A Great Fall Chicken Salad

Are you like me and love to have new options for fall lunches? A seasonal updo of traditional favorites? Simply lean into fall flavors to create a great fall chicken salad recipe to add to your menu.

This one was inspired by what was in my pantry.

Where do you begin with a fall chicken salad?

• Apples are in season in the fall that add a bright and new flavor to chicken salad. Whether you go to a local orchard, grocery or farmer’s market…these are a staple to add to so many recipes or as a snack this time of year.
• Let’s begin with your chicken. Usually? I have rotisserie chicken–deboned and skinned in storage bags either in my fridge or freezer to use for something on my menu plan during the week. However? A grocery run to Sam’s Club also keeps my pantry filled with cans of chicken, too. Although not as flavorful as a rotisserie chicken, these will work in a pinch.
• Nuts– choose those that are your favorites. For me? I keep both walnuts AND pecans in my freezer so that I can pull them out and add them to salads, breads or sides when needed.
• Seasonings– curry or warm flavors of fall are fun to add to chicken salad. Again, your choice.
• Mayonnaise– a little or a lot to get the consistency you desire works best for giving it a great chicken salad consistency.
• Eggs– we love diced, boiled eggs added to give it a little more texture and flavor.
• Relish– always a fan of sweet pickle relish added to chicken salad any time of year.
• Other items? sliced grapes, dried cranberries or raisins add another bit of sweetness and texture to the salad. You may not need the pickle relish if you add in these other fruits, Herbs to garnish. Great breads, lettuce, tomatoes or crackers are all great additions.

So–what are your favorite additions?

Here’s a simple recipe that you can use as a guide. Feel free to add more or less of any of the items and customize to make the best of the fall flavors into your salad.

Whether serving on a bed of lettuce, the last of a great in season tomato or with slices of apples, crackers or on y0our favorite bread, change it up to suit the season!

Fall Chicken Salad

Make a large dish of this fall flavor inspired chicken salad or a single serving to change up your menu for a great lunch offering.

5 from 1 vote

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Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 2 servings

Equipment

• 1 cutting board
• 1 knife
• 1 set measuring spoons/cups

Ingredients

  

• 2 C chicken, cut into bite sized pieces OR drained canned chicken
• 1 small apple, diced
• 1/2 C mayonnaise more or less to your liking- I'm still a fan of Miracle Whip with this recipe! You choose your favorite.
• 1 large egg–boiled, peeled, and diced
• 1/2 C walnuts or pecans, coarse chop
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 T red onion, finely diced, optional
• 1/4 t curry, optional more or less to your liking
• 1 T sweet pickle relish, optional if you use sliced grapes, raisins, or dried cranberries, you may not need the sweetness of the relish.
• 1/2 C diced grapes, dried cranberries or raisins, optional original Waldorf salads have sliced grapes…feel free to add them.

Instructions

 

• Add diced chicken to mixing bowl. If using canned chicken, drain before adding to bowl.
  
• Core and dice apple into bite sized pieces.
  
• Dice the celery.
• Coarsely chop favorite nuts.
  
• Boil the egg, peel and dice.
  
• In a separate bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, and other ingredients of your choosing, such as, curry to make the dressing.

  NOTE: You can add sweet pickle relish to the dressing, instead of grapes, raisins or dried cranberries, to add sweetness.
• Add dressing mixture, apple, celery, egg and nuts to the chicken and stir until well coated.

  NOTE: Feel free to add other optional items to suit your taste: red onion, dried cranberries, raisins, or sliced grapes.
  
• Garnish with your favorite herbs. Place on lettuce leaves or salad greens or a tomato. Serve with more apple slices, crackers or add to slices of your favorite bread.
• Best eaten same day of preparation.
  

Notes

Fall flavors of apples, nuts and your favorite seasonings make a great fall chicken salad.

• My favorite nut to use is pecans, but walnuts are great, too.
• Many will prefer a mayonnaise as part of the dressing…for me? I love the sweetness of Miracle Whip for this one. But, I have made it with mayonnaise, too.
• The crunch of the celery with the apples is a perfect blend. You decide which type of apple gives you your favorite flavor.
• If adding sliced grapes, dried cranberries or raisins, you may choose to omit the sweet pickle relish. Any will add a bit of sweetness and different flavors. I added all of the ingredients for this recipe except grapes, dried cranberries or raisins in my pictured recipe.
• NOTE: Feel free to add grapes to make it more like a true “Waldorf” salad.
• Curry is always a love or hate ingredient. Curry added also adds warmth and depth to the salad. It gives a great fall flavor with the apple to this recipe. 
• Diced red onion is an optional ingredient that just added another layer of flavor.

You choose if you omit ingredients that aren’t your favorite. Serve it on top of lettuce or tomato and with crackers or slices of apples or as a sandwich on your favorite bread.

Enjoy!

Keyword apple chicken salad, chicken salad with apples, curry waldorf salad, Fall chicken salad

Change up that great fall chicken salad by how you add it to your menu.

• Add it to different types of bread…maybe a walnut bread? sourdough? or whole wheat?
• Vary the type of apples to change the flavors–from a tart green to a sweet red?
• Different nuts will add a different flavor to the salad. Try toasting them before adding for even more great flavor.
• The type of chicken used–whether you roast, buy rotisserie, or used canned will also add a variance and change with each recipe created.
• If you aren’t a fan of pickle relish? leave it out.
• To add more sweetness, toss in dried cranberries, raisins or sliced grapes.
• For flavoring? If you aren’t a curry fan–add lemon zest instead. Oh, my!
• From different lettuces or in season ripe tomatoes still lingering to place beneath? All will add in different flavors. Even herbs that you choose for garnish.
• More vegetables? Feel free to add chopped cucumbers for something different. Even roasted vegetables tossed in might be fun.

Have I inspired you yet?

Chicken salad is truly one of my favorite go to lunches all summer long.

But, there’s something magical that happens when you add fall seasonal ingredients to the mix..right? I hope you enjoy giving this one a try.

Just use this as a template to add your favorites to create your own fall chicken salad. I’d love to know what made your version delicious in the comments.

These great fall plates or these are fun to use with this recipe if guests have their feet under your table…

Happy Fall Lunch, friends!

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