The Ultimate Chicken Salad with Fresh Herbs & Crunchy Pecans
If you’re looking for a chicken salad that’s bursting with flavor, this recipe is a must-try! It’s packed with crisp apples, crunchy pecans, fresh herbs, and a tangy but still creamy lemon and dill dressing—a perfect balance of texture and taste. Whether you serve it as a sandwich, wrap, or over greens, this salad is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Serve as a sandwich on Crescent Rolls, as a wrap in Homemade Tortillas, or eat it over greens or as is. This chicken salad is also great with Homemade Lemonade!
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Salad
✔ Bright & Refreshing – Fresh lemon juice, dill, parsley, and cilantro give this salad an herby, zesty kick.
✔ Perfectly Balanced – Crunchy celery, apples, and pecans pair beautifully with the creamy dressing.
✔ Protein-Packed & Satisfying – Made with rotisserie chicken, this dish is filling yet light.
✔ Versatile & Meal-Prep Friendly – Eat it in a sandwich, over greens, or as a dip for crackers!
A Fresh Take on Classic Chicken Salad
Chicken salad is one of those timeless comfort foods—creamy, satisfying, and packed with flavor. But I wanted to take the classic and give it a modern twist with microgreens, extra crunch, and vibrant fresh flavors. By adding crisp Honeycrisp apples, crunchy pecans, and refreshing cucumber, along with a bright lemon herb dressing, this version is lighter, fresher, and even more nutritious while still delivering that rich, creamy goodness we all love. It’s the perfect balance of sweet, savory, and tangy, making it an instant favorite for lunch, meal prep, or an easy dinner. If you love chicken salad, get ready to fall in love with this upgraded version!
I first saw this basic recipe on Tiktok for celery and parmesan salad. And I made it. And it was good. But it needed more! So I played with it, tweaked it, add more of this and a little of that. And then realized it was basically the best chicken salad ever, but had no chicken. So I added rotisserie chicken, and it was a total winner.
Looking for something different? Try one of these chicken salad recipes:
Ingredients You’ll Need
Salad Base:
- 1 bunch celery, finely chopped
- 2 Honey Crisp apples, diced
- 1 large English cucumber, diced
- ½ bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
- ½ bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 2 ounces microgreens (1 clamshell)
- 1 cup chopped mini pepper
- 10 dates, chopped
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- 2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 bunch fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1 rotisserie chicken, chunked (about 5-6 cups)
Creamy Lemon Dressing:
- 3 large lemons, juiced
- 1 cup mayo
- ¼ cup olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- ½ tsp dried dill
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp fresh ground pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
How to Make the Best Chicken Salad
Step 1: Prep Your Ingredients
- Chop the celery, apples, cucumber, mini pepper, parsley, cilantro, dill, and green onions. I love using my Kitchen Chopper to make this quick, easy, and uniform.
- Slice the dates, chop the pecans, and shred or chunk the rotisserie chicken.
Step 2: Make the Dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, mayo, olive oil, garlic, honey, vinegar, and spices.
- Adjust seasoning to taste and set aside.
Step 3: Assemble the Salad
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken, chopped veggies, herbs, dates, pecans, Parmesan cheese, and microgreens.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat.
Step 4: Serve & Enjoy!
- As a sandwich – Pile it onto fresh bread or croissants.
- In a lettuce wrap – A light, low-carb option.
- Over mixed greens – Perfect for a protein-packed salad bowl.
- With crackers or pita chips – A fun snack or appetizer!
Note: You can also add avocado, but since this makes a LOT of chicken salad, and stores really nicely in the fridge, I opted to leave the avocado out, and add it fresh to my sandwiches and salads, wraps, etc. because otherwise it went brown!
Another thing to note is this does make a good amount of chicken salad, so if cooking for a smaller group, cut the recipe in half. I made this huge bowl because I wanted to use all of the ingredients of everything I bought, so the whole thing of celery, a whole cucumber, all of the microgreens, etc. It isn’t necessary to make this much, and the dressing can be cut in half and it will not compromise the flavor.
Tips for the Best Chicken Salad
🔹 Use fresh lemon juice for the best zesty flavor. Use a lemon squeezer for best results.
🔹 Let it chill – The flavors meld beautifully after 30 minutes in the fridge.
🔹 Toast the pecans for extra crunch and depth of flavor.
🔹 Swap the mayo for Greek yogurt if you want a lighter version.
How to Store Leftovers
To keep your chicken salad fresh and delicious, follow these simple storage tips:
🥶 Refrigerate Properly – Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. The flavors will continue to meld, making it even tastier the next day!
❄️ Avoid Freezing – Can you freeze chicken salad? That is a NO! Since this salad contains fresh veggies, herbs, and a creamy dressing, freezing is not recommended. The texture can become watery and less appealing once thawed.
🥗 Freshen It Up – If the salad has absorbed some of the dressing over time, stir in a little extra mayo or a squeeze of lemon juice before serving to restore its creamy texture and bright flavor.
🥪 Store Separately for Best Texture – If meal prepping, keep the dressing in a separate container and mix it in just before serving to maintain the crispness of the apples, celery, and cucumbers.
By storing it properly, you can enjoy this refreshing and flavorful chicken salad for days!
This flavor-packed chicken salad is the perfect blend of sweet, savory, crunchy, and creamy. Whether you’re meal prepping for the week or making it for a family gathering, it’s sure to be a hit!
Other Awesome Recipes
- Chinese Chicken Salad with Mandarin Lemon Vinaigrette
- CA Avocado Sesame Ginger Chicken Salad
- Grilled Chicken Salad with Sweet Tea Infused Dressing
- Southwestern Chicken Salad
Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Salad Base:
- 1 bunch Celery finely chopped
- 2 Honey Crisp apples diced
- 1 large English cucumber diced
- ½ bunch Fresh parsley finely chopped
- ½ bunch Fresh cilantro finely chopped
- 2 Green onions sliced
- 2 ounces Microgreens 1 clamshell
- 1 cup Sweet mini peppers chopped
- 10 Dates chopped
- 1 cup Pecans chopped
- 2 cups Parmesan cheese shredded
- 1 bunch Fresh dill finely chopped
- 1 Rotisserie chicken chunked (about 5-6 cups)
Creamy Lemon Dressing:
- 3 large lemons juiced
- 1 cup mayo
- ¼ cup olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- ½ tsp dried dill
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp fresh ground pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
Step 1: Prep Your Ingredients
- Chop the celery, apples, cucumber, mini pepper, parsley, cilantro, dill, and green onions.
- Slice the dates, chop the pecans, and shred or chunk the rotisserie chicken.
Step 2: Make the Dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, mayo, olive oil, garlic, honey, vinegar, and spices.
- Adjust seasoning to taste and set aside.
Step 3: Assemble the Salad
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken, chopped veggies, herbs, dates, pecans, Parmesan cheese, and microgreens.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat.
Step 4: Serve & Enjoy!
- As a sandwich – Pile it onto fresh bread or croissants.
- In a lettuce wrap – A light, low-carb option.
- Over mixed greens – Perfect for a protein-packed salad bowl.
- With crackers or pita chips – A fun snack or appetizer!
Nutrition
Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.
Want to use this recipe in a meal plan?Try PrePear, my FREE Meal Planning App that allows you to save your recipes, plan meals, shop for groceries, and cook simply in one place. Join Here!
Leave a Reply