This Grape Pecan Chicken Salad is perfect for taking to any party or picnic. Eat it on a sandwich or eat it plain. Either way, you will fall in love with it.
So, the first time I had this particular chicken salad was at a church baby shower. I had asked our pastor’s wife if she wouldn’t mind making a bowl of the salad since I had heard everyone raving about hers.
After one bite I had to agree with everyone. It was so good!!!
After the shower I took home a container of extra salad so that my hubby could try it. He went bananas over it. Now part of the flavor came from the bread she brought with it. It came from a local bakery, and it had a little bit of kick to it. So scrumptious!!!!
I just knew that I wanted to make this again for our family. So I called her up and asked if she wouldn’t mind sharing the recipe. I had my pen in hand, and I was ready for the family secret.
She laughed and told me it was just one she had found online a few years ago. Everyone loved it so much that she had continued to make it for dinners and showers.
Seriously???? That’s it? Just a random recipe from online?
I was sort of disappointed that it wasn’t some family recipe that had been handed down through the years. I thought I was on to some secret recipe.
Not that I was planning on keeping it a secret because I love to share fun and new recipes here on the blog. You guys need to enjoy these recipes too. Am I right?
Tips for making Grape Pecan Chicken Salad:
One of my favorite little tips for making this salad even easier is to use a rotisserie chicken from the store. We usually keep bags of the chicken in our freezer for easy meals like this Chicken Supreme Pasta Bake or these Bbq Chicken & Avocado Quesadillas. This time the bag of chicken was going into salad!
This recipe calls for a mixture of mayo and sour cream. But you can also use Greek yogurt, ranch dressing, or a mixture of any them.
The fresh dill gives this Grape Pecan Chicken Salad it’s unique flavor. You may think that it seems like a lot of dill, but when you use fresh herbs you use more.
If you are going to use dried dill for this recipe, you will only use about 1/3 of the amount. Dried herbs have a much more concentrated flavor, so you need to use less.
What do I do if I feel like it has too much dill?
If you make it and feel like the flavor of dill is overwhelming to you, here are a few things you can do to salvage the chicken salad recipe.
- Add more of the other ingredients to tone down the flavor.
- Give it time. Dill is actually an herb that looses strength over time. Refrigerate the chicken salad overnight, and the flavor of the dill may be toned down enough for it to be palatable for you.
- Vinegar can neutralize the flavor of dill, so stir in a little bit of vinegar at a time to the chicken salad until you like the taste.
More chicken salad recipes that you may like:
Hawaiian Chicken Salad – juicy pineapple, crunchy nuts, and spicy peppers mixed with chicken and Greek yogurt makes a delicious and healthy salad
Cherry Walnut Chicken Salad – fresh cherries, cilantro, and walnuts give this salad a delicious twist
Fiesta Chicken Salad – corn, beans, spicy tomatoes, and cilantro give this chicken salad a good Tex Mex flavor
Apple Cranberry Turkey Salad – apple chunks, dried cranberries, and parsley are a great combo. (You can also use chicken in place of the turkey.)
Looking for more ways to use up leftover chicken? You should check out these delicious looking recipes from my friends.
- Avocado Ranch Chicken Salad Wrap from Spend with Pennies
- Quick Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls from Crunchy Creamy Sweet
- Asian Chicken Cranberry Salad from Reluctant Entertainer
I was craving another big bowl of this Grape Pecan Chicken Salad for dinner again, so I headed to the store right away and got the rest of the ingredients.
This is so easy to make, and it makes a giant bowl of chicken salad. It’s perfect for eating with bread or on green salads all week long. Well, it it lasts that long. We usually finish off a bowl in about 2 days with five people munching on it.
What do you serve this Grape Pecan Chicken Salad on?
- Bread
- Crescent Rolls
- Hawaiian Rolls
- Crackers
- Pretzels
- Salad
- Lettuce Wraps
- Tortilla Shells
Of course, my new favorite way to enjoy this chicken salad is with pretzel crackers. Seriously. You have to try it because you may never use bread again.
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Grape Pecan Chicken Salad
Dill and red grapes add a fun and delicious flavor to this Grape Pecan Chicken Salad. Perfect for sandwiches or salads.
Ingredients
- 6 cups cooked chicken, shredded
- 1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans
- 2-3 stalks of celery, chopped fine
- 4 cup halved red seedless grapes
- 1 cup finely diced fresh dill (loosely packed)
- 1 cup sour cream* (see note below)
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Stir together the chicken, celery, grapes, and pecans.
- Whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, dill, salt, and pepper. Pour into the chicken mixture and stir until completely covered.
- Refrigerate at least 2 hours for the flavors to develop. Serve with bread or pretzel crackers.
Notes
*Recipe slightly adapted from cooks.com
**To make this lower in calories, substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 221Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 178mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 9g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
Flory says
hmmm looks yummy! i’d like to try this one…thanks for visiting my blog btw…following you back! happy Tuesday!
flory
Kathryn Bentley says
What’s the calorie count per serving?
Jocelyn says
I don’t calculate the calories on my recipes. You can copy and paste the recipe into an online tracker if you like.
Lillian Carpenter says
I took a look at the calorie intake. I searched for calories in each ingredient and figured it 2 ways using 12 servings. The first way was using chicken breasts and all other ingredients as listed and I got about 367 calories. The 2nd way was with chicken breasts again but using only 1 cup of pecans, lite mayo, lite sour cream (not fat free) and I got 295 calories for 1/12 of recipe. I do this on a lot of recipes and it only takes a few minutes.
Roberta says
I had my first onoe from a fast food place years ago and I’ve made it many times since. The only thing different I do is: I TOAST* my pecans, add 1/4 – 1/2 C. chopped onions and I use Miracle Whip, instead of mayo. I also chop my celery into smaller pieces. Makes a GREAT and filling sandwich!
*I toast pecans for every recipe I have. Incredible flavor!
Jocelyn says
I agree that toasting the pecans adds more flavor. But for salads like this I tend to not toast them. It’s just a personal preference.
Kathy Carlson says
Yum, Costco sells pkges of rotisserie chicken already off the bone. I’m not fond of dill. I think I’ll try curry powder. Thanks for sharing, (it’s 8 AM & I want some now! LOL!)
Jocelyn says
No way?!?!?! I had no idea Costco sold it that way. I’m totally checking that out when I go there the next time. And I think curry powder sounds great in this too. Just add a little bit at a time until you get the taste you like!
Chef Dennis says
I just love good chicken salad…and not everyone can make it….yours looks absolutely delicious!!
Mr Monkey says
Cute blog – I’m a new follower of Tuesday Tag along. please follow me back.
Thanks, Mr. Monkey
http://laughingmonkeystick.blogspot.com/
Jennychick says
I love chicken salad, so I will have to try this. It looks soo good! I like the idea of a link up. I haven’t been able to be online a lot lately, but I’d like to participate if you keep doing it. I love the idea of sharing recipes, so I’ll have to be on the lookout for your other posts.
anythingbutperfect says
I totally agree with how good this is. I love this recipe on croissants in the summer. Delicious! Only if my husband liked it too! He thinks chicken and grapes just simply do not mix 😉
Julianne Hendrickson says
i would love to link up! i love chicken salad –this one looks incredible!! i have to say, i am partial to your desserts 🙂
Kristin says
Hey girl! I love chicken salad w/ grapes. I usually use almonds in mine, but it’s the same idea! Oh, and flipsides too…delish! Every time I eat them, I wonder: how do they make these?? Hope you’re enjoying your week so far! Always lovely to stop by and visit here 🙂
Kristie says
Thank you for the recipe!! I usually use almonds in my chicken salad but pecans would be great, too! Can’t wait to try this!
Kathy Gray says
Very similar to mine, need maybe 1/2 cup FINELY chopped sweet onion and be sure celery is chopped FINELY. Season w salt n pepper. Also use white grapes, tasting to be sure they are sweet! ,salad needs fridge overnite+ to get best flavor. Not for putting on bread, lettuce leaf only. Lightly seasoned buttery garlic toast,served along side. And a piece of room temp baby swiss like Lorainne cheese or Munster cheese.
Kelli says
Yumm!! I am definitely going to try that one =) Thanks for sharing! I wish I was home with all my stuff and then I would totally be linking up with recipes every week, but my cooking is pretty limited right now. I love reading your recipes though!!
Nancy says
I love chicken salad, so I’ll have to try this. Thanks!
I like sharing recipes or just reading what others post.
Have a great Wednesday!
Nancy
Jocelyn says
I make this chicken salad for my family and friends all of the time and they adore it….I even added a bit of curry to it several times and it gives it a whole new flavor..
I love the links and I love what you share with us!!! Keep them coming!!!
Wishing you a great day!!!
DORCAS says
I am so gonna do this! I will just have to omit the pecans! Allergies! But I think it will taste just as good. Thanks for sharing!
