This chicken salad with grapes is creamy, crunchy, and just sweet enough to keep things interesting. It's the kind of no-cook recipe you can whip up in minutes. Serve it sandwiched in croissants, spoon it into lettuce cups, or eat it straight from the bowl; however you enjoy it, you'll go for seconds.
Serve alongside my baked potato, banana yeast roll, or butternut squash soup.
This Chicken Salad With Grapes Recipe is:
- Fast, fresh, and perfect for using leftover chicken or store-bought rotisserie
- The grapes, celery, and walnuts add crunch and sweetness in every bite
- The dressing is creamy without feeling heavy
- Easy to customize with simple swaps
- Great for meal prep, entertaining, or weekday lunch boxes
📃Ingredient Description
- Chicken: Use cooked Rotisserie chicken. Either shredded or cubed chicken. Shredded feels softer; cubed keeps things chunky.
- Grapes: Quartered red or green grapes add sweetness and freshness. Choose firm grapes so they hold up in the salad.
- Celery: Thinly sliced celery adds a crisp crunch to the salad.
- Red Onion: Diced red onion adds a mild taste and balances the creamy dressing. You can totally omit this if you don't like the taste of onion.
- Walnuts: Roughly chopped walnuts add a nutty, toasty crunch.
- Jarred Pickles ( plus brine): Chopped pickles add tang and saltiness; the brine brightens the dressing without extra acidity.
- Fresh Dill: Fresh dill lifts the flavor and gives that deli-style finish.
- Mayo: The creamy base of the dressing. Use your favorite brand for the best flavor.
- Sour Cream (or Yogurt): Lightens the dressing and adds a little tang. If using yogurt, plain Greek yogurt adds the best creaminess without overpowering the dressing.
- Mustard Grain (or Plain): Adds depth and a tiny kick. Grainy mustard adds texture; Dijon adds a smoother taste.
- Honey: Balances the tangy ingredients and blends out the flavor.
Please refer to the recipe card for the exact measurements.
💭Variations and Substitutions
- If you don't like walnuts or have one handy, swap for pecans, almonds, or sunflower seeds
- Replace grapes with chopped apples or pears
- Use all yogurt instead of mayonnaise for a lighter version
- Try flat-leaf parsley or chives instead of dill. (the taste will differ)
- Use leftover grilled or roasted chicken instead of rotisserie.
It's important to note that when making substitutions in recipes, the texture and flavor may be slightly different. However, these substitutes are the best options for changing the original recipe.
📝Step-by-Step Instructions
Detailed instructions are outlined in the recipe card below, but here are a few steps with visuals to guide you:
Step 1: Add the chicken, grapes, celery, red onion, walnuts, pickles, and dill to a large bowl.
Step 2: Using a spoon, combine and set aside.
Step 3: In a separate bowl, whisk together mayo, sour cream (or yogurt), mustard, honey, and pickle brine.
Step 4: Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture and gently fold to coat. Chill for 30 minutes, then stir and adjust seasoning before serving.
Top Tip
If you're going to make this recipe, make sure to follow this top tip!
- Cool chicken completely before mixing.
- Pat grapes and pickles dry to prevent watery dressing.
- Add nuts right before serving for maximum crunch.
- Give it a taste after chilling. Cold food sometimes needs a little more seasoning; adjust to taste.
- Start with most of the dressing, then add more if needed. I like mine creamy (as you can see from the photo above).
✅Recipe FAQS
This salad will last about 3-4 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Add nuts right before serving to keep them crunchy.
Warm chicken, wet grapes, or juicy pickles can thin the dressing. Make sure everything is dry and cooled before mixing.
Yes. Swap the mayo with Greek yogurt, sour cream, mashed avocado, or a mix of these. You may need extra mustard, brine, and seasoning for balance.
our favorite
Chicken Recipes
These are my easy go-to chicken recipes for when I am crunch for time
Have you given this recipe or any other from my website a try? Please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and sharing your experience in the 📝 comments section. Your feedback means the world to me, and I'm excited to hear from you!
PEACE & LOVE
Maureen
📖 Recipe
Chicken Salad with Grapes
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked rotisserie chicken cubed or shredded
- 1 cup seedless grapes quartered (red or green is fine), about 190 g)
- ½ cup celery from 3 small stalks
- ½ small red onion diced (60g)
- ½ cup walnuts roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup jarred pickles drained, chopped (plus 3 Tbs brine)
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill about 0.3 oz
- ¾ cup mayo
- ¼ cup sour cream or yogurt
- 1 tablespoon mustard grain or plain
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- ****If you don't like pickle brine, use about 1-2 tablespoons of lemon or lime juice.Add the chicken, grapes, celery, onion, walnuts, pickles (set aside the brine for the dressing), and dill into a large bowl.2 cups cooked rotisserie chicken, 1 cup seedless grapes, ½ cup celery, ½ small red onion, ½ cup walnuts, ⅓ cup jarred pickles, 1 tablespoon fresh dill
- Using a wooden spoon or salad spoon, give it a nice mix until all the ingredients are combined. Set aside.
- Whisk together the mayo, pickle brine, sour cream, mustard, and honey in a small cup or jar.¾ cup mayo, ¼ cup sour cream, 1 tablespoon mustard grain, 1 tablespoon honey
- Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture and gently fold to coat. Chill for 30 minutes, then stir and adjust seasoning before serving.Serve with crostini, crackers, and veggies, or sandwiched into a pita pocket or bread.Please refer to the body of the posts for more useful cooking tips, process shots, and serving options.
Notes
- Pat grapes and pickles dry to prevent watery dressing.
- Adjust the seasoning after chilling.
- Start with most of the dressing, then add more if needed.
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