Waldorf Chicken Salad

Old-school with a little bit of new school, the classic creamy fruit salad gets the chicken salad treatment in this Waldorf Chicken Salad recipe. Aromatic celery and fresh apple provide that distinctive Waldorf crunch and flavor, while toasted pecans give it a Southern twist. A dressing of fresh sour cream, mayo, and fresh lemon juice is bright, tangy, and finger-licking good.

While Waldorf Salad is traditionally served over lettuce, this chicken salad recipe is endlessly versatile and can be adapted in any way. Red (or green!) grapes add a little burst of tart-sweetness, but you can easily swap in dried cranberries or cherries as an alternative.

Learn how to make Waldorf Chicken Salad. If you love Waldorf Salad and you love chicken salad, you'll love this simple, summery-cool meal. Serve it with bread as a sandwich, on its own, or toss it with your favorite lettuce or spring mix.

What Is Waldorf Chicken Salad?

The original Waldorf Salad was reportedly created in—and named after—the Waldorf Hotel (later the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel) in the early 1900s. It became popular with its residents and patrons and eventually found its way onto menus far beyond the Waldorf itself.

Traditionally, Waldorf Salad is a combination of apples, celery, and toasted nuts like walnuts. Variations often include grapes and even raisins and other flavor flourishes. This recipe has the added protein and heft of cooked chicken, which makes it an ideal dish served as a sandwich or on top of salad.

Ingredients For Waldorf Chicken Salad

The full recipe and ingredient amounts are below, but here's the rundown on how to prepare Waldorf Chicken Salad:

• Mayonnaise and sour cream: These provide the base of the creamy, tangy dressing that coats the salad and holds it all together.
• Fresh lemon juice: A hint of acidity brightens the mayonnaise and sour cream sauce.
• Kosher salt and black pepper: Seasons the salad, enriches the flavors, and adds balance and depth with a touch of heat from the pepper.
• Cooked chicken: You can use cooked chicken breasts that you purchase pre cooked, but you can also poach or prepare your own chicken breasts. Cubed rotisserie chicken is also a great option to cut down on preparation time.
• Seedless grapes: Red or green grapes will do, but we love how red seedless grapes add some color to the salad.
• Apple: Tart and sweet apples like honeycrisp are best for this recipe, as it not only provides a balance of sharpness and sweetness, but it's also extra snappy and crisp, which holds up well in this type of chicken salad.
• Pecans: Pecans are toasted, providing umami and extra crunch.
• Celery: Provides a refreshing crunch.
• Fresh parsley: Lends a fresh, herbaceous aroma.

How To Make Waldorf Chicken Salad

To make Waldorf Chicken Salad, all you need is a few ingredients and a few minutes of hands-on time. Simply whisk together the mayonnaise base, add all of the ingredients, and toss it together. The trickiest part is letting the salad chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes—this really allows the flavors to meld together.

• Step 1. Make dressing: Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
• Step 2. Add chicken: Add remaining ingredients, cover, and chill.
• Step 3. Serve: Sprinkle with additional celery or parsley, if desired, for a little extra pizzazz and color. Serve cold.

Our Tips For Making Waldorf Chicken Salad

The Southern Living Test Kitchen provides a few extra tricks and tips to make your chicken salad the best possible:

• Mix up: The "dressing" mixture can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container for up to three days until ready to use.
• Swap out: If you do not have sour cream, Greek yogurt is an excellent alternative.
• Use up: Any sort of cooked chicken will work for this recipe. It's a great excuse to use leftover chicken, such as rotisserie chicken, for this recipe to cut down on active time and use up your leftovers.
• Don't waste: This recipe can make great use of leftover celery as well; celery hearts, the interior pieces of celery, that tend to be left over often include leaves that provide a nice garnish to to this salad.
• Fruity flip: Swap in raisins, dried cherries, or cranberries in place of grapes for a different profile with similarly balanced fruity flavors.

How To Store Waldorf Chicken Salad

Once everything is mixed, the salad be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. If you're serving this over lettuce, be sure to keep the salad and the greens separated until right before serving.