~blessings
Dorcas
Natalie Catherine says
delicious!! thanks for passing this along.. i’ve been wanting a good chicken salad recipe! mine is so boring. this sounds perfect!
Katie says
I love chicken salad, so naturally I love trying new chicken salad recipes. Such a great sandwich on a hot summer day!
Angie S says
i love chicken salad and will be trying this for sure! anything with dill has got to me yummy!
theultimate says
I’m vegetarian, but I think that my husband would love this recipe!
visitoardc says
This sounds soooooo delicious! I love the chicken salad from the Honeybaked Ham Cafe with the grapes in it and will definitely have to try this, too! Yum! Following from TTA. 🙂
Alicia says
Looks so good, I will have to try this one!
I enjoy your posts on recipes, I may forget to look on the side for the link up, I’m forgetful. 🙂
Serene is my name, not my life! says
As you know, I just started linking up. I’d love to keep doing it if you decide to continue!
Liz says
Looks yummy! You’ve posted like a million times since I’ve been on vacation. Just got back, but I love the recipe hop and will def join in if you keep doing it 🙂 Got my Etsy order in too, so cute! The girls always steal my headbands. Thanks again!
Sienna says
yummsters!! Thanks for linking up with What’s for dinner wednesday!
[email protected]
Sara says
This looks so good, I might try it!
amy lou says
I love a good chicken salad. I’ll be adding this to my list. I would like to make some now, but I’m at work.
I think you should keep the recipe link up and keep posting the things you make. It may take a few weeks for several entries, until people get used to it (or remember to do it) but I think it will be worth it.
I’ll keep participating. :o)
Michelle says
oh my! this sounds {and looks} so yummy!
Erin says
that looks yummy! I am going to have to make it!
[email protected] 21st Century Housewife says
What a lovely light chicken salad recipe – thank you for sharing it!
Adie says
I LOVE chicken Salad! Yummy, a must try (not to eat all of it ;))
kirsten michelle says
Ooh, I’m going to have to try this. I’ve be so addicted to chicken salad sandwiches since I’ve been pregnant. The recipe we’ve been using is very simple (but delicious), but this looks like something I’m going to have to try. Thanks for sharing!!
Sienna says
yum… thanks for linking up 🙂
Angela says
I am going to try adding sour cream…that looks great!
Evelyn @ Hanging by a Silver Lining says
Oooo! I always love your pictures! The ones of you in your headband on the above post are just lovely! How brave to post yourself! 🙂
Kentuckylady717 says
Love your blog, and this chicken salad sounds great….
Baxter'sMom says
I sometimes substitute drained mandarin orange slices or small cubes of Fuji apples for grapes; have always loved chicken salad with just celery and pecans, too.
caitlin says
I just made this today and I love it! I am obsessed with dill 🙂 I also added a green apple,and some chia seeds. I also substituted half the mayo for fat free greek yogurt.
Sharon says
I also add cooked pasta to this, makes a great lunch or dinner salad.
Rick says
How long do you think this would keep in the fridge?
Jocelyn says
I think it would be fine for a few days. It usually disappears within 2-3 days at our house, so I don’t know how it is after that.
KK Toohey says
I have been making this salad for many years and vary it with cashews and red AND green grapes. Mostly because of more colour. Serving on lettuce leaves also seems to be a big hit.
Sandi H. says
Can use hard boiled eggs instead of chicken for a vegetarian version!
Jocelyn says
You could…but then it would be egg salad.
Judi says
????????????
Jennifer Jones says
I wanted to make this for dinner tonight. Will it be ok if I don’t refrigerate it for the 2 hours?
Jocelyn says
It is fine to eat as soon as you make it. There have been plenty of times we just started digging in right away. Refrigerating it just helps to chill it and blend the flavors together a little more.
Barbara says
DELICIOUS. My only change was in using tarragon instead of dill, just because that’s what I had on hand. I move in a circle of friends where we “take a dish” to gatherings often. This will definitely be in the top 4 or 5 “go to” items to bring. Thank you Jocelyn.
Sue says
I love this salad. Been making it for years. Only thing different, I add chopped red onion.
patricia hill mclaughlin says
thanks for answering my question about onion.
Rosemary figueroa says
Live chicken salad finally got a recipe seems easy I do to own how to cook…yum can’t wait
Ruth says
A couple of bistros over the years have served this sandwich. It’s been called Martha’s Favorite and Turkey Delight. I like it served on a croissant roll. Very good and refreshing. The grapes add a little sweetness.
Yvonne says
Love this salad. I also add dried cherries and apples. Haven’t tried it with dill.
