Chicken Salad with Grapes

Name: Chicken Salad with Grapes
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 cold rotisserie chicken breasts (cooked), skin removed (or leftover chicken breasts); 2 cups seedless red grapes, halved; ½ cup finely diced celery; ¼ cup fresh chopped Italian parsley; ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped; ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts; ¾ cup mayonnaise (plus more to taste); Salt and pepper to taste

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Chicken salad is one of my favorite things in this world, and this Chicken Salad with Grapes is my go-to recipe!

This one has it all! It’s fresh, creamy, and crunchy. Because it’s make-ahead friendly, it’s is great for meal prep or perfect for quick grab during those busy days.

It comes together in just 15 minutes. This chicken salad with grapes dish is also the perfect way to use any leftover chicken!

a bowl of creamy chicken salad with grapes and a side of croissants

If you know me, you’ll know that I am a huge, huge fan of chicken salads of any kind, but this chicken salad with grapes recipe will forever be my number 1, followed, of course, by my Curried Chicken Salad.

Adding red grapes is a great way to incorporate freshness and sweetness that balances everything out.

As you’d expect, it’s make-ahead friendly, so it makes a great lunch option, just like my Asian Chicken Salad, Avocado Tuna Salad, Spinach Egg Salad, and Moroccan Couscous!

You’ll love the crunch that the celery and pecans add to this chicken salad with grapes, as well as the fragrant flavors from the fresh herbs. For creaminess, I use mayonnaise, but Greek yogurt also works if you want to keep it lighter. It’s seriously PACKED with so much goodness!

I use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken breasts here, so it’s essentially a no-cook salad recipe that comes together in under 15 minutes!

Why I’m in LOVE with this chicken salad with grapes:

Lots of amazing texture and flavor: This salad is creamy, crunchy, and incredibly fresh-tasting!
Red grapes add a nice touch of freshness and sweetness that elevate this dish.
It’s quick and easy! Use leftover or rotisserie chicken to keep it simple. Just chop, mix, and serve.
Great for lunch or meal prep: In my opinion, this chicken salad with grapes tastes best the next day, after all the flavors have had a chance to come together. I always love an easy make-ahead recipe!

Ways to Cook Chicken for Chicken Salad

The easiest way to make this recipe is to use cold rotisserie chicken breasts. I always buy the chicken the day prior.

If you prefer to cook the chicken at home, follow my pan-seared chicken breast recipe or you can grill this lemon marinated chicken. Remember to let it cool down completely before adding all the chicken salad mix-ins.

Leftover chicken also works great. Whenever I have leftovers from my Dutch Oven Roast Chicken, Lemon Roasted Chicken, or Chicken Kabobs…they turn into this amazing chicken salad with grapes!

You can also bake them! Season with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the center registers 165 degrees F.

Alternatively, poach the chicken. Place the chicken breasts and add enough broth to fully submerge. Simmer on low for about 12 minutes until the center reaches 165 degrees F.

Another option is using your pressure cooker. Combine the chicken breasts with seasonings and 1 cup of broth or water in the pressure cooker. Pressure cook for 10 minutes on high, and then do a 5 minute natural release followed by a quick release.

side view of a bowl of fresh chicken salad with grapes

Ingredient Notes

The ingredients in this chicken salad with grapes recipe are pretty simple and straightforward. Here are a few helpful notes on each ingredient. As always, the quantity list can be found in the recipe card down below.

Cooked chicken breasts: For 6 servings, use two chicken breasts. Rotisserie chicken is my go-to.
Celery, small-diced: Celery adds tons of amazing crunch!
Seedless red grapes, halved: I like to use red grapes rather than green grapes because they tend to be sweeter and add a nice pop of color.
Fresh dill and Italian parsley: FRESH herbs add so much freshness and fragrant flavors. Don’t use dried herbs – it’s just not the same.
Chopped pecans: Nuts add crunch and flavor. Other options are walnuts, almonds, or cashews.
Mayonnaise: Mayo works great for creaminess and flavor, but you may also use plain Greek yogurt. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Step-by-Step Tutorial

Making this chicken salad is really as simple as 1-2-3! Simply chop, combine, and serve. Here’s a quick tutorial!

Step 1 | Prep all the ingredients

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients. Quick note: You can either dice or shred the chicken.

a bowl with chopped chicken salad ingredients

Step 2 | Combine

Use a spoon to mix all the ingredients until evenly combined. Adjust seasoning to taste. If you want it extra creamy, add more mayo or Greek yogurt to taste.

mixing all chopped ingredients with a rubber spatula

Step 3 | Serve

I like to refrigerate the salad for about 1 hour before serving – I think it tastes better cold. Serve as a sandwich, on croissants, lettuce cups, or on a bed of greens. The possibilities are endless!

How to Serve Chicken Salad

I’ve made this chicken salad with grapes more times than I can count, and I’ve served it so many ways. Here are some of my favorites:

Make a sandwich! Use your favorite bread and, for toppings, add lettuce, greens, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado or microgreens.
On croissants: A classic combo!
On lettuce cups: Boston lettuce, bibb lettuce, romaine lettuce.
Over a bed of mixed greens for a low-carb option.
Make wraps! I LOVE making chicken wraps for lunch. Lately I’ve been loving these Chicken Caesar Chicken Wraps, but this chicken salad would also make a great wrap!

Make Ahead

Make it up to 3 or 4 days in advance and keep refrigerated. In fact, it will only get better the longer the flavors have time to come together. I personally think it tastes best the next day.

Recipe Variations

Gosh, there are SO MANY ways to customize this delicious chicken salad with grapes!

There are 3 key things that make this chicken salad really good: crunchiness, freshness, and creaminess. You can substitute ingredients or add extra ones that maintain each of those characteristics.

For crunchiness: Walnuts, almonds, cashews, apples.
For freshness: Diced apples, other fresh herbs, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
For creaminess: Ripe avocado, Greek yogurt, sour cream.

If you’re looking for more chicken salad ideas, check these out:

Recipe FAQs

Can I use leftover chicken?

Yes, absolutely! Leftover chicken works incredibly great for this recipe.

Should I dice or shred the chicken?

Either way works.

Should I serve it cold or warm?

It’s usually served cold.

Can I freeze it for later?

No. Mayonnaise or Greek yogurt don’t freeze well. Make it up to 3 or 4 days in advance and refrigerate in an air-tight container.

What can I use instead of mayonnaise?

Greek yogurt or sour cream, or a combination of these and mayonnaise. Adjust seasoning as needed, as yogurt and sour cream have less flavor.

diced chicken with grapes, mayo, celery, walnuts, and fresh herbs

This recipe was published in 2020 and updated in April 2023 to include new photos and information, plus a few recipe modifications.

Tips for Success

Use seedless red grapes for best results. I always opt for red grapes rather than green grapes because they tend to be sweeter.
Chicken salad is a great way to use leftover or rotisserie chicken. Make sure the cooked chicken is cold before using. You can either dice into cubes or shred it.
Make it ahead, up to 3 or 4 days in advance. It always tastes better the next day, after the flavors have a chance to truly come together.
Chicken salad is best served cold. I’d recommend refrigerating it for 1 hour before serving, but it’s up to you!
There are so many ways to serve: with your favorite bread, croissant, lettuce cups, over a bed of greens, etc.

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5 from 4 votes