I love making a big batch of something yummy with protein that we can snack on all week long. It makes variety and healthy eating so simple! Some of my favorites are: this Classic Chicken Salad with Grapes Recipe, Ranch Chicken Salad, and Buffalo Chicken Dip. The great thing about these recipes is that they’re big enough to throw together for parties and they only take a minute to make. Having one of these dishes in the fridge makes wraps or a croissant sound so much more exciting! And the best part is, you can make all three in a way that is healthy and full of healthy, whole foods.
Classic Chicken Salad with Grapes Recipe
Difficulty: Easy6
servings20
minutes627
kcalIngredients
2 1/2 Lb Cooked Chicken (*See Note 1)
1 Cup Sour Cream
1 Cup Mayo (*See Note 2)
1/2 Tsp Pepper
Salt (to taste)
1 1/2 Tbsp Poppy Seeds
2 Cups Grapes
Directions
- Depending on what kind of chicken you are using, drain and shred the chicken. I like to use my KitchenAid to shred chicken quickly and easily.
- Add sour cream and mayo and mix on low.
- Add pepper, salt, and poppy seeds. The amount of salt will vary depending on the chicken you use. You will need more for unflavored, cooked chicken and less if it’s a rotisserie chicken that’s already been seasoned. Mix on low. You may want to taste and adjust seasoning as desired before you add the grapes.
- Chop up grapes (you can use a knife and chopping board, but my favorite tool for this is a grape cutter). Gently mix grapes into chicken salad. If not eating immediately, store in refrigerator in sealed container until ready to eat.
Notes
- Any kind of cooked chicken is fine. When I’m short on time, I like to use canned chicken (drained) or a rotisserie chicken, but you can also boil it or cook your favorite way until cooked thru.
- For a healthier chicken salad, check out our recipe for Homemade Mayo. You can also look for a healthier brand of store-bought mayo. Scroll below for some good brands to try.
How Did We Discover This Classic Chicken Salad with Grapes Recipe?
One summer, our family went to visit friends for a few days. They lived near a lake, so we spent a full day boating and swimming and tubing. It was lots of fun! We stopped the boat so we could have a picnic on shore. That’s when I tried their family’s recipe for Chicken Salad. It was so delicious! I think most foods taste that much better when you’re outside (camping or on a picnic), and my husband and I decided we definitely needed the recipe.
Originally, the recipe we got was a list of ingredients. Since that time many years ago, we’ve added in and tweaked ingredients and figured out how much of each thing we like in the recipe. That original recipe has evolved into the recipe I’m sharing with you today.
This Classic Chicken Salad with Grapes Recipe is Perfect for Parties
At my kids’ birthdays, we usually like to feed our guests a delicious lunch! That’s pretty much a tradition at the Boone house. Sometimes it’s burgers, sometimes it’s pigs in a blanket, and the rest of the time it’s some kind of Chicken Salad. Our 2 favorites are this Classic Chicken Salad with Grapes Recipe and a Ranch Chicken Salad that is also quite yummy. Both of these recipes are always a big hit!
How Do We Eat This Chicken Salad?
It’s amazing by itself. When I’m serving it at a party or with company, I usually pick up croissants from the grocery store. My husband and I usually eat it on homemade yeast sandwich rolls or on low carb wraps. We mill our own flour, and either of these options is both healthy and delicious!
Is This Classic Chicken Salad with Grapes Recipe Healthy?
Yes, this recipe is full of whole ingredients. The chicken provides a good source of protein. Grapes are one of the more sweeter fruits, so it’s good to be aware of that if you’re trying to limit your sugar. Just having it spread throughout the recipe isn’t that much carbs, but it can add up if you’re eating it on bread or adding a side. Also, the sour cream and mayo makes this a high-fat recipe. It’s not necessarily full of bad fats, it’s just a fat-heavy recipe (when looking at your macros). It’s good to keep that in mind if you’re trying to balance out fats, carbs, and proteins throughout your day.
Wait a Second… Is Mayo Healthy?
If you buy regular Mayonnaise at the store, it is probably not a whole-food ingredient. However, you can check out our Easy Homemade Mayonnaise Recipe. You can also look for cleaner brands of Mayo, like Chosen Foods Classic Mayo or Primal Kitchen Mayonnaise. It can be more expensive to get cleaner brands, but it’s great anytime you can avoid unwanted additives.
A lot of store-bought mayonnaise contains sugar. Some also include the ingredient Calcium Disodium EDTA. If you look this up on Google, it’s a medication used to treat metal toxicity, one that includes negative side effects. Why settle for ingredients like that when you can grab a cleaner brand at the store or even make it yourself. When you use our Easy Homemade Mayonnaise Recipe, you know exactly what ingredients are in your Mayo and it can be a lot cheaper than purchasing a “clean” brand from the store.
What’s the Best Way to Chop the Grapes?
When I first started adding grapes to my chicken salad, it would take me forever to chop the grapes! I wanted them to be small enough, but cutting up dozens of grapes with a pairing knife can take up a lot of time. This tool was a life-saver! I absolutely love my OXO Grape Cutter. If it’s not cutting the grapes small enough for your liking, you can double chop them by putting them thru twice. I’ve done it both ways, and it saves me so much time when I make this recipe.
What Kind of Chicken Do I Usually Use in This Classic Chicken Salad with Grapes Recipe?
It definitely comes down to personal preference. I love to save time anytime I can, so I usually pick up a rotisserie chicken. It tastes amazing and saves me the time of cooking the chicken. Another time-saver is to use canned chicken. Be sure to drain it really well. A lot of times, it’s already shredded, so that saves even more time. I prefer the flavor of rotisserie chicken, so that’s the route we usually go unless we’re just throwing it together last minute with the canned chicken we keep in the house.
You can also cook the chicken. I have boiled it for about 30-35 minutes, and that tastes amazing. You can add some seasonings to the pot while it cooks, like Mrs. Dash Seasoning, salt, and pepper. This makes your whole house smell great. Another option is to use the instant pot or air fryer. Just make sure your chicken is cooked thru to the proper temperature. You can definitely experiment with your favorite chicken or whatever is convenient for you at the time.
A KitchenAid Comes in Handy for This Recipe
I love to use my KitchenAid to shred my chicken. It makes it so quick and painless. You can just keep it in the same bowl and also do all of the mixing. I think using a KitchenAid greatly cuts down on the time needed to throw this recipe together. Just make sure you wait until the very end to add in the grapes, so they don’t get overmixed and become mushy. I usually taste test the recipe right before adding the grapes and make any needed changes before the grapes are added. The KitchenAid usually mixes them in perfectly, without over-mixing the grapes.
What Makes This Classic Chicken Salad With Grapes Recipe Stand Out?
One of the things that makes this recipe unique is using half sour cream and half mayonnaise for the wet ingredients. This takes some of the bitterness of the mayo out of the recipe and is a great combination. It’s also great when you can find a healthier way to make a classic favorite. Using a healthy mayonnaise helps dial in this recipe so that it’s good for you and tastes great! You can tweak the seasonings and ingredients to make it just the way you like it. This Chicken Salad is always a huge hit at parties, and something I love keeping around the house for summer lunches. I hope you also enjoy it’s fresh, light flavors!
