Sweet and Crunchy Chicken Salad with Grapes and Pecans

Chicken salad with grapes and pecans is the perfect dish—light yet satisfying, bursting with flavor and crunch. In this refreshing salad, tender chicken mingles with naturally sweet grapes and delightfully crunchy pecans. Each bite is full of flavor and texture. It’s a simple yet elegant dish, perfect for a sandwich or served at a casual get-together.

This chicken salads is famous because it can be used in many different ways. You can easily change this recipe to fit your taste, whether you’re making it for a quick lunch or a picnic with many people. The sweet grapes balance the savory chicken, while the pecans add a delightful crunch that enhances every bite.

This article offers a tasty chicken salad recipe, along with tips on customizing it to suit your taste—No matter if you prefer a lighter version or one packed with extra flavor. Explore why this salad is so popular and discover how it can become your go-to dish for any occasion.

Sweet and Crunchy Chicken Salad with Grapes and Pecans

Recipe by SamiraCourse: SaladsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories

350

kcal

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or chopped
  

• 1 cup seedless grapes (red or green), halved
  

• 1/2 cup chopped celery
  

• 1/2 cup pecans (toasted and chopped)
  

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise (or Greek yogurt for a lighter option)
  

• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
  

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

• Cook the Chicken
  Poach or roast chicken as preferred. Cool and shred or chop into bite-sized pieces.
• Prepare Ingredients
  Wash and halve grapes. Chop celery and toast pecans in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant. Cool and chop pecans if desired.
• Make the Dressing
  In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise (or yogurt), lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
• Assemble the Salad
  In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken, grapes, celery, and pecans. Pour the dressing over and gently toss to coat.
• Serve
  Serve immediately or chill for 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Enjoy as is, or use as a filling for sandwiches, wraps, or over a bed of greens.

Notes

• For variations, swap pecans with walnuts or almonds, or replace grapes with apples or dried cranberries for a fresh twist.
• To make it keto-friendly, use berries instead of grapes and add avocado.
• Vegan? Replace chicken with chickpeas or tofu and use plant-based yogurt or mayo.
• Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days.

Ingredients Overview

Just a few simple ingredients create a delicious chicken salad with grapes and pecans. These ingredients combine perfectly, creating a balanced and flavorful dish. Each ingredient contributes to the sweet, savory, and crunchy elements that make this salad truly stand out. 

Here’s a closer look at the main ingredients and how they come together to create a delicious dish.

Chicken

Chicken is the most important ingredient in any chicken salad. For this recipe, cooked chicken breast is the ideal choice.

For convenience, you can use leftover chicken, poach fresh chicken, roast it, or even buy frozen chicken. Depending on your preference, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces or shred it. The chicken provides protein, making the salad satisfying without being too heavy.

Grapes

Grapes are what give this salad its burst of sweetness and juicy freshness. No matter if you choose red or green grapes, they add flavor and color to the dish. Depending on your texture preference, the grapes can be halved or left whole. They balance out the savory flavor of the chicken and the richness of the mayonnaise, offering a refreshing contrast that brightens up the dish.

Pecans

Pecans add a wonderful crunch and a rich, nutty flavor to the salad. You can use raw pecans or toast them lightly. Toasting the pecans brings out their natural sweetness and deepens their flavor. The crunchy texture of the pecans contrasts beautifully with the chicken’s softness and the grapes’ juiciness, making each bite a mix of satisfying textures.

Celery

Celery is a classic ingredient in chicken salad. It has a fresh and crisp texture that helps balance the creaminess of the mayo. Celery adds a subtle peppery flavor and crunch, balancing nicely with the other softer ingredients. Celery adds a refreshing crunch that balances the sweetness of the grapes and the richness of the pecans.

Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise holds the salad together, making a smooth, creamy dressing that binds all the ingredients. It gives the salad a thick texture and helps balance the other flavors. For a healthier twist on this chicken salad, swap regular mayonnaise for Greek yogurt. It provides the same creamy texture with fewer calories and more protein, making it a perfect option for a low-calorie chicken salad recipe.

Celery, grapes, pecans, chicken, and mayonnaise come together to create a satisfying and flavorful chicken salad. Although you can change the amounts to suit your tastes.

Perfect Chicken Salad with Grapes and Pecans

This salad comes together quickly, offering the perfect balance of sweet, savory, and crunchy flavors which is sure to be a hit no matter if you make it for lunch or a gathering. Follow these easy steps to make this tasty salad from scratch.

