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Overhead shot of salad ingredients laid out on a marble board: chopped apples, cheddar cubes, bacon, grilled chicken, hard-boiled eggs, cashews, pecans, and kale in a metal bowl
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Chicken Apple Salad Recipe With Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

This flavor-packed, make-ahead-friendly salad is our go-to all year round. It’s hearty enough for dinner and perfect for prepping lunches ahead. With tender roasted chicken, crisp apples, sharp cheddar, toasted nuts, and a tangy honey mustard vinaigrette, it’s a Waldorf-style salad—but with a twist (and no mayo in sight).
Prep Time30 minutes
Active Time20 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Servings: 12
By: Heather Bursch

Equipment

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

Additional Proteins & Cheese:

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.
    Hand holding a mason jar of homemade honey mustard vinaigrette with salad ingredients in the background

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 halfway
    Pecans: Toast at 350°F for 7–9 minutes, stirring halfway. If toasting both, remove pecans early so they don’t burn.
    Toasted pecans and cashews spilling from a glass jar onto a marble surface, ready for salad topping

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!

This recipe contains affiliate links to products I know and love. I recommend any of them for this recipe!

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