This light and lovely Lemon Pepper Chicken Salad is the near-instant upgrade your lunches have been missing. Made with just 8 simple ingredients (including salt and pepper!), this creamy chicken salad with lemon and grapes takes mere minutes to assemble. 

Why We Love This Lemon Pepper Chicken Salad Recipe

This homemade chicken salad with lemon pepper dressing is not only completely crave-worthy, but is also:

• Quick & Easy – If your chicken is already poached and ready to go, you can whip up a batch of this chicken and grape salad in just 10 minutes.
• Made With Only 8 Ingredients – A short grocery list is always a reason to celebrate, right? 🥳
• Versatile – You can serve this lemon chicken salad with croissants, use it to top salads, or turn it into lettuce wraps!
• Make Ahead-Friendly – If you can find a few minutes to do some chicken salad meal prep on the weekend, you can enjoy protein-packed loveliness all week long.

Ingredients & Substitutions

As promised, you only need a handful of ingredients to make this lemon pepper chicken salad with grapes. Here’s what to grab:

• Chicken Breast – We typically reach for raw, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you’re welcome to save a step and opt to use rotisserie chicken instead!
• Green Onions – Make sure to use the white/pale green parts and the dark greens for the best flavor and color. 
• Celery – For lovely crunch. If the stringy bits bug you, you can quickly peel off the external layer using a veggie peeler. 
• Grapes – Red, green, purple — it doesn’t matter which color you go for! Just be sure to opt for a seedless variety, or be prepared to pick them out by hand after halving the fruit.
• Mayo – As proud Coastie girls, Dukes is always our top choice. Feel free to use your favorite high-quality brand like Hellman’s/Best Foods or Blue Plate.
• Lemon Pepper Dressing – We typically use store-bought for convenience, but you’re also welcome to make your own from scratch!
• Salt & Pepper – Basic seasoning is all you need when there are so many other tasty flavors flying around!

How To Make Peppery Lemon Chicken Salad

This bright and citrusy chicken grape salad comes together in just a few steps. Here’s how it’s done:

Step 1: Prepare the Chicken Breast:

Trim any excess fat from the chicken breast. Flatten the chicken by gently pounding it with the palm of your hand or a rolling pin to ensure even cooking.

Marinate the chicken in the lemon pepper dressing for 1-2 hours.

Step 2: Prepare the Grapes, Green Onions, and Celery:

Slice the grapes in half and cut the green onions and celery into 1/2-inch pieces.

Step 3: Cook the Chicken:

Grill the chicken on a grill or in an iron skillet to achieve grill marks and enhance the flavor. Use cooking oil, butter, or your preferred oil to prevent sticking and add flavor.

Step 4: Dice the Cooked Chicken:

Once the chicken is cooked through, dice it into small, uniform square pieces.

Step 5: Combine All Ingredients:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the diced chicken, sliced grapes, celery, mayonnaise, salt & pepper, and chopped green onions.

Step 6: Assemble and Serve:

Serve the chicken salad on a croissant or your preferred bread and enjoy!

Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations

As much as we love this lemon pepper chicken salad, there are TONS of ways for you to make it your own. Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

• Whole30 Chicken Salad – Just make sure your mayo and lemon pepper dressing are Whole30 compliant, and you should be good to go!
• Add-Ins – There are so many tasty things you can put in chicken salad, it’s hard to choose our favorites! Feel free to add any of the following to this lemon pepper goodness for an added boost of yum:
  • Herbs – Give your chicken salad a bright boost of color and flavor with tender herbs like lemony parsley or herbaceous basil. Lemon basil chicken salad? Count us in!
  • Nuts – Adding a little crunch and some heart-healthy fats feels like an easy upgrade. Doesn’t lemon chicken salad with grapes and almonds sound divine?!?
  • Apples – If you lean towards sweet flavors and added crunch, why not chuck in some extra fruit? Chicken salad with grapes and apples feels like a gee-dang treat. 

Expert Tips

• The quickest way to halve a bunch of grapes is to use two matching deli-container lids. Bonus! This works on cherry tomatoes, too. 😉
• Store any leftovers in a clean, airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. 
• If you’re on the meal-prep train, consider investing in some bento-style lunchboxes, then use the separate compartments to build your own DIY Lunchables! We like having some crackers for crunch, lettuce for roughage, and a few pieces of chocolate for sanity. 

FAQs

More Easy Lunch Recipes

• The Ultimate Avocado Salad Recipe You’ve Been Waiting For
• Shrimp and Mirliton Dressing Recipe
• Truffle-Mayo Roast Beef Sandwich Recipe Unveiled

If y’all tried this sumptuous recipe for Lemon Pepper Chicken Salad with Grapes, holler and let us know how it turned out for you by giving us a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and commenting below. You can also always feel free to tag us (@creamcheeseandlemonsqueeze) in your social media posts so we can cheer you on.

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XO, Ashley & Anna