Chicken salad sandwich recipe makes a fantastic springtime dish – very healthy and also very appetizing, even to picky eaters.
Our recipe comes with fresh veggies, succulent chicken and a hint of mayonnaise to make the dish creamy but still light. It’s simple and elegant with each bite tasting like a little bit of heaven!
This chicken salad dish goes with literally everything. Breakfast? Covered. Snacks? Great. Even making it into a delightful entrée will work beautifully.
Is Chicken Salad Sandwich Healthy?
Due to the wisely chosen ingredients in this recipe, we can say yes!
To increase the nutritional value, we use sprouted wheat bread instead of popular white bread, and also add a variety of vegetables and fruits. Our top two today are:
Grapes: Grapes are a fat-free food, low in calories but rich in vitamins. Like other plant-based foods, this fruit is a powerhouse of antioxidants – especially phytochemicals.
Studies have revealed that these phytonutrients help in preventing some chronic diseases such as cancer and also help maintain heart health.
Celery: Celery is known for being low in calories, but its health benefits go far beyond usage as a diet food.
High in insoluble fiber, celery helps support gut health and boost the immune system. This veggie also contains a dozen types of antioxidants which are proven to protect against cellular damage.
The amount of mayonnaise used is the biggest factor that affects saturated fat and calories in this chicken salad sandwich recipe. Our advice is to keep an eye on the volume of mayo in your chicken salad to keep it healthy, but still delicious.
Chicken Salad Ingredients
Chicken salad sandwich is a hit for summer meals. It’s also a favorite picnic box or gathering.
Our recipe is simple, delicious, and easy to whip up. Let’s start with some main ingredients:
1. Chicken
Both chicken breast or chicken thigh works well in a chicken salad sandwich recipe. We like to sear chicken in the skillet with olive oil. It’s a simple technique to make your chicken tender inside and crispy outside.
2. Onion
Lime juice or vinegar in the dressing tones down the sharpness of raw onion. Everything left is the natural sweet and crunchy texture that you will love.
3. Celery
Celery gives a nice crunch texture and dimension to the salad. Chop the celery into small pieces so that it doesn’t overwhelm other ingredients in your salad bowl.
4. Grapes
A little sweet from grapes turns the dish into a star. You would be worried about the balance of mayonnaise with sweet grapes, but this is a heavenly combination.
If you are not a fan of grapes, you can use other sweet fruits instead.
All those listed ingredients are not essential, you definitely can substitute to add more flavor.
How to Make Chicken Salad Sandwich
Step 1: Cook the chicken
Arrange the chicken breasts in the pan to fry with olive oil. Slightly season with salt and black pepper.
Step 2: Cut the chicken
Once done, let them cool and cut into cubes.
Step 3: Make the dressing
In a bowl, add all the ingredients for dressing. Mix to well-combine.
Step 4: Mix all ingredients
In a big salad bowl, add all the ingredients together and toss well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Step 5: Serve
Serve between bread slices with lettuce and tomato.
Dressing for Chicken Salad
The basic dressing for the chicken salad sandwich recipe is quite simple. A touch of salt, pepper, mustard are mixed with mayonnaise. Then add a little lemon juice to live up everything.
What Can You Use Instead of Mayonnaise in Chicken Salad?
If you are not a big fan of mayonnaise, don’t worry! There are other things you can use instead. Here are some substitute suggestions that can also lighten up the whole dish:
Low-fat plain Greek yogurt: Having long been a top recommendation when it comes to hearty but healthy fermented dairy foods, Greek yogurt is not only calorie-light and protein-rich, but also super creamy and versatile.
Low-fat cottage cheese: Dissimilar to Greek yogurt, cottage cheese possesses a fair amount of saltiness in taste (much like mayonnaise), yet it’s still light, healthy, and high in protein. Perfect for either salad dipping or dolloping.
Hummus: hummus is a fiber and protein-rich dip. It’s wonderfully versatile, pairing well with veggies and meat, as well as going well with hot or cold treats.
