Healthy Waldorf Chicken Salad Recipe

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Easy, creamy, and yes, even healthy, this Chicken Salad with Grapes and Walnuts makes a delicious lunch option. It has the delicious flavors and textures of the classic Waldorf salad, only this recipe uses protein-packed Greek yogurt instead of mayo. Use it on a sandwich, wrap, lettuce wraps, or even a big green salad!

The Best Chicken Salad Recipe

What is the best thing to do with leftover chicken? While I have lots of ideas for leftover chicken recipes, the tried and true go-to for many people is a basic chicken salad recipe.

Whether you have a few chicken breasts in the freezer that you can cook and shred, pick up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store or make your own Air Fryer Rotisserie Chicken, or even have leftover Rosemary Balsamic Roast Chicken, chicken salad makes a simple no-cook meal for hot summer days or when you just don’t have time to turn on the oven or stove. And it’s great to make a big batch to have on hand for lunches all week.

This easy chicken salad with grapes and walnuts takes some inspiration from the classic Waldorf salad, with a few tweaks and twists, including one important swap that makes it healthy too! And it can be mixed up in minutes with just a few basic pantry ingredients.

What is Waldorf Salad?

Waldorf Salad is typically an appetizer salad consisting of apples, celery, grapes, and walnuts tossed in a mayonnaise-based dressing that sometimes contains orange or lemon zest. It is usually served on a bed of greens. 

Ove the years, many have taken inspiration from this set of ingredients to make other dishes that still blend those sweet and savory flavors and creaminess with a nice bit of crunch for texture, like my favorite Waldorf Fruit Salad. One of the other ideas is a chicken salad with grapes and walnuts and even more!

Waldorf Chicken Salad

In this easy chicken salad recipe, you’ll find those grapes and walnuts which give you a pop of sweetness and something crunchy. Though admittedly I did skip the raw celery.

However, the big change is using Greek yogurt instead of mayo. It makes it lighter and packed with even more protein, but it still has the creaminess you crave. The addition of mustard to the dressing balances the sweetness, as does the ever so slight hint of onion from a bit of chive

What You’ll Need

Many of the ingredients for chicken salad with grapes and walnuts are items you may already have on hand in your pantry and refrigerator. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full amounts and detailed directions. Here, I’ll give you a brief overview, but don’t miss my tips and serving suggestions.

• Greek yogurt: Be sure to use plain yogurt. Nonfat, low fat, or whole milk yogurt are all fine, depending on your needs and preferences.
• Dijon mustard
• Honey: You can also substitute pure maple syrup.
• Apple cider vinegar
• Chicken: You’ll need cooked chicken that you’v shredded or chopped into cubes. You can use leftover chicken or make it with that rotisserie chicken I mentioned earlier, or you can make Instant Pot Chicken Breasts.
• Grapes: I like red for the color, but green works fine too. Cut them in half or quarters based on their size and your preference.
• Chopped walnuts: Lightly toasted, if you like.
• Chives: Finely chopped or minced.
• Salt and pepper: To taste

How to Make Chicken Salad With Grapes and Walnuts

Make the dressing: In a large bowl combine the Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, honey, and apple cider vinegar. Stir it together until it is smooth.

Combine the rest: Add the shredded chicken, grapes, walnuts, and chives. Fold everything together until it is uniform.

Season and serve: Add salt and pepper to taste and serve right away or store covered in the refrigerator.

How to serve chicken salad

There are so many ways to enjoy this chicken salad with grapes. If you make a big batch, you can have it a different way every day!

• A classic sammie: The traditional way is to bite into a chicken salad sandwich. Buy or make some gluten free bread and pile it on with lettuce and tomato. You can even serve it in hot dog buns.
• Wrap it up. Stuff it inside some gluten free pita. Or enjoy a wrap using gluten free tortillas.
• Cut the carbs. Have this Waldorf Chicken Salad in lettuce wraps or pile it on top of a salad. If you need some additional dressing, this Creamy Greek Yogurt Maple Dijon Salad Dressing is a perfect match, or you can add a little punch of flavor with Greek Yogurt Blue Cheese Dressing.
• Scoop it up. You can even serve it at a party with crackers or celery sticks as part of a veggie platter.

Storing Chicken Salad

Keep your Waldorf chicken salad in an airtight container in the fridge. You can enjoy it for up to 3 to 5 days. After that, or if you notice any unusual odors or appearance, it should be discarded.

It should not be kept at room temperature any longer than 2 hours otherwise there is a risk of harmful bacteria, especially since this is a dish that will not be reheated.

I do not recommend freezing chicken salad with grapes and walnuts. The Greek yogurt in this recipe can separate and become watery, and some of the other ingredients will be mushy. While it would be safe to eat, it would not have an appealing texture.

Variations

Chicken salad is very versatile, so try some of these options to change it up.

• Add more crunch: Feel free to toss in some chopped apples or celery, much like the original version of Waldorf salad.
• Change the nuts: Chopped pecans are a great alternative to the walnuts.
• Give it something chewy: For little bursts of sweet-tart goodness, dried cranberries are a tasty addition.
• Add some punch. Minced red onions or sliced green onion instead of the chives.
• Make it cheesy: Cubes or shreds of cheddar or some crumbled blue cheese add a nice, tangy bite.

More Chicken Salad Recipes

• Waldorf Quinoa Chicken Salad
• Honey BBQ Chicken Salad
• Tzatziki Chicken Salad
• Bacon Ranch Quinoa Chicken Salad
• Honey Dijon Chicken Salad with Apples

4.3 from 4 votes

Waldorf Chicken Salad

Waldorf-ish Chicken Salad is a classic updated with Greek yogurt, and has the perfect mix of sweet & savory, with juicy grapes and the crunch of walnuts.

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Servings: 8

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Ingredients

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 4 cups shredded, cooked chicken (about 1-1 1/3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked)
• 1 cup grapes, halved or quartered
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 Tablespoons chopped chives, or more, to your preference
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

• In a large bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, honey, and apple cider vinegar and stir till combined.
• Add the chicken, grapes, walnuts, and chives, and fold together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Serve on a sandwich, salad, crackers, pita, etc.

Nutrition Facts

Waldorf Chicken Salad

Amount Per Serving

Calories 189 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 1g5%

Cholesterol 49mg16%

Sodium 187mg8%

Potassium 356mg10%

Carbohydrates 10g3%

Sugar 8g9%

Protein 20g40%

Vitamin A 70IU1%

Vitamin C 1.8mg2%

Calcium 50mg5%

Iron 0.7mg4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Author: Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: American

Keywords: chicken salad, gluten free dinners, gluten free lunches, kid friendly, salad, waldorf salad

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