Chicken Waldorf Salad

Creamy, fresh, delicious, and full of flavor, this chicken Waldorf salad is perfect for a quick and easy lunch. Made with apple, walnuts, grapes, celery, and chicken breast and dressed with lemon and homemade mayonnaise.

Waldorf salad is a loved classic. It’s a deli favorite but it’s so easy to make at home.

Made with cooked chicken strips, this is a hearty salad that’s great for quick lunches. Made with a few simple ingredients, it’s simple but so tasty! Sweet grapes, earthy walnuts, and crunchy celery give this salad so much flavor and texture.

Be sure to try my Chicken Caesar Salad and Turkey Salad too!

Tools you will need

• Citrus juicer
• Sharp knife
• Apple corer

Ingredients for Waldorf salad with chicken

• Mayonnaise: This is what gives this salad it’s creamy texture. I prefer to use a full fat mayo for the best texture and flavor, but you can use a low fat one if you prefer.
• Lemon Juice: Just a little is used to add some acidity to balance out the flavors. Use fresh rather than bottled juice for the best taste.
• Apples: Use sweet apples and core and cube them. I like to use a mix of red and green to add color.
• Grapes: I use red seedless grapes and cut them in half before tossing with the other ingredients. You can use seedless green as well.
• Celery: Thinly sliced celery adds a great crunch to the salad.
• Walnuts: Coarsely chopped for texture and a delicious nutty flavor.
• Chicken: To make this salad more filling, cooked chicken strips are added for additional protein.

How to make chicken Waldorf salad

• In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
• Stir in the apple, celery, grapes, and walnuts into the waldorf salad dressing.
• Serve on a bed of fresh lettuce and top with cooked chicken strips.

Can you make it ahead of time?

This chicken Waldorf salad is best enjoyed on the day it is made as the apples can start to brown if it sits for too long. If you want to make it further ahead, leave the apples out and just add them in before serving. The salad will keep well, covered in the fridge, without the apples, for 3 to 4 days.

Why is it called Waldorf salad?

The original Waldorf salad recipe was first created at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City. It was served in 1896 at a charity ball. It didn’t contain nuts when it was first created, but walnuts were added early in the 1900s. Originally served as an appetizer or light meal, the addition of chicken in this recipe makes it more filling and hearty.

What do you serve it with?

I like to serve this on a bed of lettuce for a delicious light and warm meal. It’s also great served in wraps or sandwiches. Enjoy a chicken Waldorf sandwich with a side of sweet potato chips or homemade baked fries, and a light tomato cucumber avocado salad.

More Salad Recipes

If you loved this Waldorf chicken salad recipe, I am sure you will love these other easy main meal salads as well:

• Tuna Salad Sandwich
• Salmon Salad Sandwich
• Egg Salad Sandwich
• Chicken Caesar Salad
• Turkey Salad Sandwich