Creamy and flavorful apple walnut chicken salad has juicy apples, walnuts celery, and tender chicken that is delicious! This recipe is perfect for parties, potlucks, baby showers and is easy to meal prep for the week. It makes a delicious lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
3cupschicken- cookeddiced 3 cups is about 16 ounces, rotisserie chicken works also
1mediumgranny smith applepeeled and diced
¾cupwalnutschopped
⅓cupgreen onionsliced
1stalkcelerysliced thin
1cupmayonnaise
2tablespoonslemon juice
2tablespoonsDijon mustard
1tablespoonhoney
1teaspoongarlic powder
¾teaspoonsalt
¼teaspoonpepper
Instructions
Chop the chicken, apple, walnuts, celery and green onions into small bite sized pieces. The celery especially is best if chopped small and thinner.
In a large bowl, add chicken, apple, walnuts, celery, and green onion and mix together well.
In a second smaller bowl, add mayonnaise, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Blend this mixture well with a whisk or fork.
Pour the dressing mixture over chicken mixture. With a spoon, mix in the dressing until the chicken and vegetables are evenly coated.
Scoop and enjoy! Add to croissants or fluffy rolls, or enjoy all by itself.
Notes
Toasting the walnuts before adding them to the chicken salad gives them great flavor and texture. Toast the walnuts by placing them in a pan over medium heat. I usually spray the pan with a light spray of cooking oil. Heat walnuts for about 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. They start to change colors to a deeper brown and you will start to smell the warm nuts. Then move the walnuts to a cutting board and chop them. If you toast the walnuts after chopping they will often brown a little faster, but are a little more challenging to tell when they are changing color.