Kelly says
The dill is very good with this chicken salad, and i must say you can eat it just after making it, although, much better cold. I have also used cranberry raisins and some finely diced red onion. It is a fantastic recipe that is very versatile, also can add crumbled bacon just before serving!!
Cynthia says
Would like to make this today. Can o use canned Kirkland Boneless Chicken Breast?
Jocelyn says
I have never made this particular one with canned chicken, but I’m sure it would be fine. We usually buy a rotisserie chicken from Sam’s and use that. I hope you enjoy the salad.
Willsie says
This looks amazing – I would like to make for someone who has a mayo phobia (everyone has a quirk, right?) and was thinking of subbing out the mayo in favor of greek yogurt…any thoughts?
Jocelyn says
I have subbed out the sour cream for Greek yogurt before, but still had the mayo. I think it would be fine. What about using some Ranch dressing too?
Lisa Frey says
What kind of mayonnaise do you use? Kraft? Hellmans?
Jocelyn says
Honestly, I usually just buy whatever is one sale or the store brand.
Kelly says
Hellmans.
kathly cooper says
I will use this recipe but will use only mayo as I do not like sour cream or yogurt. I think it will be ok as I have done this with other recipes. Going to the store later and will get the supplies to make it. I live alone, so I guess I
will have a lot of left overs. But, you know, some food tastes better the next
day.
Andrea says
Kathly, I don’t like yogurt either but I have a pasta dressing recipe that asks for greek style mixed with mayo. You can’t even tell it’s there except for the tanginess. But I know everyone has a different palate.
Laurie Schmeltzer says
Is 1 cup of dill correct? It seems like a lot of dill.
Jocelyn says
Yes, it is correct. When you use fresh herbs, you can always use more. I felt that way at first too, but tried it and found out it was surprisingly amazing!!
Gayle Shannon says
It is WAY too much dill. I used 3 tablespoons (approximately) and that was enough dill.
Jocelyn says
Did you use fresh or dried dill??? Dried dill is very concentrated and you will only use a little. Fresh dill is very different in the fact that you use more.
Kim says
I used a1/4 cup dried dill weed was that too much?
Jocelyn says
Not at all. The ratio for switching fresh to dried is 1/3, so you could actually use 1/3 cup dried and it would still be awesome! I hope you enjoy the flavor of this chicken salad!
Glenna says
I make this, only instead of dill, I add a bit of Poppyseed Dressing with a bit less mayo and sour cream. The result is awesome!
Teri Cranson says
Being lactose intolerant with GERD issues, I am wondering if using a Lactose free Cottage Cheese rather than mayo or other such oily dressings would be acceptable. I would probably also include sunflower seed or sliced/toasted almonds for added crunch… I would also have to use either lettuce wraps, or some whole grain bun or flatbread with mine. I could see this with shredded carrots or dried apricots as well. To avoid unknown seasonings that may affect my GERD issues, I would probably roast my own bird, simple enough to do at home and probably less costly than purchasing pre cooked one… and use the carcass of course, to make soup or chicken & dumplings afterward. Just wondering if any else has any tips on these sort of recipes for those w/ GERD… I’ve dropped from a size 18 to an 8 over the past year as a result of this issue… added to stage iv breast cancer, so I am trying to keep up my strength!
Beverly says
How r u doing healthwise right now?
Cleo says
If you make this , can you freeze these , if you want to save some for later? Has anyone tried to freeze these?
Jocelyn says
I don’t recommend freezing this at all because of the sour cream and mayo. It would be better to just modify the recipe to only make what you can eat.
Karen Cooksey says
This looks yummy! I would probably roast the pecans just a smidgen and use a light olive oil based mayo and light sour cream! Fresh dill is my favorite and I five shelves of spices growing on a rack on my patio that prosper well in a southern climate! You have great ideas & recipes- thanks so much for sharing!
Pam says
Can Miracle Whip be used instead of mayo?
Jocelyn says
Yes, you can use spread in this that you like best. I hope you enjoy the chicken salad!
Bonita says
I use Tuna in place of the chicken & it’s delicious…omitting the dill…love it..
Nicole says
Does anyone have any recommendations to substitute for the sour cream that doesn’t have any dairy ingredients??
Jocelyn says
You can also just use all mayo or any dairy free ranch dressing alternative in place of the sour cream. I hope that helps.
Patricia Smith says
I use lactose free sour cream
Nicole says
Thank you!!
