Chicken Salad with Apples

Chicken Salad with Apples is brimming with fruit and nuts for a honey-kissed, autumn spin on the ever-popular Sonoma chicken salad!

Every time I make chicken salad, I wonder why I don't do so more often. I absolutely love the stuff. And as much as chicken salad has the reputation for being a "ladies who lunch" kind of recipe, I have to say that my kids and my husband scarf it down, too. In fact, my boys straight up cheer when they hear that it's on the menu. So today's recipe is the result of me deciding to shake things up a bit in regards to my family's beloved, all-time favorite Sonoma Chicken Salad...except this version is Chicken Salad with Apples!

I've never met a chicken salad I didn't like, but slightly-sweet and loaded-with-fruit-and-toasted-nuts is my favorite variation.

And while I typically serve chicken salad in the spring and summer, why not give it a fall twist in order to enjoy it for a few months longer? Chicken Salad with Apples makes it possible. 🙂

Ingredients

My old standby chicken salad is embellished with dried cranberries and toasted pecans. To make any recipe seasonal for October, I bet we can all guess which orange orb comes straight to mind! 😉

But since I wasn't sure how pumpkin chicken salad would go over, I opted for Chicken Salad with Apples instead. So I started by dicing up some juicy, sweet-tart apples...and if a more delicious apple exists on the face of this earth than a Honeycrisp, somebody please show me the light!

And then it was time to debate on the choice of nuts. While you can never go wrong with the mighty pecan (which happens to be the state nut of Texas...and that's puh-CAHN, y'all), I decided to swap it out to further differentiate this chicken salad from a Sonoma version.

I considered walnuts or almonds. But then I spied a giant tub of my most favorite nut ever -- cashews, which I hide from myself in the freezer keep on hand for making big batches of granola. And I knew I had the perfect counterpoint for my crispy apples!

As for the remainder of this Chicken Salad with Apples recipe, it consists of pretty standard chicken salad ingredients, folks:

• Chicken. Use your favorite method to cook the chicken, whether that's poaching, roasting, slow cooking in the crock pot, or pulling it from a rotisserie chicken. And you may shred it or dice it, depending on your desired chicken salad texture.
• Mayonnaise + Greek yogurt. I like to use a combo of the two or the best flavor while lightening things up a bit. That being said, you could opt to use all mayonnaise, if you prefer.
• Honey. I like to add a little sweetness to the dressing when it comes to fruity chicken salads. Feel free to add more or less depending on your preference.
• Apple cider vinegar. At the same time, a splash of vinegar adds some balance and depth of flavor.
• Salt + pepper.

How to Make Chicken Salad with Apples

(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)

The steps are simple and pretty standard for most chicken salad recipes.

1. Whisk up the dressing in a large bowl (big enough to hold all of the chicken salad later). The important tip here is to do this well ahead of time so that the dressing can chill -- covered and refrigerated -- and the flavors can meld for several hours.
2. Toast the cashews. This step is optional but recommended for extra crunch.
3. Dice up your cooked chicken and your apples-o'-choice.
4. Add the chicken, apples, and cashews to the dressing. Mix to combine and pop back in the fridge for an hour or so.
5. Serve your Chicken Salad with Apples piled onto croissants, dipped up with crackers, or spooned over lettuce leafs. ENJOY!

Perfect for a baby or bridal shower or simple and delicious for lunch or dinner, this Chicken Salad with Apples is a fun, fall twist on a perennial classic.

Now if you'll excuse me, there are leftovers in the fridge and I'm feeling the urge for a midnight snack... 😉

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Chicken Salad with Apples

Chicken Salad with Apples is brimming with fruit and nuts for a honey-kissed, autumn spin on the ever-popular Sonoma chicken salad!

By Samantha Skaggs

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

CHILLING TIME: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 510kcal

Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup honey
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup salted cashew halves & pieces
• 2 pounds (about 4 cups) diced OR shredded chicken
• 2 cups diced apples, such as Honeycrisps

Instructions

• In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper until thoroughly combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use, for at least 4 hours and up to two days.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread out cashew pieces on a baking sheet and bake for 5 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown, watching carefully. Allow to cool.
• To the bowl of dressing, add diced chicken, toasted cashews, and diced apples. Refrigerate for at least an hour to chill and allow the flavors to blend.

Notes

• You may substitute regular plain yogurt for the Greek yogurt, but it may make your dressing slightly thinner. You may also adjust the ratio of mayo to yogurt (or use all mayonnaise and no yogurt) if you prefer.
• You don't have to toast the cashews but it will give them extra crunch.
• You may substitute your favorite chopped and toasted nut for the cashews, if you wish.
• You may cook chicken using your favorite method (or use rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken). Seasoned chicken (using at least salt and pepper) will give your chicken salad more flavor. You may dice it or shred it depending on your preferred chicken salad texture.

Nutrition

Calories: 510kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 213mg | Potassium: 477mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 80IU | Vitamin C: 1.9mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 3mg

Made this recipe? I'd love to see on IG!Mention @FiveHeartHome or tag #FiveHeartHome!

Post originally published on October 19, 2014, and updated on July 19, 2021, and September 22, 2024.