This Chicken Apple Salad recipe has plenty of crunch and flavor.
You can eat chicken salad served over lettuce leaves or tucked into two slices of bread for a sandwich. It’s the kind of salad I like to make and keep in the fridge for a couple of days. Spoonfuls of it here and there satisfy snacking. Try using it as a dip with wheat thins- so delicious!
Ingredients needed:
- chopped, cooked chicken
- chopped celery
- sliced green onion
- mayonnaise
- dried basil
- lemon zest
- salt
- chopped apple
- chopped, toasted pecans
How to make Chicken Apple Salad:
The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post.
When ready to serve, stir in the chopped apple and pecans (if using).
How to toast pecans:
Spread the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir or shake the pan occasionally so the nuts brown evenly without burning.
Alternately, you can toast pecans on the stovetop. Toast the pecans in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned (one shade darker than they originally were) and fragrant, about 2 to 5 minutes.
Serve over greens to make a salad or on bread to make a sandwich. It’s especially delicious on a croissant sandwich!
I love the lemon zest added to the salad. It gives it a bit of bright flavor. And the crunch of the apples and pecans is delicious too. If you don’t care for pecans, it’s okay to substitute almonds. I’d use slivered almonds for this recipe. Enjoy!
The Best Salad Recipes:
- Best Spinach Salad Recipe
- Three Bean Salad
- Watermelon, Cucumber and Feta Arugula Salad
- Strawberry Avocado Salad with Balsamic Chicken
- Summer Italian Spaghetti Salad

Chicken Apple Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
- ½ cup chopped celery
- ¼ cup thinly sliced green onion
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup chopped apple (no need to peel)
- ⅓ cup chopped toasted pecans, optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, stir together the chicken, celery and green onions.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, basil, lemon zest and salt. Add the mayonnaise mixture to the chicken mixture. Toss to coat. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
- When ready to serve, stir in the chopped apple and pecans (if using). Serve over greens to make a salad or on bread to make a sandwich.