Level up your chicken salad sandwich game with crisp green apple, crunchy pecans, juicy grapes, and flaky croissants. This Chicken Salad Croissant Sandwich is a delicious blend of textures and flavors that’s anything but ordinary.
These sandwiches would be a great choice for a special lunch or brunch spread, especially when paired with a fresh fruit tray or a salad. Try this Mediterranean Cucumber Tomato Salad or this Pear Gorgonzola Salad on the side, for starters.
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Why Make This Recipe
Cafe Nectar in Lewes, DE has a chicken salad sandwich that I crave every time I visit the beach. It’s packed with delicious add-ins, but no celery—which personally is a no go for me. I decided that I needed to try to recreate this recipe at home, but make it a little more special by serving it on croissants. Bingo! My new favorite way to make chicken salad. Here’s what I love:
- Delicious balance of textures and flavors—you need to try this combo!
- The perfect recipe for brunch, picnics, or quick weekday lunches
- Great for using up leftover chicken
- Easy to prep the chicken salad ahead of time
🥗 Ingredients
- Croissants: Buttery and flaky, they’re the perfect base for this sandwich. If making this for a party, mini croissants are super cute.
- Cooked Chicken: Use leftover chicken or a store-bought rotisserie for convenience. Cooked turkey works too!
- Red Grapes: Green grapes can be substituted. Or for a similar pop of color, try dried cranberries.
- Granny Smith Apple: Love the crunch and tart flavor this adds. Any kind of sweet/tart apple would work here.
- Red Onion: Finely chopped for a bit of bite. Feel free to substitute thinly sliced green onions or even some minced Vidalia onion.
- Pecans: These add a delicious crunch to the chicken salad. Sub with other types of nuts, or try using sunflower seeds or toasted pumpkin seeds. And fine, you can sub in crunchy celery if you like.
- Mayonnaise & plain Greek Yogurt: A creamy combo that keeps the salad light yet rich. Add more or less of each depending on how low in fat you want to make this. You can also sub in some sour cream for the yogurt.
- Dijon & Stone-Ground Mustard: I love the flavor these add. Of course you can use just one or the other, or use a smaller amount if you aren’t a mustard fan.
- Fresh Dill: Big flavor and freshness here. Sub in another type of fresh herb, such as fresh parsley, basil, or oregano.
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Spread ½ cup pecans on a small baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly toasted. Let them cool, then chop.
While pecans are toasting, halve 1 cup of red grapes and chop ¾ of a Granny Smith apple. (Or a whole apple if your apple is small.) Finely chop ½ a red onion, until you have about ⅓ cup.
In a large bowl, whisk together ⅓ cup mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
Add 3 cups cooked chicken (shredded or chopped in small pieces), grapes, chopped apple, chopped red onion, and toasted pecans to the dressing. Stir until everything is evenly coated.
Slice each croissant horizontally without cutting all the way through, creating a pocket for the chicken mixture. Spoon in a generous portion of the chicken salad.
Arrange on a platter or serve individually with a light side salad or fresh fruit.
Storage Tips
For best results, store the chicken salad and the croissants separately. The homemade chicken salad can be made ahead and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Croissants will last in a paper bag or plastic container for a few days, though they are really best the day you buy them. If they aren’t perfectly fresh and crispy, I recommend toasting them before stuffing with chicken salad.
🧐 Recipe FAQs for Croissant Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Yes! The salad actually tastes even better the next day, as the flavors have time to meld together. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
These chicken salad croissants are great for when you have leftover roast chicken or turkey, so keep this in mind for your leftover Thanksgiving turkey. If I don’t have leftovers around, I buy a rotisserie chicken and shred its meat. I usually have more than I need, but will freeze the rest for another batch. You can freeze extra croissants too!
Assemble the sandwiches just before serving to keep the croissants from getting soggy. Nothing better than a great filling on a perfectly crispy, buttery croissant. You can also line the croissants with a few pieces of butter lettuce.
If you prefer a lighter chicken salad, you can use all Greek yogurt rather than the combination of mayo and yogurt. Or try using Miracle Whip.
For a hint of sweetness, consider adding a drizzle of honey to the dressing—it pairs beautifully with the tart apple and grapes.
Looking for a simple side dish to go along with your Chicken Salad Croissant Sandwiches? Try a crisp green salad like this simple Side Salad, a bowl of fresh fruit, or these easy Air Fryer Potato Wedges. The crunchy leaves in this Roasted Broccoli Rabe are also a good match. For a brunch spread, pair these sandwiches with a light sparkling wine, a refreshing iced tea, or this Lavender Lemonade. This would be perfect for a bridal or baby shower.
Got extra croissants? Try another kind of croissant sandwich filling like this Egg Salad with Bacon or my Old Bay Shrimp Salad. Or go vegetarian with these Croissant Breakfast Sandwiches with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes.
Other Delicious Lunch Recipes
Looking for other ideas for a perfect lunch or brunch? Here are some favorites:
If you try this recipe, I would love to hear from you! Please rate this recipe and leave a comment below—your feedback is invaluable to me.
And please follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or subscribe to my newsletter. I’d love to inspire you with more delicious, healthy, and seasonal recipes!
📖 Recipe
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Croissant Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Ingredients
- ½ cup pecans 1 ¾ ounces
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill chopped
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups cooked chicken chopped or shredded (about ¾ pound)
- 1 cup red grapes halved (about 5 ½ ounces)
- ¾ Granny Smith apple chopped
- ⅓ cup red onion finely chopped
- 4 croissants
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Spread ½ cup pecans on a small baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly toasted. Let them cool, then chop.
- In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, stone-ground mustard, lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper.
- Add chicken, grapes, apples, red onions, and toasted pecans. Stir until everything is evenly coated.
- Slice each croissant horizontally without cutting all the way through, creating a pocket for the chicken salad. Spoon in a generous portion of the chicken salad.
- Arrange on a platter or serve individually with a light side salad or fresh fruit.
Notes
For best results, store the chicken salad and the croissants separately. The homemade chicken salad can be made ahead and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Croissants will last in a paper bag or plastic container for a few days, though they are really best the day you buy them. If they aren’t perfectly fresh and crispy, I recommend toasting them before stuffing with chicken salad. Expert Tips:
These chicken salad croissants are great for when you have leftover roast chicken or turkey, so keep this in mind for your leftover Thanksgiving turkey. If I don’t have leftovers around, I buy a rotisserie chicken and shred its meat. I usually have more than I need, but will freeze the rest for another batch. You can freeze extra croissants too! Assemble the sandwiches just before serving to keep the croissants from getting soggy. You can also line the croissants with a few pieces of butter lettuce. If you prefer a lighter chicken salad, you can use all Greek yogurt rather than the combination of mayo and yogurt. Or try using Miracle Whip.
Nutrition
Instagram Users: Now that you've made this recipe, tag me @vanillabeancuisine or #vanillabeancuisine because I’d love to see your results!
More About Molly
Cooking healthy(ish) meals with seasonal ingredients is my passion. Trained as a French pastry chef, I spent over 10 years as a personal chef. Here you'll find well-tested recipes that you and your family will love!
Holly says
Not bad, too much Mustard for me and im a mustard lov3r, I added a little honey at the end to cut the acidity. that Helped. overall pretty good.,
Mimi Rippee says
This is a great idea. My grandkids will be up here and I bet they’ll love chicken salad! I hadn’t made any for them yet. Great recipe!
http://www.chefmimiblog.com
Molly Pisula says
Thanks so much! Great for Thanksgiving turkey leftovers too!
Mary says
So good!