Chicken and Apple Salad
I made this Chicken and Apple Salad on a total whim today and I’m SO glad I did. It is so delicious that I want to eat it every day for the rest of my life. And guess what? It’s so easy that I just might be able to.
Crunchy Chicken Salad with Apples and Cranberries
Have you seen what they charge per pound at the deli for chicken salad? It’s a lot… like there’s gold dust in there or something. So even though this salad has a few ingredients that are more on the expensive side, you’ll be saving a lot just by making it at home.
How to Get the Best Price on Chicken Breast
Chicken breast can be pretty expensive, so I always make sure to: A) I buy my chicken breasts in bulk, divide them and freeze them in bags of two. and B) only buy chicken breast when they’re on sale. Stash them in the freezer so you don’t end up having to pay full price later when they’re not on sale.
Can I Use Pre-Cooked Rotisserie Chicken?
Yes, absolutely. Rotisserie chicken is a great short cut, and this chicken salad is a great way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken. If using rotisserie chicken, simply pull the meat from the bone, remove the skin, and give the meat a rough chop. You’ll need about 2-2.5 cups chopped chicken for this recipe.
How Long Does This Chicken Salad Last?
Chicken salad is usually good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, but it can vary depending on the freshness of your chicken and the conditions inside your refrigerator. This salad should not be frozen.
You might also like Curry Chicken Salad.
Chicken and Apple Salad
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breast halves ($3.02)
- 2 small 3/4 lb. apples ($0.74)
- 1/2 medium red onion ($0.56)
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries ($0.28)
- 1/3 cup light mayonnaise ($0.56)
- 1/3 cup fat free plain yogurt ($0.21)
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard ($0.06)
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar ($0.04)
- to taste salt and pepper ($0.05)
Instructions
- Cook the chicken breast in a countertop grill, skillet, or oven. Whatever method is easiest for you. My George Foreman grill cooks a chicken breast in about seven minutes, so I did that. Allow the chicken to cool.
- Wash and dice the apples and onion into small pieces while the chicken is cooling.
- Dice the chicken and place it in a bowl along with the diced apples, onions, and dried cranberries.
- In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, dijon, and red wine vinegar. Add a healthy dose of freshly cracked black pepper and a dash of salt. Stir, taste, and adjust salt and pepper to your liking. Stir the dressing into the bowl of chopped goodies and serve!
Nutrition
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Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Chicken Salad with Apples – Step By Step Photos
I started with a chicken breast that I had in the freezer. I let it thaw in the refrigerator over night. I only had one but you should definitely use two. Look – I must have been really tired the day I packed up that chicken because I spelled “breast” as “brea5”. Interesting.
I find my little countertop grill to be the fastest, easiest way to cook chicken breast. Plus, it makes a nice golden crust on the surface. Whatever you do, make sure it’s completely cooked! Let the chicken cool down after cooking. (I’m making a half batch in the photos, so there is one chicken breast.)
After the chicken has cooled down some, cut or tear it into small pieces.
When the chicken is cooking/cooling, prepare the apples and onions. If you have a large apple, you may only need one. If you have a small onion, may use the whole thing. The amounts here are flexible.
Cut both into small pieces.
Place the diced apple, onion, chicken, and dried cranberries in a bowl.
The dressing is just these four items, plus a little salt ‘n pepper. You can use all mayo instead of half yogurt if you like but I’m trying to be healthy and I like the tang! Also, if you prefer a sweeter dressing, try adding a tablespoon of honey. Yummm.
Mix up the ingredients in a bowl and add salt and pepper to your liking.
Stir the dressing into the bowl of chopped goods and serve!
You can also try adding celery or nuts to this but I’m keeping it simple today!
You can make a wrap out of this Chicken and Apple Salad, top a spinach salad with it, or just eat it plain like I did!
This was delicious! I used leftover roasted chicken and everyone raved over this salad! Definitely a keeper 🙌
Try using miracle whip instead of mayo; love nuts in mine too; and sprinkle dill for added taste imo. Generally i dont add vinegar though.
I’m glad to see that one reviewer used raisins instead of cranberries. I have those in the house. Sounds delicious…will comment when I make this salad!
Easy & delicious! This recipe came in hand when I needed to quickly prepare lunch for the next day. Thanks for all of your great and helpful recipes!
On a month-long no-spend challenge over here! This was a great way to use up canned chicken that I had been sitting around in my pantry for too long (1 can is about 1 breast). I admit I added a pinch of sugar, but I don’t think it needs it. Once I ran out of bread for sandwiches, I mixed it in with some cooked penne for a sweeter, fruitier pasta salad.
Made this tonight and it was delicious! I cooked my chicken in the instapot for 8 minutes.
I love chicken salad and this was delicious! I added almonds and chopped celery for more crunch. I also used green onions since I didn’t have any red onion. Another fabulous recipe!
I made this to take for lunch at work and loved it! I added some peanuts in at the last minute before eating, and a squeeze of a lemon slice. Yum! This was a nice change from what I normally bring in for lunch.
This is AMAZING. I used a cast iron pan for the chicken as I don’t own a grill. Pounded thin about 5 min each side (I used olive oil, worked just fine for me), added honey to the dressing as per your suggestion, and swapped out the cranberries for raisins (personal preference). Overall though, what a delicious snack.
How long does it stay good?
Probably about 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Made this last night for dinner with a couple changes. My store didn’t have dried cranberries so I sliced some red grapes in half and threw them in instead. Also added a few chopped walnuts. Was delicious! Even my super picky husband loved it and took some with him to work today.
I don’t ever comment on recipes, but I made this tonight and it was absolutely amazing. It was a big hit even with the picky little eaters that I have. I just wanted to say thank you. I will definitely be trying more of your recipes…
How much would you consider a serving? About 1/2 cup?
Yep, you should get about 3 cups total.
Hi Beth
Your blog is my favourite one cause i’m following you all the way from Turkey.
And the other bloggers use a lot of fancy stuff which we don’t have over here.
But you just use everyday cheap stuff.
Amazes me every time.
Long post i know forgive me :-)
i did this amazing salad with green apples and spring onions but it was still delicious.