Cook the Chicken

Cooking the chicken is the first thing you must do to make a chicken salad. You could use store-bought roasted chicken to save time. To make it easy and tasty, shred it with a fork. If you’d rather cook your chicken, here’s how:

• Poaching Method: Put chicken breasts without bones or skin in water. Bring the water to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until perfectly cooked. Once cooled, cut or chop it into small, bite-sized pieces.
• Roasting Method: Warm the oven up to 375°F (190°C). Coat the chicken breasts with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast them for 25 to 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Let the chicken cool before chopping it into pieces.

Prepare the Grapes and Celery

Next, prepare the celery and grapes. The grapes need to be washed well. Cut the grapes in half for easier eating and better flavor balance if the grapes are large. After washing the celery, chop it into thin, small pieces. If you want a finer texture, slice the celery lengthwise before chopping.

Toast the Pecans

Toast the pecans to bring out their full flavor in the salad. Heat a small, dry pan over medium heat. Add the pecans and toast them for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Once lightly browned and fragrant, remove them from the heat and set them aside to cool. Chop the toasted pecans into smaller pieces for a finer texture, if desired.

Make the Dressing

For the dressing, you’ll need mayonnaise (or Greek yogurt for a healthier alternative) and a little salt and pepper for seasoning. Add a squeeze of lemon juice for a tangy kick, or a teaspoon of mustard for extra flavor. Stir the dressing ingredients together in a bowl until smooth and well combined.

Mix the Salad

The next step is to assemble the salad. Fill a large bowl with the cooked chicken, grapes, celery, and pecans. Add the dressing to the mixture and stir gently to coat all ingredients evenly. Do not mix the mixture too much to prevent the grapes and pecans from getting squashed.

Serve and Enjoy

After you mix it all together, your chicken salad with pecans and grapes is ready to serve. You can eat it right away by itself or put it in a sandwich, wrap, or bed of greens.

There you have it—a quick and tasty salad with just a few easy steps. This recipe is simple and great for any event. If you’re looking for a quick meal or wondering how to make chicken salad with grapes and pecans, this recipe is the perfect solution.

Recipe Variations

The classic chicken salad with grapes is a crowd-pleaser. Still, you can easily make it your own by adding various ingredients. Adding nuts or fruits to your salad can make it taste and feel different, even more fun. Here are some tasty changes you can make to the original recipe. Each one gives it its unique twist.

Chicken Salad with Grapes and Walnuts

If you want to give this classic chicken salad an earthy taste, swap the pecans for walnuts. Walnuts’ slightly bitter taste and crunchier texture go well with grapes’ sweetness. You can toast walnuts in the same way you toast pecans to bring out their natural oils and make them taste better.

Chicken Salad with Grapes and Almonds

Add sliced almonds to your chicken salad if you want a lighter, slightly sweeter variation. Almonds have a milder flavor than walnuts or pecans, allowing the grapes’ sweetness to shine. Sliced almonds also add a delicate crunch, making them a great option if you prefer a subtler texture. You can toast the almonds for a few minutes to deepen their flavor or use them raw for a more neutral taste.

Chicken Salad with Apples and Pecans

Swap grapes for crisp apples for a fresh twist on the classic. The crispness of the apples adds a refreshing crunch to the salad, while the sweetness of the fruit balances out the savory chicken. Pairing apples with pecans gives the dish a nice blend of textures—crunchy apples and rich, nutty pecans. Toss the apples in a little lemon juice before adding them to the salad to keep them from browning. This variation is perfect if you’re craving a slightly different flavor profile.

Customizing Your Chicken Salad with Nuts and Fruits

It’s great that chicken salad with nuts can be used in many ways. You can mix and match different kinds of nuts and fruits to suit your taste. You could use pistachios instead of walnuts or almonds for a different flavor if you like how they taste. You could add dried fruits like cranberries or raisins to your grapes to make them chewier and sweeter.

No matter if you stick with the original chicken salad with grapes or try one of these swaps, there is no wrong way to make this dish. By switching out the nuts or adding new fruits, you can easily make a perfect version of your preferences.

Dietary Preferences

This chicken salad with grapes and pecans is easily customizable to suit various dietary preferences. You can easily adapt this recipe to fit your dietary needs—whether you’re looking for a low-calorie option, following a keto diet, or seeking a plant-based alternative. We will discuss how to make this salad work for different diets below.

Low-Calorie Chicken Salad Recipe

You can make a few simple changes to chicken salad with grapes and pecans to make it lighter. First, use a lighter mayonnaise-like low-fat or Greek yogurt instead of the traditional kind. Greek yogurt is a great choice because it makes it creamier and has more protein and fewer calories than traditional mayonnaise. 

Cut back on the mayo or yogurt and add celery, lettuce, or cucumbers to make the salad lighter and more refreshing. You could use skinless chicken breast and eat fewer nuts to reduce calories. Nuts are tasty but high in calories. With these changes, the salad will be better for people who want a lower-calorie lunch while still having a pleasing taste and texture.

