Chicken Apple Salad Recipe (with Bacon, Eggs & White Cheddar!)
This hearty chicken apple salad recipe is a savory spin on the classic Waldorf—complete with kale, spinach, roasted chicken, toasted nuts, and a honey mustard vinaigrette you’ll want on everything.
Pin this family favorite chicken apple salad for later!
How This Chicken Apple Salad Recipe Becomes Your Next Favorite
My introduction to Waldorf salad didn’t come from the hotel or my childhood table, but from Ina Garten. Her version skips the mayo, adds chicken, and keeps the crunch. For years, I made it for clients and eventually started riffing on it too, piece by piece.
Now it’s become a hearty, flavor-packed salad we enjoy year-round, no matter the meal. I swap raisins (I just can’t) for chopped dried apricots (because I 100% can), add apples, cubed white cheddar, toss in crispy bacon, and either soft- or hard-boiled eggs. I toast up cashews and pecans, and prefer the spinach and kale combo. When life is humming, a lot of these ingredients are prepped and ready, turning this salad into the easiest win of the week.
As for the dressing? After many rounds of tweaking this vinaigrette, I like more mustard and honey, less cider vinegar with equal parts lemon for brightness, and a good dose of salt and pepper. This dressing is my new linchpin prep. (If I make it, we use it everywhere until it’s gone!)
Ready to make it yours? Keep reading for everything you need for the salad we never get tired of – or grab the recipe now!
Waldorf Salad Origins: From Mayo + Celery to My New Favorite Version
AI or not, I’ve always loved a quick recipe search for the history notes, it just happens to be easier now than ever. The original Waldorf Salad was created at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City in 1896. (Yes, I think it’s still on the menu!) That first version included apples, celery, and Mayo, and over the years, like many of my favorite recipes, they’ve become an inspiration for something new.
By the 1920s, grapes and walnuts were added to the mix. A few years later, chopped walnuts became standard. Then things really took a turn when gelatin versions of the Waldorf salad popped up with marshmallows added. (Can you call this a salad?) Luckily, the Jello Waldorf didn’t seem to stick.
Clearly, Waldorf-style salads were made to evolve!
My Waldorf-inspired chicken apple salad recipe skips the Mayo entirely, keeping the apples and nuts for crunch. It leans savory with a hint of sweetness and is both filling and flexible. It’s the salad we keep coming back to, whether I’m making it for a week of lunches or a casual dinner bowl—my family loves it.
How I Prep This Chicken Apple Salad Recipe Ahead
Tips
Make It Your Favorite Salad With These Shortcuts
- Use any chicken–leftover, rotisserie, or roasted.
- Swap apples for other seasonal fruits, such as peaches, or let the optional dried apricots take the lead.
- Bacon, eggs, nuts, and chicken? You don’t need them all. Choose one, two, or none, depending on your mood or the amount of protein you prefer.
- Add cooked quinoa or rice for extra staying power.
Chicken Apple Salad Recipe With Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
- 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/8 cup honey
- 1/4 cup dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Raosted Chicken Breast
- 3 chicken breasts –bone-in and skin-on (about 2½–3 pounds total) or about 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt and pepper
Greens
- 1 bunch lacinato kale
- 5 oz spinach – my favorite kind.
Additional Proteins & Cheese:
- 6 eggs – Soft- and hard-boiled directions here!
- 6 oz white cheddar cheese
- 6 slices bacon
Fruits & Nuts:
- 1 1 large apple
- 1/2 cup dried apricots
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup raw pecans (Optional: sub or add walnuts for either nut.)
Instructions
To Make Dressing:
- Zest the clean and dry lemon and save the zest for dressing.
- Cut the zested lemon in half and squeeze out juice with a reamer or fork. Strain for seeds and pulp.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon zest and juice, vinegar, honey, mustard, salt, and pepper.
- While whisking, slowly drizzle in olive oil until the dressing is emulsified.
- Store in a jar with a lid for up to 1 week.
To Make Roasted Bone-In, Skin-On Chicken Breasts
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. With clean hands rub salt and olive oil all over chicken pieces.
- Roast for 40 minutes or until cooked through (165°F at the thickest part).
- Cool slightly, remove skin and bones, and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Shortcut? Use any cooked chicken you have on hand—leftover, rotisserie, or grilled.
To Make Stovetop Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Place chicken breasts on a cutting board and cover with parchment, plastic wrap, or a plant-based sheet.
- Pound to an even thickness using a meat mallet—just two or three good whacks until it’s more uniform.
- Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large stainless-steel skillet (with a lid) over medium. Add a thin layer of oil and heat until shimmering but not smoking.
- Add chicken and cook for 1 minute.
- Flip, cover, and lower the heat slightly. Cook undisturbed for 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, leave the lid on, and let it rest another 10 minutes (no peeking!).
- Slice into strips or bite-sized pieces.
- Shortcut? Use any cooked chicken you have on hand—leftover, rotisserie, or grilled.
To Toast Nuts:
- Cashews: Toast at 350°F for 9–11 minutes, stirring halfwayPecans: Toast at 350°F for 7–9 minutes, stirring halfway. If toasting both, remove pecans early so they don’t burn.
Cut & Prep Additional Parts
- Boil eggs according to the way you like them. I usually do a softer boil for this recipe. See options here!
- Cook bacon according to the packaged directions. Drain on paper towels and when cool, cut into bite-sized pieces. (My favorite way to cook bacon is in a 400° oven for 10-15 minutes, depending on bacon brand and thickness.)
- Cut cheese into small 1/4 inch diced cubes.
- Cut dried apricots into 1/4 inch diced pieces, about six pieces per apricot.
- Quarter, core, and dice the apple into 1/2 inch pieces or the quarters into thin slices.
Salad Assembly
- Start with a mix of kale and spinach in a large bowl, if making a larget batch. (Adjust for individual salads.) Add a few spoonfuls of dressing and toss until greens are just coated.
- Optional: Let the greens sit for 10–20 minutes to slightly soften.
- Divide dressed greens between bowls or spread across a platter.
- Top with chicken, egg halves, cheddar, bacon, apples, apricots, and nuts.
- Drizzle with a bit more dressing over toppings just before serving.
- Enjoy!
Equipment
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Nutrition
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Last Updated on August 4, 2025 by Heather Bursch
