Apple Chicken Salad (Cracker Barrel Copycat)

Indulge in a delightful harmony of flavors and textures with this Apple Chicken Salad featuring crisp bacon, tangy blue cheese, crunchy pecans, and tender chicken, all brought together in a savory-sweet ensemble with a raspberry walnut salad dressing.

Healthy summer salad recipes are a personal favorite!

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This recipe draws inspiration from the Cracker Barrel Applefest Grilled Chicken Salad, offering a delightful twist with bacon, blue cheese, pecans and raspberry walnut salad dressing.

Once you’ve stocked up on apples, make this Easy Apple Crisp Recipe or try these Inspiring Apple Recipes.

What Apples To Use for Salad

This recipe calls for crisp, sweet-tart, red eating apples.

Varieties that would go well with this apple chicken salad include varieties like Fuji, Honeycrisp and Pink Lady.

What Are Pink Lady Apples

Pink Lady apples, also known as Cripps Pink, are a popular apple variety known for their sweet-tart flavor and crisp texture.

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They have a distinctive pinkish-red skin and creamy-white flesh.

These apples are commonly used in salads, baking, and snacking due to their balanced flavor profile and firm texture.

What Are Honeycrisp Apples

Honeycrisp apples are a popular apple variety known for their crisp texture, juiciness, and sweet flavor with a hint of tartness.

They have a distinctive honey-like taste, which is where their name comes from.

Honeycrisp apples are excellent for eating fresh, but they can also be used in salads, baking and cooking.

What Are Fuji Apples

Fuji apples are a type of apple known for their sweet and crisp texture.

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They originated in Japan and are a cross between two American apple varieties, the Red Delicious and the Ralls Janet.

Fuji apples have a firm flesh, making them ideal for snacking, baking, and salads. They are typically round in shape with red and yellow-green skin.

Salad Ingredients

Scroll down to the apple chicken salad recipe card for the full ingredient measurements.

• 2 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
• 1/2 cup raspberry walnut salad dressing
• 1 bag iceberg, radish, carrot, romaine mixed salad greens
• 2 firm crisp, sweet-tart, red eating apples, cut into chunks
• lemon juice
• 4 crisply cooked and drained strips of bacon
• 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped glazed/candied pecans
• extra raspberry walnut salad dressing or apple cider vinaigrette for dressing

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How to Make Apple Chicken Salad

Begin by pouring approximately 1/2 cup of salad dressing into a resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken to the bag, seal it tightly, and massage the dressing into the chicken to ensure even coating.

Refrigerate the bag overnight to allow the chicken to marinate thoroughly. When you’re ready to assemble the salad, grill the marinated chicken until it’s fully cooked, then thinly slice it and keep it warm.

Divide the salad greens evenly between two plates, arranging the apple chunks around the outer edges with the red skin facing outward.

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Sprinkle nuts over the salad and place the warm chicken slices in the center. Top the salad with blue cheese crumbles and crumbled bacon.

Serve alongside apple cider vinaigrette or your preferred fruity salad dressing for a delicious meal.

Apple Salad Recipes

Explore a medley of sweet and savory flavors with these delightful apple salad recipes, perfect for adding a refreshing twist to your dining experience.

• Green Apple Salad With Walnuts
• Arugula Apple Salad with Roasted Shallot Vinaigrette
• Apple Tortellini Salad
• Apple Cabbage Salad with Walnuts & Gorgonzola
• Waldorf Salad
• Creamy Autumn Apple Salad
• Christmas Apple Salad
• Roasted Pear and Apple Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette