Chicken Waldorf Salad

There is something so satisfying about the simple combination of sweet apples, crisp celery, and mayonnaise in my Chicken Waldorf Salad.

You’ll love how easy this salad is to bring together and the poppy seed dressing is a unique but super delicious spin.

And if you love chicken salad you’ll have to try my Buffalo Chicken Salad and my Chicken Cobb salad too!

Chicken salad is great because there are so many variations to suit your taste buds. In this salad I added in sweet and juicy red grapes, lemon juice, chives, three heaping cups of diced chicken and the earthy, buttery, complex flavors of walnuts.

The simplicity of dressing in the original Waldorf salad is just mayonnaise, salt and pepper,  which added to the success of this salad. But throughout the 130 years of this salad being made, the dressing has also been dressed up!

In my dressing I Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar and poppy seeds to create a creamy dressing with a slight spicy tanginess that compliments this classic salad.

Ingredient Notes

For the ingredient measurements and entire recipe, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the blog post where the recipe card is located.

• Chicken: for the quickest and most convenient option I like to use a rotisserie chicken. I use both white and dark meat and cut it into cubes. You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or whatever leftover chicken you may have. There is no need to worry about the chicken being dry because the yummy poppyseed dressing keeps everything well coated and moist!
• Apple: adds a pop of color and crunch! I like to use Granny Smith since it is tart.
• Grapes: The Waldorf salad originally didn’t include grapes, but over the years it was added in. Most commonly you’ll see red grapes used, but you can also use green if you prefer.
• Nuts: feel free to use walnuts or pecans. They add a nice texture to the salad.
• Celery: celery adds that classic crunch to chicken salad. If you’re not a fan of celery you can use bell peppers!
• Lemon Juice: fresh lemon juice brightens up the salad.
• Dressing: the poppyseed dressing is mayonnaise based and uses a little milk, Dijon mustard, poppyseeds of course, apple cider vinegar, and sugar.

Step by Step Directions

For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the bottom of the blog post to the recipe card.

1. Whisk together the ingredients for the poppy seed dressing.
2. Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Add dressing and toss to combine.
4. Chill and then serve.

Expert Tips and Variations

• To add some extra tang to the Chicken Waldorf Salad or for a lighter option, you can substitute Greek Yogurt for the mayonnaise or use a 50/50 split with the mayonnaise and Greek Yogurt.
• For just a slight difference in flavor and sweetness add in green grapes for a more tangy flavor.
• For a citrusy sweetness add in mandarin oranges or dice up slices of oranges.
• For a more wintery flavor, add in dried cranberries, dried cherries,  almonds, or oranges to the apple, celery combo.
• Depending on how your chicken is flavored, you may not need to add salt so taste before grabbing the salt.
• If you prep the apples first, be sure to add some lemon juice to the diced up apples to prevent them from browning (slows down oxidation).
• Prep this ahead of time since it works great for lunches and light meals.
• Serving the Chicken Waldorf Salad on a bed of lettuce is my favorite option.  Fresh arugula, spinach, kale, or diced romaine are all excellent choices.

FAQ