! Make it a day ahead and store in the fridge overnight.
If you have leftovers you can keep it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Side Dish Ideas for Chicken Salad
This recipe pairs well with a variety of side dishes. Here are some ideas to help you create a well-rounded meal:
- Fresh fruit: Serve a plate of sliced fresh fruit, such as watermelon, cantaloupe, or pineapple.
- Grilled vegetables: Grill some zucchini, bell peppers, or eggplant and serve them as a side dish. The smoky flavor of the grilled veggies will complement the sweetness of the grapes.
- Pasta salad: Toss together a simple pasta salad, the acidity of the dressing will balance out the creaminess of the chicken salad.
- Corn on the cob: Grill, boil or make Instant Pot some fresh corn on the cob and serve it with a dollop of butter or a sprinkle of salt.
- Green salad: Serve a side salad of mixed greens with a simple vinaigrette dressing.
- Chips: Serve some sweet potato chips, kettle chips, or pita chips. This is a quick and easy side dish that will add some crunch to the meal.
How Much Per Person
Depending on how you are serving this chicken salad (dinner or snack) you will want to plan about 4-6 ounces per person. Since the recipe calls for 4 cups of chicken it should serve about 8 people.
More “Salad Sandwiches”
WATCH SUSIE ON FOOD NETWORK!
โญโญโญโญโญ
The new gameshow, 100 Cooks, premieres on Food Network June 7th, 2026 at 9est/8cst. I hope you will tune in!
Homemade Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked chicken breast - diced or shredded -I like to use a rotisserie chicken
- ยพ cup mayonnaise
- ยฝ cup sour cream
- 2 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- ยฝ tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tsp. sugar
- ยพ tsp. kosher salt
- ยฝ tsp. black pepper
- 1 Tbsp. (heaping) fresh chopped dill - chopped
- 3 celery ribs - finely diced
- 4 green onions/scallions - sliced (use both the white and light green parts)
- 2 cups red grapes - halved or quartered if they are large
- ยฝ cup toasted chopped pecans - – see notes for toasting instructions
Instructions
- Start by mixing the sauce in a large bowl. Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder, sugar, salt, pepper and fresh dill.ยพ cup mayonnaise, ยฝ cup sour cream, 2 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1 tsp. onion powder, ยฝ tsp. garlic powder, 2 tsp. sugar, ยพ tsp. kosher salt, ยฝ tsp. black pepper, 1 Tbsp. (heaping) fresh chopped dill
- Whisk the dressing ingredients until thoroughly combined.
- To the sauce add the diced chicken, celery, green onions, grapes and toasted pecans and toss gently to combine.4 cups cooked chicken breast, 3 celery ribs, 4 green onions/scallions, 2 cups red grapes, ยฝ cup toasted chopped pecans
- Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.
Serving
- You can serve the chicken salad immediately or chill in the refrigerator for a few hours.
- Ways to serve chicken salad with grapes:Chicken Salad Sandwiches with lettuce and tomato on bread or croissantSalad Lettuce wraps or sandwich wrapsStuffed in an avocado, bell pepper or tomatoSnack: scoop a little chicken salad onto a cracker or cucumber round.
Storing
- Keep any leftover chicken salad in the fridge, in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
MARY MILLARD says
I made it and it was great. Three stalks of celery seemed like too much, so I just used four ribs and it was more than enough.
Laura says
This was delicious! I handed the recipe and used only the dark meat from my Costco rotisserie chicken. Then I enjoyed this on a croissant (also from Costco). I used Best Foods for the mayo and Daisy for the sour cream. I mention the different brands because I think that can make a difference in overall flavor. So for me, those combos made this a 5/5 star recipe! I love the way this tasted like ranch dressing with a few surprises. Very happy with the overall flavor. Iโm excited to try some of your other recipes now!
Julie says
I saw your live show making this chicken salad the other day. You really inspired me to make it! So glad I did! It is DELICIOUS!
I used chicken breast that were seasoned and sous vide at 150 for 1.5 hours. Perfect! I wanted to try rotisserie chicken but there wern’t any available. Thank you for the recipe! I will make this again and again!
Susie Weinrich says
Thank you so much for watching the live show! I’m so glad you love the Chicken Salad.
Do you sous vide a lot? I haven’t tried that yet.