Remember this dreamy Spicy Chicken Salad that I turned into even dreamier chicken melts? Well, SO many of you ended up falling in love with the salad that I knew I had to create another version for your weekday meal prep.
This honey mustard chicken salad is a perfectly sweet, tangy, fall-inspired twist on chicken salad that’s equally as quick to prepare and just as delicious (if not more?!) It gets a little crunch from apples and nuts, and packs in over 20g of protein to nourish you any day of the week.
Scoop it with crackers, pile it into a sandwich, or just eat it by the spoonful like I do.
Everything you’ll need to make honey mustard chicken salad
We’re skipping the gloppy, all-mayo filling (and weird addition of grapes) and making a chicken salad that’s FRESH. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Chicken: this is truly the best way to use up leftover chicken or even rotisserie chicken! I like to chop it for easy scooping. If you don’t have any on hand, learn the best, easy ways to cook chicken breast here.
- Dressing: yes, we’re adding a couple tablespoons of mayonnaise, but the honey mustard dressing is also mixed with protein-packed Greek yogurt, dijon mustard, a touch of honey, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, fresh garlic, salt, and pepper. It’s light, sweet, tangy, and absolutely delicious.
- Mix-ins: I love the crisp bites of honeycrisp apple, celery, and red onion, plus a little crunch from pecans or cashews!
Customize your salad
- Go nut-free: omit the pecans or cashews to keep it nut-free. You could add a few tablespoons of sunflower seeds if you want more crunch!
- Add extra sweetness: if you like more bites of sweetness, try mixing in dried cranberries or dried cherries! You can also add another teaspoon of honey if you like a sweeter dressing.
- Season to your liking: the key to a really good chicken salad is to properly season it. I love adding a lot of freshly ground black pepper, but I suggest tasting the dressing before adding the mix-ins to see if you want more salt, pepper, or honey.
Can I make it dairy-free?
Yes! Simply use all mayo instead for the best flavor.
Looking for a new protein?
The dressing and mix-ins would also be delicious with a can of rinsed, drained, slightly mashed chickpeas (to keep it vegetarian), or two cans of drained tuna.
My favorite ways to enjoy this chicken salad
- By the spoonful for an easy, grab-and-go lunch
- Scooped with pretzels, pita chips, or even extra fresh-cut veggies
- As a wrap using a big lettuce cup, collard wrap, or tortilla
- Piled onto a slice of toasted gluten-free bread or sourdough, plus a slice of melty sharp cheddar cheese if you love a chicken melt!
How to store chicken salad
The honey mustard chicken salad will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
More easy lunches you’ll love
- Tahini Jalapeño Green Goddess Chicken Salad Wraps
- Chickpea Apple Broccoli Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing
- Spicy Jalapeño Cheddar Tuna Melt
- Vegan Pecan Apple Chickpea Salad Wraps
- 15-Minute Healthy Moroccan-Spiced Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad
Get all of my lunch recipes here!
I hope you love this honey mustard chicken salad recipe! If you make it, be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Honey Mustard Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- Honey Mustard Dressing
- ½ cup whole-milk plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 to 3 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (or fresh lemon juice)
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- LOTS of ground black pepper
- Mix-ins
- 2 ½ to 3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (1 pound)
- 1 medium honeycrisp apple, diced
- ½ cup finely diced celery
- ⅓ cup chopped toasted pecans or cashews
- ¼ cup diced red onion
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the yogurt, mayo, dijon, 2 teaspoons honey, apple cider vinegar, garlic, salt and lots of freshly ground pepper. Mix together the dressing until well combined. Taste and add another teaspoon of honey if you like a sweeter honey mustard.
- In the same bowl, add in the chicken, apple, celery, pecans, and red onion, and stir until well incorporated and coated with the dressing. Enjoy with pretzel chips, in a sandwich or wrap, on a bed or lettuce, or as is with a spoon.
- The salad will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
So simple and delicious! Made this for lunch for the week and am looking forward to having it again!
So glad you enjoyed!
Not gonna lie, I was a little nervous about how this would turn out since my fiance doesn’t like fruit in otherwise savory dishes, but I actually really liked this one! I had made the honey mustard tuna salad with apples a few years back that was a rare misfire, so I’m happy this chicken salad turned out a lot better. I used rotisserie chicken so it’s a super quick and easy meal prep, and I actually think the combination of flavors with the apples, pecans, celery, and honey mustard make a lot more sense as a chicken salad. I’d definitely make this again.
I’m so glad this one was a hit! Perfect lunch 🙂
Made this for the first time today. Made it without mayo since nobody in my family likes mayo. Delicious. I used leftover of my grilled chicken and substituted toasted sunflower seeds instead of nuts. I also added 1/4 cup dried raisins.
Easy to make and delicious. I served as a sandwich on warmed fresh buns.
Thanks for the recipes
Perfect! So happy to hear that!
This chicken salad is sooooo good and easy. Perfect for lunch on a sandwich or crackers. The honey mustard flavor is perfect. Will be making again!
Can you omit the mayonnaise?
Yes, but note that it might be a bit more tart!
Really good! Loved the combo of flavors and textures. I’ll make this again — maybe with Chickpeas next time. Thanks so much!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
Delicious! I’m in South Africa and I subbed a Honeycrisp apple for a Pink Lady apple and it was divine. I second adding LOTS of black pepper!
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed!
This chicken salad was so delicious! I usually make my chicken salad with mayonnaise, chicken, apple, and celery, but this recipe takes it to a whole new level. It’s absolutely delicious served as a sandwich, over a green salad, or simply topped with a handful of microgreens.
So glad you loved this version! My new favorite, too, and it’s so versatile.
What is the best way to cook the chicken for this?
You can really use any cooked chicken, even rotisserie chicken! Otherwise, check out these 4 easy ways to cook chicken (great for chicken salad, filling for enchiladas, etc.)