Apple Cheddar Chicken Salad

There are a lot of chicken salads on this site now, and people ask me pretty regularly which one they should make. The real answer is that it depends on the season. This apple cheddar chicken salad is my fall one. It shows up the week the mornings get cold and then it stays in my fridge until roughly December.

It’s grilled chicken cut into small cubes, diced Honeycrisp apples, celery, a lot of sharp cheddar, and basil and chives chopped fine enough to disappear into everything. The dressing is mayonnaise with two kinds of mustard, apple cider vinegar, and a little maple syrup. That last part is what keeps it from tasting like the chicken salad in a grocery store deli case.

If creamy and a little sweet isn’t what you’re after right now, go make my baba ganoush chicken salad instead. That one is smoky and garlicky and goes in completely the opposite direction, and some weeks that’s the one I want.

Still here? Good, because I need to tell you about the melt. You slice a croissant, toast it, melt a slice of cheddar on the cut side, and put the cold chicken salad inside. Warm buttery croissant, cold crunchy salad. It takes about four minutes and it’s the reason this recipe exists in the first place.

Why this apple cheddar chicken salad works

Apples and cheddar have been a pair forever. Apple pie with a slice of sharp cheddar melted over the top is an old New England habit, and this is the savory version of that same instinct. A Honeycrisp is sweet and a little sour, an aged cheddar is salty and a little funky, and they cover for each other.

The dressing matters more than people give it credit for. Most chicken salad dressing is mayonnaise and maybe some lemon juice, which is fine but a bit flat. Here you’ve got whole grain mustard for texture, Dijon for sharpness, cider vinegar for brightness, and maple syrup to pick up on the apples. It’s tangy enough to get through all that mayo and cheese without the whole thing feeling heavy.

And I’d ask you not to treat the herbs as decoration. Basil chopped very fine gives this a sweet, almost peppery thing going on that you won’t get from parsley, and the chives add a soft onion note next to the raw shallot. Use more than feels reasonable.

Ingredient notes

Chicken. I grill three boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cube them small, about a half inch, so the salad holds together when it’s on bread. Rotisserie chicken is a fine shortcut on a busy day, though grilling gets you a bit of char that I like against the sweet apple.

Apples. Honeycrisp is what I use. It stays crunchy for days instead of going mealy, and it’s sweet and tart at the same time. Pink Lady, Gala, or Granny Smith all work. Dice them small and leave the skin on.

Cheddar. Sharp or extra sharp, from a block. Pre-shredded cheese has starch on it to keep it from clumping and it’ll make your dressing a little chalky. Grate it on the coarse side so it runs through the whole bowl instead of showing up in clumps.

Shallot. Minced as fine as you can get it. It’s sweeter and softer than raw onion. If raw allium bothers you, soak the minced shallot in cold water for ten minutes and drain it before it goes in.

Mayonnaise. Use one you actually like, since you’re going to taste it.

How to make it

Build the base. Add the cubed chicken, diced apples, celery, shallot, grated cheddar, basil, and chives to a big bowl.

Whisk the dressing. In a separate bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, whole grain mustard, Dijon, cider vinegar, maple syrup, salt, and pepper until smooth.

Toss and taste. Pour the dressing over everything and fold it until it’s evenly coated, then taste it. It probably wants more salt than you gave it, and possibly more maple or vinegar depending on how sweet your apples turned out.

Chill it if you have time. Twenty minutes in the fridge lets the shallot settle down and the dressing sink into the chicken. Not required, but better.

Make it a croissant melt

This is how I eat it most of the time, standing at the counter, usually before I’ve told anyone lunch is happening.

Slice a croissant in half lengthwise, toast it cut side up until the edges go golden, lay a slice of cheddar on the bottom half, and put it back under the broiler until the cheese melts. Pile the cold chicken salad in and eat it right away, while the croissant is still warm. If it sits, the croissant goes soft and you lose the best part of it.

Sourdough works too. So does a brioche bun. I just think a croissant is better.

A few tips

Dice everything small and about the same size. Chicken salad is mostly a texture dish, and pieces that match mean every bite tastes complete.

Dry the chicken before you cube it. Leftover moisture will thin your dressing out.

Season in stages. Salt the chicken on the grill, salt the dressing, then salt the finished salad. Under-seasoning is what makes most chicken salad boring.

Dress it close to serving if you’re making it well ahead. The apples stay crunchier.

Variations

Bacon. Six slices, cooked crisp and crumbled in. Obviously.

Nuts. Toasted pecans or walnuts are very good with the apple and cheddar.

Lighter. Swap half the mayo for full-fat Greek yogurt. You’ll lose a little richness and pick up a lot of tang.

No bread. Butter lettuce or endive leaves, if you want it to still feel like a treat.

Storage and make-ahead

It keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The apples soften a bit after day two, but the cheddar and dressing get better. Stir it and add a fresh pinch of salt before you serve leftovers. Don’t freeze it, mayonnaise-based salads break when they thaw.

To get ahead of the week, grill and cube the chicken and whisk the dressing up to three days early, then dice the apples and toss it all together the day you’re eating it.

What to serve with it

Salt and vinegar chips, honestly. If you’re making a whole thing of it, tomato soup, a green salad with a sharp vinaigrette, or cornichons and grainy mustard on a board with good crackers.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of apple is best for chicken salad?

Honeycrisp. It holds its crunch for days and it’s sweet and tart enough to stand up to sharp cheddar and mustard. Pink Lady and Granny Smith are good if you want it more tart.

Can I use rotisserie chicken?

Yes. You’ll want about 3 to 4 cups of chopped meat, which is roughly one whole rotisserie chicken. Pull the skin off and chop it small.

How long does apple cheddar chicken salad last?

Four days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It’s best in the first two while the apples are still at their crunchiest.

Can I make it without mayonnaise?

You can use full-fat Greek yogurt for some or all of it. All yogurt gets noticeably tangier and lighter, so you might want a little extra maple syrup to even it out.

Why is my chicken salad watery?

Usually wet chicken or wet celery. Pat everything dry before it goes in the bowl, and pour off any liquid that pools before the dressing goes on.

If you make this one, tag me so I can see your croissant melt. It’s my favorite part of the internet.