Oh, hey, favorite lunch! I think we’ve established my chicken salad obsession by now….. So far I’ve shared my Everyday Chicken Salad (1sp), my BLT Chicken Salad (5sp), and my Buffalo Ranch Chicken Salad (0sp). See? Chicken salad is kinda my thing. It’s literally the perfect make ahead, grab and go lunch! It’s filling, versatile, and you don’t need to heat anything – it’s ready when you are! Today I’m sharing my favorite chicken salad to make in the fall and winter – it’s packed with crunchy apples, sweet cranberries, and a sprinkle of nuts! I call it my Harvest Chicken Salad but to be honest, it’s a great option year round! I’m showing you two of my favorite ways to enjoy it – a chicken salad plate or chicken salad apples, both are equally delicious! One serving of Harvest Chicken Salad is just 2 Blue WW SmartPoints/4 Green WW SmartPoints!
A chicken salad plate or chicken salad apples?! I’m not sure I could pick my favorite way to eat it! The good news is you don’t have to – make a big batch of chicken salad and alternate between snacky plates and the apple slices throughout the week. If you don’t have a lot of points to spare? Apple slices all the way!
To make the chicken salad apples simply start on one side of the apple and cut off a small slice of the apple “cheek”. You’ll want to cut about 1/4 of an inch slices and keep slicing back until you work your way to the core. Repeat on the opposite side of the apple. I usually get about 3-4 good slices off of each side. You can munch on what’s left on the core or use the remaining apple for your salad. Now you simply load em up! Apple slices are the perfect vessel for chicken salad and not just this variation – any chicken salad, really! I’ve even piled them up with tuna salad a few times before. Crunchy, sweet, and a great substitute on days you want to skip the bread and crackers. I served these chicken salad apples with two Alyssa’s Healthy Oatmeal Bites ,one of my WW pantry staples! I can’t find these local so I order online whenever they are on stock.
Chicken salad plates are so much fun to build. The star of the plate is your low point chicken salad which leaves plenty of room to add in whatever you are craving! My favorite things to add? Crackers, pretzels, cheese, a side of carrots, extra fruit, a mini piece of chocolate – you name it! Snacky plates are so satisfying because you can have a little bit of everything. My current cracker favs? Trader Joe’s crisps (the Rosemary Raisin ones or the seasonal varieties are great) or Simple Mills almond flour crackers in sea salt or farmhouse cheddar. So much yum! Oh, I also love Triscuit Thin Crisps and Nabisco Corn Thins – both are great point bargains!
Let me know your favorite way to enjoy chicken salad in the comment section below – can’t wait to hear what you think about this recipe! Here’s a few of my favorite ways to enjoy it, hopefully it will give you some ideas! 
Harvest Chicken Salad – 2 Blue WW SmartPoints/4 Green WW SmartPoints per serving. Enjoy!
Pssst… If you love chicken salad as much as I do, be sure to check out these other chicken salad recipes:
- 3 oz cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced into small pieces (I usually poach my chicken but cook it however you'd like - crock pot, instant pot, baked - they all work!)
- 2-3 tbsp plain fat-free greek yogurt
- ½ small stalk of celery, diced small
- ~ 1.5 tsp green onion, diced
- ¼ of an apple, diced small (I prefer fuji or gala but use your favorite)
- 7 g walnut or pecan pieces
- 12 g reduced sugar craisins (dried cranberries), roughly chopped into smaller bits (*or sub 8 g regular craisins to keep points value the same)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- In a bowl mix together chicken breast and greek yogurt, adding more greek yogurt, if needed, until the chicken is your desired consistently.
- Season with a little salt and pepper.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Enjoy!
Blue WW Points Breakdown: nuts (1sp), craisins (1sp), everything else (0sp)
For multiple servings simply multiply the recipe by your desired number of servings!
Nutritional info shown is calculated using 2 tbsp of greek yogurt and pecans.
Nutritional information is calculated with MyFitnessPal and may vary based on brands used. Smart Points information is calculated with the Weight Watchers app and may also vary based on brands used.
I am so excited you are making one of my recipes and I would love to see how it turns out! Make sure to share it on Instagram and tag me @rachelshealtyplate and use #rachelshealthyplate so I can see your creation!
About how long do you poach your chicken breasts for? and how many do you cook at one time? I saw on your instagram post that you use a hand mixer to shredd the chicken, details please.. Thank you.
I cover the chicken breast in cold water and simmer for about 15 minutes. Then I turn the heat off and leave them sit for a bit. Drain and shred with my mixer! I just do however many I think I’ll want for the week. I used it in a lot of different ways – shredded for chicken salads, quesadillas etc. Sometimes I leave the breast whole and slice it to top salads!