Chicken Pecan Salad with Apples
This chicken pecan salad, just like Chicken Cranberry and Chicken Salad Pitas are fantastic throw together lunch or dinner. Use precooked chicken, crisp green apple, pecans, and a Greek yogurt/mayonnaise dressing for a tangy salad.
How will this chicken salad recipe make your life easier?
Meal plans are great, but we don’t always make them or are able to follow them. That’s why pantry meals are so important so we can eat something delish without much effort. That’s where this chicken pecan apple salad comes in, and other Pantry Meals.
If you have (or are building) a well stocked pantry, you can throw this easy recipe together. And as always, swap out ingredients for what you have. For example, green apples add a wonderful crunch and tang, but another type is good, or add dried fruit.
What makes this pecan chicken salad so good?
How do I make this apple pecan chicken salad?
Start making your chicken pecan salad by adding the dressing ingredients (Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, garlic salt, and Dijon mustard) to a medium sized bowl. Whisk together until smooth.
Next, add chopped cooked chicken, chopped pecans, apple, and celery. Mix together.
Taste and add salt/pepper if needed. If enjoying as a salad, I recommend doubling the yogurt and mayo so you have a dressing.
Substitutions/Tips
- Use rotisserie chicken or any type of pre-cooked chicken. You can also probably use tofu in this chicken pecan apple salad to make it vegetarian.
- I like a mix of plain Greek yogurt and mayo for a bit of tangy flavor, but you can just use yogurt or mayo if that’s all you have. If you have just mayo, but want some tanginess, add a dash of white or apple cider vinegar.
- Double the yogurt/mayo if making a salad, as it’ll act as a dressing, this is usually too drippy to enjoy as a sandwich or wrap.
- Make extra servings for leftovers. You can typically store leftover chicken pecan salad in an air tight container in the fridge for 5 days, but just use the sniff test (does it smell good?) to avoid wasting food as it can last longer.
- Other great add-ins: sliced green or red onion, swap the pecans for other chopped nuts, swap the apples for grapes or dried fruit, omit celery if you don’t have it.
FAQ
Yes, pecans are very good in chicken salad, really all nuts are good in chicken salad. Pecans are added to this chicken pecan salad recipe, it’s delicious.
My favorite added flavors to chicken salad are: mustard, Greek yogurt, and garlic salt. They add a nice flavor without overpowering the chicken. If you need more tang, add Greek yogurt or white or apple cider vinegar. Salt can also add flavor.
Yes, honestly it’s my favorite way to make chicken salad. It’s easy, doesn’t take much attention, and allows you to season your chicken salad however you want, I used boiled/steamed chicken to make this chicken salad.
How can I repurpose?
Serve your chicken pecan salad as a salad, sandwich, wrap, in a pita, with crackers, or however you want!
What can I make with leftover ingredients?
Did you make this chicken pecan salad? Leave me a comment & rating to share how it turned out!
Print
Pin
Chicken Pecan Salad with Apples
This chicken pecan salad, just like other chicken salad recipes are fantastic throw together lunch or dinner. Use precooked chicken, crisp green apple, pecans, and a Greek yogurt/mayonnaise dressing for a tangy salad.
Equipment
-
cutting board
-
knife
-
medium mixing bowl
-
small whisk
-
rubber spatula
Ingredients
- 1.5-2 Tablespoon Plain Greek yogurt or regular plain yogurt
- 1.5-2 Tablespoon Mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic salt
- ½ whole Chicken breast about 2 ounces
- ½ cup Granny smith apple chopped
- ¼ cup Celery chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Pecans chopped
- Optional: lettuce, bread, pita, etc for serving
Instructions
-
Add dressing ingredients to medium sized mixing bowl: 1.5-2 Tablespoon plain Greek yogurt, 1.5-2 Tablespoon mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, ¼ teaspoon garlic salt. Whisk until smooth.
-
Add chopped pre-cooked chicken breast (about ½ whole breast), ½ cup chopped granny smith apple, ¼ cup chopped celery, 1 Tablespoon chopped pecans to dressing mix. Stir together with rubber spatula or spoon.
-
Serve over lettuce, as a sandwich, wrap, or pita. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use rotisserie chicken or any type of pre-cooked chicken, or probably even tofu for a vegetarian version.
- Just use yogurt or mayo if that’s all you have. Add a dash of white or apple cider vinegar to mayo if you want it a bit tangier.
- Double the yogurt/mayo if making a salad, it’ll be your dressing, this is usually too drippy to enjoy as a sandwich or wrap.
- Make extra servings for leftovers. You can typically store leftover chicken pecan salad in an air tight container in the fridge for 5 days, but just use the sniff test (does it smell good?) to avoid wasting food as it can last longer.
- Other great add-ins: sliced green onion, swap the pecans for other chopped nuts, swap the apples for grapes or dried fruit, omit celery if you don’t have it.
Want to get more single serving recipes like this chicken pecan salad delivered to your inbox? Click here to download my Single Serving Cookbook.
Recipes are great, but you’ll need a simple 3 step process to create a meal plan that make cooking easy & helps you stop wasting food. Check out this expertly developed meal planning guide to get started.