Chicken Pecan Salad fresh (Printable)

Tender chicken combined with toasted pecans, apples, celery, and a creamy dressing for a satisfying meal.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Protein

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded (10.5 oz)

→ Nuts

02 - 3/4 cup pecan halves, toasted and roughly chopped

→ Fruits & Vegetables

03 - 1 large apple, cored and diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
05 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced

→ Dressing

06 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise
07 - 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
08 - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
09 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
10 - 1 teaspoon honey
11 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish (optional)

12 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
13 - Mixed salad greens, for serving

# How to Prepare:

01 - Toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until fragrant. Remove and allow to cool, then chop roughly.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked chicken, toasted pecans, diced apple, sliced celery, and finely diced red onion.
03 - In a separate small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, honey, salt, and black pepper until smooth.
04 - Pour the dressing over the salad mixture and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
05 - Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed for balance.
06 - Serve chilled or at room temperature over a bed of mixed salad greens. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 30 minutes and tastes like you've been thinking about dinner all day.
  • The balance of creamy, crunchy, sweet, and tart makes every bite interesting without any single flavor shouting too loud.
  • It's flexible enough to meal prep on Sunday, elegant enough to serve at lunch with friends, and forgiving enough to handle whatever you have in the fridge.
02 -
  • Don't make the dressing more than a few hours ahead—the lemon juice will start to break down the mayo and make it look separated and sad, even though it'll taste fine.
  • If you're meal prepping this, keep the dressing separate and dress it right before eating, otherwise the apple will release water and the whole thing gets soggy by Wednesday.
03 -
  • If you're making this and the dressing breaks or looks separated, whisk in a tablespoon of cold water at a time until it comes back together—this saved me more than once before I understood what was happening.
  • The difference between this tasting good and tasting memorable is in the quality of the mayo and the freshness of the lemon; these two things are worth not skimping on.

Go Back