Apple Walnut Chicken Salad

A creamy and refreshing Apple Walnut Chicken Salad with crunchy apples, toasted walnuts, and a tangy dressing - perfect for sandwiches, wraps, or enjoying on its own!

Course Main

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword bbq recipes, gluten-free recipe, picnic recipes, salad recipe, summer salad

Prep Time 15

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 277kcal

Author Erin Dooner

Ingredients

Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice or white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Salad:

2/3 cup walnuts roughly chopped
3 cups cooked chicken diced or shredded
1/2 cup celery diced
1/3 cup red onion or green onion or white onion, diced
1 1/4 cups diced apple about 1 medium Fuji

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Toast chopped 2/3 cup walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and fragrant. Or spread chopped walnuts on a baking sheet and toast in a 350 °F (175 °C) oven for 5-10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until golden and fragrant. Cool while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper until smooth and well blended.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together 3 cups cooked chicken, cooled 2/3 cup walnuts, 1/2 cup celery, 1/3 cup red onion, 1 1/4 cups diced apple and stir in the dressing.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld before serving.
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Do not freeze!

Notes

Using only mayonnaise in the dressing can make it too rich without enough acidity to balance the flavors. If sour cream or Greek yogurt isn’t available and you need to use just mayonnaise, consider adding extra vinegar to enhance the tanginess.
If you don't want to use walnuts, you can use pecans, cashews or almonds.
Fuji apples are my go-to for this salad, but any firm and crunchy variety will work well. Honeycrisp, Gala, and Granny Smith are excellent alternatives. If using Granny Smith, consider cutting back the vinegar by ½ tablespoon to balance the extra tartness.
I prefer keeping the apple skin on for a pop of color and extra fiber, but if you’d rather have a smoother texture, feel free to peel them.
Nutritional info is just for the chicken apple walnut salad - not the croissant.

Nutrition