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Home » Dinner » Chicken » Chicken Salad with Macaroni and Grapes

Chicken Salad with Macaroni and Grapes

Created: September 19, 2017 Updated: October 5, 2020 by Lyuba Brooke 20 Comments *This post may contain affiliate links. Read More...

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Delicious Chicken Salad made with chicken breast meat, elbow macaroni, grapes, and toasted almonds. This salad had all the pleasant textures and flavors all at once with the pop of fruity sweetness and an almond crunch. Bring it with you to picnics and potlucks or serve it at your next barbecue party.

chicken salad with macaroni and grapes in a bowl on a table with grapes

CHICKEN SALAD

For any potluck, picnic, or any other summer party, my absolute favorite salad to prepare is this chicken and macaroni salad. I’ve been making it for nearly fifteen years now.

I first tried this recipe back when my family owned a restaurant, it was often our lunch special because it was so popular. That was my first experience with having sweet fruit in savory dishes and it blew my mind. If you haven’t tried chicken salad with fruit in it, can’t wait any longer. Try it now. A pop of fruity sweetness in a savory dish is an amazing food experience.

Over the years, I’ve improved this recipe and it’s about time I share my improved version of this salad.

CLICK HERE TO PIN IT!

Chicken Salad with Macaroni and Grapes in a wrap on a white plate with grapes on a woven placemat

HOW TO MAKE MACARONI CHICKEN SALAD

Cook pasta according to box instructions, drain, and set aside in a large mixing bowl.

Bring a medium pot of water to boil and season it with salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Add chicken and cook chicken over medium heat until fully done. Take chicken out and set side to cool until it can be handled.

Once chicken is cooled enough, dice it into small cubes and add it to pasta. Add chopped grapes and almonds to the bowl as well. Season with some salt and pepper and mix well.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together mayo, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and grated garlic. Mix mayo mixture into the salad, making sure it’s all evenly distributed.

Refrigerate in an air-tight container for a couple of hours before serving.

chicken salad with grapes in a serving bowl with grapes on a wood table with a fork

HOW TO SERVE CHICKEN AND MACARONI SALAD

You can serve this chicken and macaroni salad on the bed of lettuce, as a salad. Add some fresh vegetables like cucumbers, bell peppers, and tomatoes and cheddar cheese cubes would go great with this chicken salad. 

Use large tortillas to wrap some spinach, chicken salad, slices of cheese, and fresh veggies to make this delicious chicken salad into a wrap.

You can wrap this chicken salad in lettuce to make low-carb lettuce wraps.

Serve this chicken salad with crackers at parties or as an appetizer. Slices of cheese and crackers will work very well with this salad.

Chicken Salad with Macaroni and Grapes in a wrap on a white plate with grapes on a woven placemat

SOME MORE RECIPES TO TRY

Buffalo Chicken Salad

Greek Chicken Salad

Cucumber Broccoli Salad

Antipasto Pasta Salad

Macaroni Salad

Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

red grapes on a wood table

If you made any of my recipes and shared them on Instagram, make sure to tag me @willcookforsmiles and #willcookforsmiles so I can see all the things you tried!

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Macaroni Chicken Salad

Delicious Chicken Salad made with chicken breast meat, elbow macaroni, grapes, and toasted almonds.
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate
Course: lunch, Salad, sandwich, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 (Makes about 6 cups)
Calories: 519kcal
Author: Lyuba Brooke

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 1/2 cups dry elbow macaroni
  • 1 1/2 cups red grapes cut in half
  • 1/2 cup toasted almonds chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves pressed
  • salt and fresh cracked pepper
  • 2/3 cup mayo
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Bring a medium pot of water to boil and season it with salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Add chicken and cook chicken over medium heat until fully done. Take chicken out and set side to cool until it can be handled.
  • Cook pasta according to box instructions, drain and set aside in a large mixing bowl.
  • Once chicken is cooled enough, dice it into small cubes and add it to pasta.
  • Add chopped grapes and almonds. Season with some salt and pepper and mix well.
  • In a small mixing bowl, combine mayo, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and pressed garlic. Mix well.
  • Mix mayo mixture into the salad, making sure it's all evenly distributed.
  • Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 519kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 274mg | Potassium: 548mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 185IU | Vitamin C: 2.9mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 1.5mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles and tag #willcookforsmiles

collage 1st picture macaroni and chicken salad in a serving bowl bottom picture is macaroni chicken salad in a wrap

Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles on September 19, 2014. Updated June 17, 2019. 

LYUBA

ABOUT LYUBA

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read more...

11.9K shares

Filed Under: 30 Minute Meals, Chicken, Dinner, Lunch, Pasta, Salad

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.

Comments

  1. Jayme Silvestri says

    November 7, 2021 at 10:51 pm

    This chicken looks so beautifully succulent and flavourful, and coriander and lime is such a great flavour combination. Love your suggestion for turning this into a salad to. Yum!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      November 8, 2021 at 1:47 pm

      Thank you, Jayme!

      Reply
  2. Jack says

    September 28, 2019 at 4:07 am

    5 stars
    The chicken salad you made was delicious and a perfect snack. thank you

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      September 30, 2019 at 3:35 pm

      Thanks, Jack! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Frances says

    July 3, 2019 at 3:46 am

    Your chicken salad is delicious and fancy. I was impressed with this dish!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      July 3, 2019 at 3:33 pm

      Thanks, Frances!

      Reply
  4. Liz says

    April 21, 2016 at 11:52 pm

    Love all the recipes Lyuba. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Lyuba says

      April 23, 2016 at 8:37 am

      Thank you so much, Liz!

      Reply
  5. Desiree @ The36thAvenue says

    March 26, 2016 at 10:52 pm

    So yummy! Pinning!

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      March 28, 2016 at 11:11 am

      Thank you, dear! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Carol at Wild Goose Tea says

    September 21, 2014 at 6:57 pm

    I can see why you have continued to make this recipe. Chicken salad sandwiches are my all time favorite sandwich. I have never done it with macaroni in it before, but I think that is an inspired idea for a wrap!

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      September 24, 2014 at 5:14 pm

      I hope you will try it as soon as you can, Carol! Thank you!!

      Reply
  7. Julie @ Julie's Eats & Treats says

    September 21, 2014 at 4:51 pm

    This looks amazing Lyuba! I can see why you have been making it for 15 years!

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      September 24, 2014 at 5:12 pm

      Thank you so much, Julie!
      I still can’t believe I can say that I’ve been making something for 15 years 🙂

      Reply
  8. Julie @ This Gal Cooks says

    September 19, 2014 at 10:48 pm

    You totally take chicken salad to the next level by adding pasta! Do.Want.LOTS of carbs when I eat a savory, full of flavor recipe and this fits the bill. LOVE the addition of grapes for a pop of sweetness. Great recipe, Lyuba!

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      September 20, 2014 at 1:44 pm

      Haha! That’s right, chicken salad 2.0!
      Thank you, Julie!

      Reply
  9. Suzy says

    September 19, 2014 at 2:38 pm

    Full of flavors, and textures, all in a wrap to go, I love it.

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      September 19, 2014 at 9:51 pm

      Thank you so much, Suzy!!

      Reply
    • Zack says

      January 31, 2021 at 3:47 am

      This looks delicious because of it’s simplicity – the large ratio of grapes is making me want it! Gotta get busy and make this soon. Thanks!

      Reply
      • LyubaB says

        February 2, 2021 at 6:39 pm

        haha I do like a good amount of grapes in my chicken salad! I hope you like it!

        Reply

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Well, hey there!

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read More.

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