Margaret Whiteside says
I made this for the first time. I left out the dill, but added a little lemon juice squeezed into it. I honestly think that instead of mayonnaise, you could use Miracle Whip. I added purple grapes, toasted Pecans, celery, used rotisserie chicken from my local market, Duke’s Mayonnaise (which I prefer to any other brand), black pepper, and a little salt. My daughter has taken it to work for her lunch for two days on whole wheat bread with the potato salad I made. She loves it, and so do I. Will be trying out different things in it. Love it!
Jean kirschenheiter says
Hello, I’d like to make this for occasions and gatherings. How do I double the amount of food? And what kind of bread do you recommend? Thank you very much.
Jocelyn says
To double this recipe, just use 2 times the amount shown in the recipe. Or just make the recipe twice. As for the bread, I honestly think this chicken salad is amazing on just about anything. Depending on the occasion, maybe a crescent roll would be nice. For picnics, a heartier roll holds up well. I hope that helps. Feel free to ask any other questions.
Brian Brock says
Could I substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream?
Jocelyn says
Yes, you can. We do that sometimes too!
mindykeith says
i made this last week i use the 1cup of dill and all i tasted was dill i did not taste the chicken or the rest of the stuff in it .i think 1 cup of dill is too much so i am going to use less dill.but other then that its a good sumer dishes .
Jocelyn says
Did you use fresh or dried dill? Dried dill is way more potent than fresh, so you only use a 1/3 of the amount. If it was fresh, did you pack it in the measuring cup? Other than those two things, it could just be a preference thing. Most people love it this way, but you many need to adjust the amount to your taste.
Jennifer says
I have the same problem. I used 1/3 the amount because I used dried drill, and it is still overwhelming. Any ideas for how to salvage it?
Jocelyn says
I think dill is one of those flavors that some people are more sensitive to. There are a couple of options that you can do to salvage the recipe though. Dill actually loses it’s flavor the longer it sits, so it may taste better to you after refrigerating it overnight. The other options would be to add more of the other ingredients (chicken, grapes, pecans, mayo, sour cream) to tone down the dill flavor. Or the acid in vinegar can actually mask and neutralize the dill flavor, so you could stir in 1-2 Tablespoons of vinegar into the chicken salad now and see how it tastes to you. I hope one of those tips helps. Please keep me posted on what you do.
Sarah says
Hello, Can you leave out the pecans? My husband can’t eat nuts and is there anything else to use in there place?
Jocelyn says
You can totally leave out the nuts. You could always use a little extra celery and grapes if you wanted to sub something for the nuts.
lorena says
I have made this before with a slight variation. If you like curry, add about 1 tablespoon spoon yellow curry powder to mayonnaise mixture and instead of red grapes, use green and make chicken curry wraps. so delicious.
Teresa says
I figured you’d add chopped onion. Anyone tried it that way?
Karen says
I’m make mine with green onions instead of celery. We love it that way.
Patricia Noble says
Hi, how many does this recipe serve please, thanks
Jocelyn says
It really depends on how you serve it. The recipe yields about 12 cups of chicken salad.
Nina Hamilton says
I have to take a dish to a “Keto Only” birthday celebration at work. Does this qualify?
Jocelyn says
If you leave the grapes out of this salad it would be keto friendly.
Paula Brumley says
Calories per serving??
Jocelyn says
It’s about 220 calories for 1/2 cup serving. I just updated the recipe to show that! I hope you enjoy it!
Dave says
Made this last night, chilled, then had a sandwich for lunch. I’m 71 years old, male retired, and I like experimenting. I did cut the recipe in half, as It would take too long to eat. I will make it again, but thought I would add a little green onion tops.
Bee says
This is a wonderful version of chicken salad. I had it on a sandwich and my husband had it just in a bowl. He actually ate it right out of the bowl I made it in. 🙂
Suky says
This recipe seems similar to Panera bread napa chicken salad?
Jocelyn says
It might be similar, but I’m not quite sure what all is in their salad.
Andrea says
Would 5-6 chicken breasts be enough for the 6 cups of chicken needed?
Jocelyn says
I would think so, but I’m not 100% sure. I usually just buy a rotisserie chicken and shred the whole thing. I hope you enjoy the chicken salad!
Jamie says
How many people does this recipe serve?
Jocelyn says
I would say roughly 12 servings. It makes about 6 cups of chicken salad, so I would guestimate about 1/2 cup per person. I hope that helps and you enjoy the chicken salad.
Pam says
It was delicious! We loved it in the pretzel crackers, soft tortilla bread and toast. It made quite a lot and we will be enjoy finishing it up tomorrow for lunch!