The Waldorf Salad is a classic. A perfect combination of crunchy fruits and nuts, dressed in mayonnaise.
When you add chicken to Waldorf salad, it becomes a more hearty "main meal" type of salad. I also use grapes in addition to apples to give the salad even more variety in tastes and textures.
Whenever I get a craving for this salad, I just pick up a rotisserie chicken and start shredding! It's fast and easy and makes a super satisfying lunch salad!
Why You'll Love this Waldorf Chicken Salad Recipe
Easy always wins the day for me. Whenever I know I'm going to have leftover chicken, I plan to make this salad. But that's not often enough, so I sometimes pick up rotisserie chicken at the store. I can even buy it pre-shredded if I want, for maximum convenience!
I love all the play of flavors, especially the sweetness of the grapes and apple with the mayonnaise dressing.
The salad feels like you're having something special, when it's actually very simple to put together.
Chicken Waldorf Salad Ingredients
How to Make Chicken Waldorf Salad
Honestly, there are only 2 steps to this. Cut up all the ingredients and mix them together. Done. LOL
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Serve this chicken salad on a bed of greens for a lovely lunch!
Sula's Tips
An optional step, which I like to do, is to separately mix the mayo with salt and pepper. It helps ensure the seasoning is evenly distributed. But to be honest, its not truly necessary. The mixing of everything in a bowl seems to take care of that on its own. So it's really your choice.
I've also seen people recommend that you toss the diced apple in lemon juice before adding to the salad, to prevent browning. But I never do that, the mayo alone seems to be enough. I probably helps that we always consume this within 2 days. 😀
Best Chicken Waldorf Salad Recipe Variations
I've used both green and red grapes and loved either choice. So feel free to use one or the other, or some of each!
If you prefer to make this salad without grapes, just substitute with additional chopped apple.
If you've got more rotisserie chicken left, try some air fryer chimichangas from peanut blossom. It's a delicious way to re-purpose leftovers!
Other Salad Recipes to Explore
📖 Recipe
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Chicken Waldorf Salad with Grapes
Ingredients
- 1 cup red apple cored and diced (I used Honeycrisp)
- 1 cup red or green grapes halved
- 1 cup sliced celery
- 2 cups cooked chicken diced
- ¼ cup walnuts pieces
- ¼ cup onion minced
- ⅔ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- Dash black pepper
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a bowl and toss lightly to coat.1 cup red apple, 1 cup red or green grapes, 1 cup sliced celery, 2 cups cooked chicken, ¼ cup walnuts, ¼ cup onion, ⅔ cup mayonnaise, ¼ teaspoon salt, Dash black pepper
- Serve on a bed of lettuce.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Christy
Love this recipe . Because the apple and grapes are sweet I like a little zing to my dressing so I add 2 tsp of Dijon mustard and 2 tsp of lemon juice. I also add dried cranberries if I have them.
Sula
Oh yum, dried cranberries make everything better I swear! Thank you for sharing and for the kind review 🙂
Gen
I just love the balance of textures & flavors here, especially the grapes! This was really delicious and perfect for a work lunch that felt like a treat.
Sula
Thank you Gen, it really DOES feel like a treat!
Jennifer
I loved the crunchy sweet fruit in this salad! I made it as a sandwich but it is so good all on its own! Great recipe!
Sula
Yes I love chicken salad on a croissant, but this one is good enough to eat on its own!
Kris
The walnuts added such a nice crunch! We found it rather refreshing and well-balanced. Will make again!
Sula
Thank you Kris for the kind review!
Anne
This makes a tasty lunch! I love the idea of adding grapes to a Waldorf salad and they make it sweet but not too sweet.
Sula
Agreed! They add just the right touch!
Healing Tomato
I have tried the original waldorf salad, so I was so excited to see this version. It turned out great and it was so easy. I made it without the chicken and my friend made it with the chicken. She raved about this salad too. We are always looking for easy salads to make, so we bookmarked it.
Sula
Easy salads are always a win!