Our chicken salad sandwich recipe makes a fantastic springtime dish. It’s very healthy and 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 delicious with each bite tasting like a little bit of heaven!
This chicken salad dish goes with literally everything. Breakfast? Covered. Snacks? Great. You can even make it into a delightful entrée.
Is Our 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 can help maintain heart health and help in preventing some chronic diseases such as cancer.
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 the saturated fat content and calories in this chicken salad sandwich. Our advice is to keep an eye on the volume of mayo in your chicken salad to keep it healthy, but still delicious.
Ingredients You'll Need
Chicken salad sandwiches are a hit for summer meals not only because of their fruit and veg, but also their protein and carbs. The combination makes it a favorite for picnics and gatherings.
Our recipe is simple, delicious, and easy to whip up. Let’s start with some of the main ingredients:
1. Chicken
Both chicken breast or chicken thigh work well in a chicken salad sandwich recipe. We like to start with searing the chicken in a 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. What remains is the natural sweet and crunchy texture that you will love.
3. Celery
Celery gives a nice crunch and added variety to the salad. Chop the celery into small pieces so that it doesn’t overwhelm the other ingredients in your salad bowl.
4. Grapes
A little sweetness from grapes turns this dish into a star. You might be worried about the balance of mayonnaise with sweet grapes, but this is actually a heavenly combination.
If you are not a fan of grapes, you can use other sweet fruits instead.
While we chose this balanced combination of ingredients for our salad, you can easily add in or substitute different things to alter the flavor profile to your liking.
For more chicken recipe ideas, have a look at our 50+ healthy chicken recipes.
Calories
We strive to create healthy meals and serve this chicken salad with whole-grain bread, over a bed of lettuce and tomatoes. This chicken salad sandwich recipe contains 507 calories in each serving.
That’s enough to make the main dish, but we have lower-calorie options, like this Waldorf salad with chicken and this delicious summer salad, for a lighter meal.
Can You Freeze?
A summer lunch is not complete without a bowl of chicken salad. It’s healthy, filling, and is packed 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 it correctly, the dish can even last longer and taste almost like the freshly made kind.
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 separate to avoid mixing flavors, and it’s also easier to thaw them later.
To make the best chicken salad from frozen ingredients, avoid freezing the mayonnaise. Freezing can cause changes to flavor and appearance; your dressing might end up with an unappealing consistency.
How Long Does It 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, especially since 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
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).
Apart from this delicious sandwich, we also have a few other we think you’d like to try:
- Pulled Chicken Burger: like pulled pork sandwiches, these burgers are the classic jam-packed with flavors and loads of nutrients. It’s simple to make, too: we get the greens washed and cut while letting the chicken simmer until just cooked, then pull it apart with two forks before assembling.
- Club Sandwich: this recipe cooks the chicken in spices, then sandwiches them between rye bread slices and lots of vegetables. Each sandwich has two layers, a side of fries, and a glass of juice.
Number seven of our easy chicken breast ideas list features the classic chicken burger, with a deep-fried filet in between the buns. Have a look at it for even more recipe ideas.
Chicken Salad Sandwich Recipe
Subtle and pleasant plant-food flavors, combined with the tender and well-seasoned taste of chicken, make this chicken salad sandwich amazing all by itself. And don't forget the lime juice! A drizzle of this juice will raise your dish by adding zesty freshness.
- cook TIME 30 mins
- prep TIME 15 mins
- total TIME 1 hr 45 mins
- INACTIVE TIME 1 hr
- COURSE Main Course
- CUISINE American
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 507 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 12 oz skinless boneless chicken breasts
- 12 slices sprouted wheat bread
- 4 oz tomatoes (2 medium, sliced)
- 2 oz lettuce (chopped)
- 2 oz cucumber (diced)
- 2 oz celery (diced)
- 1 oz sliced almonds
- 1 cup grapes (halved)
- 6 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp onion (diced)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1/2 tsp traditional Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp cilantro
- 1 tsp scallion
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a cast iron pan on high heat. Arrange 12 oz chicken breasts in the pan to fry for about 15-20 minutes. Slightly season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp 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: Chicken cubes, 2 oz cucumber, 2 oz celery, 1 cup grapes, 1 oz almonds, 6 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 tsp lime juice, 1/2 tsp mustard, 1 tsp cilantro, 1 tsp scallion, 1 tbsp onion.
Toss well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Finally, serve between bread slices with 2 oz chopped lettuce and 4 oz sliced tomatoes.
NUTRITION
Tuyet Pham
Head Chef, Culinary ConsultantLuna Regina
Writer, AuthorLizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD
Nutrition Reviewer- Sandi
This is the prettiest sandwich I have seen. I love your photography. Can’t wait to try out this recipe :-).
- Natalie Ellis
Thanks so much! Can’t wait to hear what you think about this 😉
- Valentina
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.
- Natalie Ellis
Yesss, AGREE! 🙂
- Liz
Yum! I’d eat this ANY time of day!!
- Natalie Ellis
Awesome xD
- Denise Browning
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.
- Natalie Ellis
I’m looking foward to hearing what you think about it 🙂