Enjoy the combination of tender chicken, crisp apples, juicy grapes, and crunchy walnuts with this Chicken Waldorf Salad recipe. This delightful dish is not only easy to make, but also offers a myriad of reasons why it will become your new favorite.
Waldorf salad is the best way to ease yourself into Fall flavors with it's full flavors and crunchy texture. This easy-to-follow recipe and step-by-step instructions will have you impressing your guests with this crowd-pleasing salad.
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Why you'll love this
Bursting with Freshness
This Chicken Waldorf Salad is packed with fresh and vibrant ingredients. The crispness of apples, the juiciness of grapes and the crunch of walnuts create a delightful texture that will leave you craving for more.
Quick and Easy
Prepare this salad in a breeze! With just a few simple steps, you'll have a wholesome meal ready in no time. Plus, it's a great option for meal prepping or a quick lunch on busy days.
History of Chicken Waldorf salad
The Waldorf salad is synonymous with the one and only Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City. The name that should be known when it comes to this salad is Oscar Tschirky, the maitre d’hotel, who created the salad in 1896 for what is now a dish served on menus across the United States.
Ingredients and substitutions for the best Chicken Waldorf salad
- Chicken: Free range chicken breast was used here because they include less hormones and water making the meat more flavorful. If you cannot afford free range, you can make the salad without chicken.
- Salad: Gem lettuce is nice and crisp but still has the flavor of plain old iceberg. The salad greens add a nice crunchy and variety with baby spinach, Swiss chard and arugula used here. You could absolutely substitute with a mixture of lettuces here, if you prefer. Make this your own!
- Apple: Crisp and juicy Jazz apples were used here, but Gala, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady or even Granny Smith’s would work perfectly here.
- Celery and grapes: The crunchy and sweet ingredients to make a Waldorf salad
- Mayonnaise: Kewpie mayo is the only one we have on hand in our house, but honestly, any full fat mayonnaise you have works great here.
- Olive oil and apple cider vinegar: Extra virgin olive oil was used with the fruity undertones complimenting the recipe for waldorf salad. The oil helps thin out and bind with the fat in the mayonnaise to create a smooth dressing. The apple cider vinegar adds the essential acidity and creates a full bodied dressing to give depth of flavor.
- Walnuts: Adding crunch, plain walnuts were used here, though you could substitute with pecans, if you prefer.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Chicken Waldorf Salad:
Cook the chicken breast: Heat a heavy based frying pan on medium until the chicken is lightly browned on both sides.
1
Base of the salad: Toss the lettuce and greens evenly over your serving plate.
Make the dressing: Place all the ingredients into a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
2
Cool and cut the chicken: Remove from the heat before cutting into cubes.
Plate the salad ingredients: Toss the cut celery, grapes, walnuts and chicken over the salad.
3
Apple quarters: Lay apples quarters on top and crumble the blue cheese over.
Drizzle: Finish with the dressing over the entire salad.
Serve immediately: Dig in!
Equipment needed to make this
Saucepan: A heavy frying pan or skillet cook our chicken nice and evenly.
Small bowl: To make the smooth dressing, a small bowl or pour jug works best here.
Chopping boards: To prepare all your produce ingredients and a separate one for the cooked chicken.
FAQ's for the best Chicken Waldorf Salad
Chicken Waldorf Salad stands out for its perfect balance of flavors and textures. The combination of tender chicken, crisp apples, juicy grapes, and crunchy walnuts creates a delightful eating experience. It's also quick and easy to make, versatile, and customizable to suit different preferences.
Absolutely! The Chicken Waldorf Salad recipe can be easily customized to suit your taste. You can add a squeeze of lemon juice for a tangy twist or incorporate greens like spinach or arugula for extra freshness. Feel free to experiment and make it your own!
Yes, Chicken Waldorf Salad can be a healthy choice. It contains fresh fruits, lean protein from the chicken, and heart-healthy walnuts. To make it even healthier, you can opt for low-fat mayonnaise or Greek yogurt in the dressing.
Yes, Chicken Waldorf Salad is suitable for meal prepping. You can make it ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to a day. Just remember to add the dressing right before serving to maintain the freshness of the ingredients.
Absolutely! Chicken Waldorf Salad can be an excellent choice for special occasions like picnics, parties, or potlucks. Its vibrant colors, refreshing flavors, and unique combination of ingredients make it a crowd-pleasing dish that will impress your guests.
More quick salads you’ll love
Chicken Waldorf Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 350 grams / 12.3 ounces chicken breast room temperature
- 2 heads Gem lettuce washed and roughly cut
- 150 grams / 1 bag mixed greens washed
- 2 celery stalks chopped into ¼ inch pieces
- 100 grams / ¼ pound grapes halved
- 50 grams / ½ cup walnuts halved
- 2 apples cored and finely sliced
- 30 grams / 2 tablespoons Blue cheese
Dressing
- 76 grams / ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 28 grams / 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 14 grams / 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Heat a heavy based frying pan on medium and place the chicken breast into the pan.
- Cook until lightly browned on both sides, approximately 12 minutes.
- Meanwhile, toss the lettuce and greens evenly over your serving plate.
- For the dressing, place the mayonnaise, olive oil and apple cider vinegar into a small bowl and whisk until it is smooth.
- Remove and allow to cool for 5 minutes before cutting into cubes.
- Place the chicken on top of the salad evenly.
- Scatter the celery, grapes and walnuts over the greens.
- Lay quarters of the apples on top and crumble the blue cheese over.
- Drizzle the dressing over the entire salad and serve immediately.
- Dig in!
Notes
- Chicken: Free range chicken breast was used here because they include less hormones and water making the meat more flavorful. If you cannot afford free range, you can make the salad without chicken.
- Apple: Crisp and juicy Jazz apples were used here, but Gala, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady or even Granny Smith’s would work perfectly here.
- Walnuts: Adding crunch, plain walnuts were used here, though you could substitute with pecans, if you prefer.
- Make ahead: You can make it ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to a day. Just remember to add the dressing right before serving to maintain the freshness of the ingredients.
Nutrition
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