Have you ever had chicken salad with grapes and pecans? If not, then you're missing out! It's a wonderfully delicious and healthy combination that's bursting with flavor. In this blog post, I'll show you how to make chicken salad with grapes using just a few simple ingredients. The creamy chicken salad with juicy grapes makes a great salad, sandwich, or wrap.
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To make Chicken Salad with Grapes, you can use the breast of a rotisserie chicken, or you can quickly poach raw chicken breasts with the attached recipe. This is also a great dish to make with leftover chicken from chicken soup.
What You Need
- Chicken Breast
- Red Seedless Grapes
- Celery
- Red Onion
- Parsley
- Yellow Onion
- Mayonnaise or plain yogurt
- Salt and Pepper
- Pecans, almonds, or walnuts
How To Poach The Chicken
- Rinse the chicken breasts and place them in the bottom of a 7 or 8-quart soup pot. Add the onion, celery, and a handful of parsley. Add a little salt and fresh pepper. Add water to cover by 3 inches.
- Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Skim foam from that has risen to the top with a big spoon. Lower the heat to medium so the water simmers, right below the boiling point. Smaller, gentler bubbles will form on the surface.
- Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, or until meat is opaque, and the juices run clear when pierced with a fork.
- Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let it stand for 10 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the pot with a skimmer and place it on a cutting board to cool for a few minutes.
- Shred the chicken with two forks or dice into ½-inch pieces. Chill the chicken for about an hour.
How To Make Chicken Salad
- Gently fold cooked chicken, celery, parsley, dill, red onion, and mayonnaise in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in grapes.
- Cover chicken salad with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours to allow flavors to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.
How to Toast the Pecans
Scatter raw or roasted pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat. Heat nuts, shaking the pan occasionally, until crispy, about 4 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.
What Can I Use Instead of Mayonnaise?
In place of mayonnaise, try using sour cream or yogurt. I often substitute mayo with thick Greek (10% fat) yogurt. It's great!
If commercial mayo isn't your thing, check out my recipe for Homemade Mayonnaise, which can easily be made with light olive oil or avocado oil and fresh eggs.
How to Serve The Chicken Salad
Serve this salad on a bed of lettuce, as shown here, or you can make lettuce wraps. If you don't like nuts, leave them out. It will still be good.
My former self used to pile it on fresh New York rye bread.
However, since I quit eating bread, I enjoy it on top of a bowl of greens or with a stack of Mary's Gone Crackers. I like the Super Seed Original flavor. The crackers have no gluten, no yeast, and taste very good. Enjoy!
How to Store Leftovers
To store leftovers, place the chicken salad in a sealed container in the fridge for up to three days. Do not freeze.
Try Some of Our Other Salads
- New York Deli Tuna Salad
- Key West Pink Shrimp Salad
- Low Carb Caesar Salad
- Spinach and Romaine with Pink Strawberry Dressing
- Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Arugula
"📖 Recipe"
Chicken Salad with Grapes
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN
- 1 pound chicken breast
- 1 small yellow onion peeled and quartered
- 1 stalk celery roughly chopped
- ½ cup fresh parsley leaves rinsed
- salt and pepper
FOR THE CHICKEN SALAD
- 2 celery stalks diced
- ⅓ cup diced or grated red onion
- ¼ cup chopped parsley flat-leaf or curly
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ⅔ cup red seedless grapes about 20 grapes, sliced lengthwise
- ¼ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
FOR THE PECANS
- ½ cup raw pecans broken into ½" pieces
Instructions
HOW TO POACH THE CHICKEN
- Rinse the chicken and place it in the bottom of a 7 or 8-quart soup pot. Add the onion, celery, and a handful of parsley. Add a little salt and fresh pepper. Add water to cover by 3 inches.
- Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Skim foam from that has risen to the top with a big spoon. Lower the heat to medium so the water simmers, right below the boiling point. Smaller, gentler bubbles will form on the surface.
- Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, or until meat is opaque, and the juices run clear when pierced with a fork.
- Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let it stand for another 10 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the pot with a skimmer and place it on a cutting board to cool for a few minutes.
- Shred the chicken with two forks or dice into ½-inch pieces. Chill the chicken for at least 30 minutes.
TO MAKE THE CHICKEN SALAD
- Gently fold chicken, celery, red onion, parsley, dill, and mayonnaise in a mixing bowl with a rubber spatula. Stir in grapes.
- Cover chicken salad with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours to allow flavors to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.
TO TOAST PECANS
- Place the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat. Heat nuts, shaking the pan occasionally, until crispy, about 4 minutes.
