Chicken Waldorf Salad

Chicken Waldorf Salad is a spin on a classic chicken salad made with tender chunks of chicken, apples, grapes, walnuts, celery, and a bright, light dressing.

This lightened-up chicken salad recipe is filled with flavor and texture! It is one of our favorite leftover rotisserie chicken recipes.

What is a Waldorf Salad?

The classic Waldorf Salad was named after the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel where it was first served in the late 1800s. It is traditionally made with grapes, walnuts, apples, and celery, and dressed with a mayonnaise-based dressing.

Waldorf Chicken Salad

My recipe for Waldorf Chicken Salad is made with grapes, walnuts, apples, celery, and tender chicken with a lightened-up yogurt-based dressing.

It is creamy, crunchy, fresh, hearty, and full of protein and flavor.

This Waldorf Chicken Salad with grapes is a fabulous way to use leftover baked chicken breast or leftover rotisserie chicken and makes a simple, flavorful lunch or sandwich filling.

Notes on Ingredients

• Chicken: Use any leftover chicken you like for this recipe, such as leftover Rotisserie Chicken, Instant Pot Whole Chicken, Baked Chicken Breast, or Instant Pot Chicken Breast.
• Apples: I prefer a sweeter apple, like Gala or Honey Crisp, in this recipe but if you like tarter apples like Granny Smith apples, that will work as well. There is no need to peel the apples. Simply wash well and add to the chicken salad. The skin adds color and nutrients to the chicken salad.
• Grapes: I often opt for red grapes for this chicken salad, as they lend more sweetness and color. Feel free to use green grapes if that is what you have on hand.
• Celery: By all means, if you do not care for celery, you can omit it. However, the tiny bit of crunch and burst of freshness that the celery adds really helps to complete the dish.
• Toasted Walnuts: Feel free to omit nuts if you need a nut-free chicken salad recipe. Slivered almonds also work well in place of walnuts.
• Waldorf Chicken Salad Dressing: Made with a combination of mayonnaise, plain Greek yogurt, fresh lemon juice, and salt and pepper, this dressing is simple, bright, and light.

How To Make Waldorf Salad with Chicken

• In a small mixing bowl, combine the Waldorf dressing by mixing together the mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice, and salt and pepper together.

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the apples, diced chicken, celery, grapes, and walnuts.

• Pour the prepared dressing over the chicken mixture and toss until evenly distributed.
• Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.  

Serving Suggestions

• Serve on sliced Whole Wheat Bread or Cranberry Walnut Bread for an additional punch of flavor.
• Serve the chicken salad on top of greens with additional grapes and walnuts.
• Serve on a tortilla with greens for a healthy chicken wrap.

More Healthy Lunch Recipes

• Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
• Easy Avocado Tuna Salad
• Avocado Chickpea Salad
• Buffalo Chicken Salad

If you gave this Waldorf Chicken Salad a try, I would love for you to leave a comment below.