Keto-Friendly Adaptations

For people on the keto diet, it’s important to keep the amount of carbs low while keeping the dish’s richness and flavor. Instead of grapes, which have a lot of sugar, you can use berries like raspberries or strawberries, which have less sugar. 

For extra creaminess and texture, you could also use vegetables like avocado. You can also replace the dressing with a keto-friendly alternative, such as a homemade olive oil-based dressing or a creamy avocado dressing. 

Also, cut down on the fruit even more to make room for more greens like radishes or leafy greens, which are low in carbs but have a delicious crunch. With these changes, your chicken salad will stay keto-friendly without losing its taste or texture.

Vegan Alternatives Using Chickpeas or Tofu

Those following a vegan diet can easily swap chicken for plant-based options like chickpeas or tofu. Chickpeas provide a similar texture to chicken and are packed with protein. To use chickpeas, mash or chop them to mimic the consistency of shredded chicken. Season them with lemon juice, garlic, and herbs for added flavor. 

If you prefer tofu, choose firm tofu, press it to remove excess moisture, and crumble or chop it into bite-sized pieces. Tofu is excellent at absorbing flavors, so marinating or tossing it in the dressing will give it a delicious taste. 

You can use vegan mayonnaise or a plant-based yogurt like soy or coconut yogurt instead of the creamy dressing. If you make these changes, you can enjoy a satisfying vegan version of chicken salad with grapes and pecans.

Serving Suggestions 

Chicken salad with grapes and pecans is a versatile dish that can be served in many different ways, making it perfect for any occasion. It can be eaten as a light lunch, a quick dinner, or a dish for a party. Here are some creative ways to serve chicken salad to make it taste even better.

Chicken Salad Sandwich with Grapes and Pecans

One of the most popular ways to enjoy chicken salad with grapes and pecans is as a sandwich. You can serve it on soft croissants, fresh bread, or even a baguette for a satisfying meal. The buttery croissants are a great choice because they add a rich, flaky texture that complements the creamy salad. 

For a lighter option, use whole grain or sourdough bread to give the sandwich a heartier feel and add some extra flavor. Add a few fresh greens, like lettuce or spinach, inside the sandwich for a little extra crunch and freshness.

Chicken Salad Wrap with Grapes and Pecans

A chicken salad wrap with grapes and pecans is a great choice for those looking for a low-carb or gluten-free alternative. Use large lettuce leaves, such as romaine or butter, as a wrap instead of bread or a tortilla. 

The crisp, refreshing lettuce provides a light and healthy option while holding the salad together perfectly. You can also use a gluten-free tortilla if you prefer. This makes for a great option for anyone avoiding carbs or gluten but still craving the delicious flavors of the chicken salad.

Chicken Salad on a Bed of Mixed Greens

Serve your chicken salad with grapes and pecans on a bed of mixed greens for a lighter, more refreshing choice. Lettuce, arugula, and spinach are fresh greens that go well with creamy chicken salad. This dish is well-balanced and satisfying. 

It has crunchy greens and a creamy salad, making it great for warm weather or a healthy lunch choice. You can top the salad with extra berries, cucumber slices, or tomatoes to make it look even better and taste even better.

Depending on your mood or dietary preference, these creative ways to serve chicken salad with grapes and pecans will let you enjoy it in different ways. Each choice gives you a different way to enjoy this tasty dish, which keeps things interesting and new.

Discover the Delight of Sweet and Crunchy Chicken Salad with Grapes and Pecans

We’ve told you everything you need to know to make a sweet, crunchy chicken salad with grapes and pecans. This dish is simple, tasty, and can be used in many different ways. The sweet grapes, crunchy pecans, and tender chicken in this salad make it a satisfying and well-balanced meal. It has everything you need for a quick lunch, a light dinner, or a dish that will impress your guests.

We’ve shared the essential ingredients and step-by-step instructions for making this dish, plus creative ideas like swapping nuts for fruit to make it your own. We also gave you tips on how to make this recipe low-calorie, keto-friendly, or vegan for people with special dietary needs. To keep things interesting, we also gave you a few different ways to serve it, like in a sandwich, a wrap, or on a bed of greens.

This food will be a hit whether you make it the way the recipe says or change a few things. Experiment with your own variations of this salad and let us know your favorite twist—customizing it is part of the fun!

FAQs about Chicken Salad with Grapes and Pecans

Here are some of the most common questions about making and enjoying chicken salad with grapes and pecans. Whether you’re wondering about variations, health benefits, or ingredient substitutions, you’ll find helpful answers below.