What Goes with Chicken Salad
There are a variety of ingredients you can use in this chicken salad sandwich recipe, such as tomatoes, onions, celery, grapes, green peas, mustard and bunches of herbs.
You don’t have to limit yourself to the ones we’ve suggested in this recipe. As long as they’re all fresh and clean, and in balanced amounts, then you’re good to go.
1. Eggs
An essential ingredient to any southern chicken salad sandwich is chopped boiled egg. It makes the salad thicker and even creamier.
2. Cranberries
A pop of sweet – tart dried cranberries brighten up the savoury chicken and the creamy dressing. If you don’t have dried cranberries at home, don’t worry, other raisins will do great in this recipe as well.
3. Apple
Chicken salad sandwich recipes can be made a thousand ways, and apples are one of our favorite additions to the dish. Crunchy apple makes the salad extra juicy and tasty.
4. Avocado
Avocado is a simple fruit to cream up your salad bowl. Dice up your avocado and mix it with other ingredients.
You don’t need to be too gentle while mixing up the ingredients. As you stir, the avocado will break down and then coat your chicken. Yummy!
5. Greek Yogurt
You can use Greek yogurt instead of a traditional mayonnaise base. It lightens the dressing and adds a pleasant tang note to the salad.
Calories in Chicken Salad Sandwich
We serve chicken salad with whole-grain sandwich, over a bed of lettuce and tomatoes. This chicken salad sandwich recipe contains 507 calories for each serving.
Can You Freeze Chicken Salad
A summer lunch is not complete without a bowl of chicken salad. It’s healthy, filling, and loads with nutritious vegetables.
But can we freeze chicken salad and just reheat it whenever we want to use it? The answer is yes.
It’s safe to store your chicken salad in the freezer for up to 2 months. And if you store them correctly, the dish can even last longer and taste almost like the fresh one.
Freezing chicken salad requires a bit of attention. Prepare some containers, and we’re good to go!
You should pack ingredients individually in different bags. This way, you can keep them not to overmix the flavor, and it’s also easier to thaw them later.
To make the best chicken salad from frozen ingredients, avoid freezing mayonnaise. Freezing can cause the flavor changes and your dressing might end up in an unappealing consistency.
How Long Does Chicken Salad Last
Cooked chicken and mayonnaise can be kept in the fridge for about 3 days. However, it’s always recommended to eat your food fresh, the nutritional content of veggies and meat will degrade after 2 days.
To maximize the quality of chicken salad sandwiches, refrigerate them in an airtight container or plastic container.
What to Serve With Chicken Salad Sandwich?
Although serving chicken salad on croissants for sandwiches has become the norm, we recommend having it on wheat bread with some home fries on the side to meet the recommended amount of calories for meals (not to mention, adding another veg).
Here are the nutrition facts for the whole meal:
Chicken Salad Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 oz skinless boneless chicken breast
- 1 cup grapes halved
- 6 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1/2 tsp traditional Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 oz celery diced
- 1 tsp cilantro
- 1 tsp scallion
- 2 oz cucumber diced
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp onion diced
- 1 oz sliced almonds
- 4 oz tomatoes 2 medium, sliced
- 2 oz lettuce chopped
- 12 slices sprouted wheat bread
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Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a cast iron pan on high heat. Arrange the chicken breasts in the pan to fry for about 15-20 minutes. Slightly season with salt and black pepper. Turn over halfway through to ensure even cooking on both sides. Once done, let them cool and cut into cubes.
- In a bowl, add all the ingredients together and toss well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Serve between bread slices with lettuce and tomato.
Video
Nutrition
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This is the prettiest sandwich I have seen. I love your photography. Can’t wait to try out this recipe :-).
Thanks so much! Can’t wait to hear what you think about this 😉
This looks SO delicious. My mom always added red grapes to her chicken salad and I loved it. And with the use of those fresh herbs, I bet this is outstanding.
Yesss, AGREE! 🙂
Yum! I’d eat this ANY time of day!!
Awesome xD
I have to try your recipe. I love chicken salad and collect several different recipes to try… and repeat the ones that I like the most.
I’m looking foward to hearing what you think about it 🙂