Harvest Chicken Salad
I love cold deli salads, but I need them to be full of flavorful, fun ingredients. Thus my Harvest Chicken Salad was born. And the addition of Roasted Sweet Potato really rounds out the dish.
GLUTEN FREE LUNCH RECIPESAPPETIZERS & SALADS
Lauren Vasnelis
9/16/20265 min read
Harvest Chicken Salad
This Harvest Chicken Salad is packed with sweet and savory fall flavors from roasted sweet potato, crisp apples, pecans, Craisins, sage, thyme, and a creamy honey-mustard dressing. It’s an easy seasonal twist on classic chicken salad with plenty of texture in every bite.
I use canned chicken to make this especially easy, but freshly cooked chicken works perfectly too. Just make sure your chicken is completely cooked and chilled before assembling the salad. Serve it on your favorite gluten-free bread or bagel, spoon it over a fall salad, or simply enjoy it on its own.
Servings: 4
Prep Time: About 25 minutes
Assembly Time: 10 minutes
Optional Chill Time: 1 hour
Total Time: About 35 minutes, plus optional chilling
Equipment
Large mixing bowl
Parchment-lined baking sheet
Ingredient Breakdown
Chicken
I use 2 cans of chicken, about 10 ounces each, because it makes this recipe incredibly quick and easy. Make sure to drain the canned chicken well before adding it to the salad.
Fresh chicken works perfectly too. If you’re starting with raw chicken, cook it completely, let it cool, dice or shred it, and chill it before assembling the chicken salad.
Sweet Potato
Roasted sweet potato is what really gives this chicken salad its fall-harvest feel. Dice the sweet potato fairly small so you don’t end up with huge pieces in the finished salad.
I toss mine with just a little oil, salt, and pepper and roast it until tender. You can leave the skin on or peel it first depending on your preference.
Apples
Apples add freshness, sweetness, and crunch that balance the creamy dressing and savory chicken. Dice them fairly small so you get a little apple throughout the salad rather than large chunks.
Onion
Finely diced onion gives the chicken salad a savory bite and helps balance the sweeter apples, Craisins, honey, and sweet potato. Chop it finely so it distributes evenly throughout the mixture.
Pecans
Chopped pecans add a buttery crunch that works especially well with apples, sweet potato, sage, and Craisins. They give the creamy chicken salad another layer of texture and reinforce those cozy fall flavors.
Craisins
Craisins add little bursts of chewy sweetness and tartness throughout the salad. They work especially well against the savory herbs and creamy honey-mustard dressing.
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise creates the creamy base for the dressing and brings all of the ingredients together. About one cup gives the salad plenty of moisture, but you can adjust slightly depending on how creamy you like your chicken salad.
Mustard
Mustard cuts through some of the richness of the mayonnaise and adds a savory, tangy element to the dressing. It also pairs naturally with the honey.
Honey
Don’t forget the honey! Honey brings a little extra sweetness to the dressing and ties together the apples, sweet potato, Craisins, mustard, and fall herbs. I use about 2–3 tablespoons, depending on how sweet I want the finished salad.
Thyme & Sage
Thyme and sage are what really turn this into a fall chicken salad. They add those warm, savory herb flavors that work beautifully with roasted sweet potato, apples, pecans, and chicken.
Ingredients
2 (about 10-ounce) cans chicken, drained
1 sweet potato, finely diced
2 apples, finely diced
1 onion, finely diced
1 cup pecans, chopped
½ cup Craisins
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons mustard
2–3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon sage
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Small amount of oil, for roasting the sweet potato
Please check ingredient labels carefully. While all of my recipes are designed to be gluten-free, not every product I use is certified gluten-free. Always verify ingredient labels to ensure they meet your dietary needs.
Instructions
Prep the Ingredients
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Dice the sweet potato into small cubes. The skin can be left on or removed depending on your preference.
Toss the diced sweet potato with a small amount of oil, salt, and black pepper. Spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for approximately 20–25 minutes, until tender. Allow the sweet potato to cool before adding it to the chicken salad.
If using canned chicken, drain it well. If you’re using freshly cooked chicken, make sure it has been completely cooked and chilled before assembling the salad.
Finely dice the apples and onion and chop the pecans.
Assemble the Chicken Salad
Add the chicken, cooled roasted sweet potato, apples, onion, pecans, Craisins, mayonnaise, mustard, honey, thyme, sage, salt, and black pepper to a large mixing bowl.
Mix well until everything is evenly coated and combined. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, honey, or mustard if needed.
You can serve the chicken salad immediately or refrigerate it for about 1 hour to let it get nice and cold and allow the flavors to come together.
Serve on your favorite gluten-free bread or bagel, over a fall salad, or however you like your chicken salad. Enjoy!
Lauren’s Tips 💛
Keep Everything Small: I dice the sweet potato, apples, and onion pretty finely. I don’t want huge pieces of any one ingredient. Smaller pieces mean you get chicken, apple, sweet potato, pecans, and dressing together in each bite.
Let the Hot Ingredients Cool: If you’re roasting your sweet potato or cooking fresh chicken, let everything cool before assembling the salad. This is supposed to be a cold chicken salad, so I don’t want hot ingredients going directly into the mayonnaise mixture.
Don’t Forget the Honey: The honey is important here. That little bit of sweetness works with the mustard and mayonnaise and ties together the apples, Craisins, sweet potato, and savory fall herbs.
Notes
Canned chicken makes this recipe especially quick, but freshly cooked chicken works perfectly well.
If starting with raw chicken, cook it completely before cooling, chopping or shredding, and chilling it for the salad.
Sweet potato skin can be left on or removed depending on your preference.
Roast the sweet potato until tender but not so soft that the pieces completely fall apart when mixed into the salad.
The amount of mayonnaise can be adjusted depending on how creamy you prefer your chicken salad.
Start with 2 tablespoons of honey and add the third if you want a sweeter dressing.
The one-hour chill is optional. You can absolutely eat the chicken salad immediately.
This is great on gluten-free bread, a gluten-free bagel, or served over greens as a fall chicken salad.
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator.
Please check ingredient labels carefully. While all of my recipes are designed to be gluten-free, not every product I use is certified gluten-free. Always verify ingredient labels to ensure they meet your dietary needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fresh chicken instead of canned chicken?
Absolutely. Cook the chicken completely, let it cool, then dice or shred it and chill it before making the salad.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes. This is actually a great make-ahead recipe because the flavors have time to come together in the refrigerator. Keep it covered and chilled until you’re ready to serve.
Do I have to peel the sweet potato?
No. You can leave the skin on if you like it or peel the sweet potato before dicing it.
How small should I cut the sweet potato?
I like the pieces smaller than typical bite-sized cubes. You want them small enough to distribute throughout the chicken salad rather than dominating individual bites.
Can I use another nut instead of pecans?
Yes. Walnuts would be an easy substitution and would work really well with the apples, Craisins, and fall herbs.
Can I leave the nuts out?
Absolutely. The pecans add crunch, but the salad can be made without them if necessary.
Can I use another dried fruit instead of Craisins?
Yes. Dried cherries would be especially good here, and raisins would work too.
Do I have to chill the chicken salad for an hour?
No. The chill time is optional, and you can eat it immediately. Chilling simply gives the salad time to get colder and lets the flavors meld together.
What should I serve Harvest Chicken Salad on?
My favorite options are a gluten-free bagel or gluten-free bread, but it’s also great over mixed greens for an easy fall salad.