This absolutely delicious chicken salad was inspired by the Napa Almond Chicken Salad at Panera. It is easy to make at home and so much like the restaurant version!
I am in love with the Napa Almond Chicken Salad at Panera. No joke. So much so that I decided I had to pick apart their ingredient list, which thankfully is available online. I was determined to figure out how to make my own version at home.
The resulting recipe is just plain awesome. I’m so happy with it and everyone here gave it a great big thumbs up. It’s a perfect lunch choice but also makes an easy soup and sandwich dinner.
Prep the Ingredients
I like to lightly toast the almonds to enhance their flavor and texture before adding them to the chicken salad.
- Spread sliced almonds out over a rimmed baking sheet and toast them in a 350 degree F oven for a few minutes. Allow them to cool while you prep the remaining ingredients.
- For the dressing combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, honey, apple cider, dry ground mustard, onion powder, dried crushed rosemary, fine ground sea salt, dried basil, and freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl.
Assemble the Salad
- Combine chopped cooked chicken, diced celery, and halved red seedless grapes in a large bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the top and mix it to combine it well.
This recipe is an excellent way to make use of rotisserie chicken or use your own fully cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast.
- Add the cooled, toasted almonds and mix lightly to combine.
- Assemble your sandwiches on sliced sourdough bread with green leaf lettuce and sliced tomatoes. This is how they serve it at Panera but you can add or substitute any toppings you love.
How Long Does Chicken Salad Last?
Chicken salad with a mayonnaise or dairy based dressing should be promptly refrigerated in an airtight container and consumed within 3 to 4 days.
Lighten it Up
This recipe can easily be lightened up by substituting light (reduced fat) sour cream or nonfat plain Greek yogurt for up to half of the mayonnaise. I’ve done it with sour cream and it was awesome. I don’t recommend eliminating the mayonnaise altogether for the best tasting result.
Napa Almond Chicken Salad (Panera Copycat)
Ingredients
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- 3 heaping cups fully cooked chicken breast, chopped (I used rotisserie chicken)
- ½ cup halved or quartered seedless red grapes
- ⅓ cup diced celery
Dressing:
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon dry ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
- ½ teaspoon fine ground sea salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
For the Rest:
- 12 slices sourdough sandwich bread
- 2 small tomatoes, sliced
- green leaf lettuce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place the almonds on a small baking sheet and transfer to the oven for 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
- Add chicken, grapes, and celery to a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate small bowl combine the dressing ingredients. Pour the dressing over the top of the chicken mixture and mix to incorporate the dressing throughout. Add the cooled almonds and mix lightly to combine.
- Divide the mixture between the bread and top with tomato and green leaf lettuce.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
Wow this was amazing, Panera isn’t near us but I’ve been craving it during my pregnancy… it is identical in taste maybe even better wow I just loved it and will be making it again this week!
Thanks, Tee! This is my favorite chicken salad. So good!
Thank you for the recipe! I loved it! Only thing I’d recommend is to make extra sauce to spread it over the bread because it was a bit dry when I ate this with bread. But overall loved it! Thank you!
What brands of mayonnaise do you recommend for the Napa valley chicken salad?
You can use any brand of mayonnaise you like. I always use a healthy fat mayo and Kraft Olive Oil Mayonnaise is my favorite.
I made this recipe this weekend and it tastes great! My husband worked at Panera for years and claims it tasted just like the original! Do you know how many calories just the salad is?
So glad to hear this, Kasia! I love this recipe so much and think it really does taste very much like Panera’s too. The nutrition information is located at the bottom of the recipe card.
This was the best Chicken Salad I’ve ever had!
Fantastic! Thanks, Noelle 🙂
Made today. Was ok not great.
Missing something.
We’ve been very happy with this recipe! We’ve made it 4 or 5 times in the last few months and have made some minor tweaks, but would highly recommend as is too. We use canned chicken, cranberries instead of grapes (just because they’re easier to keep around in the pantry), and add some sour cream and cream cheese. YUM! You can make it into a sandwich, but it’s just as good with Wheat Thins or just straight out of the bowl!
Love that you’ve found different things to do with it! Thanks for your comment, Julie 🙂
It’s good not great. Taste nothing like Panera’s chicken salad sandwich. More on par with a sandwich from chicken salad chick.
This Napa Almond Chicken Salad is actually BETTER than the chicken salad at Panera. This chicken salad is less soupy. Easy to make for a crowd. My new go-to recipe. I used my Crock Pot Express to cook the chicken to perfection in less than ten minutes. Make ahead so that you spend time enjoying the day instead of preparing a meal. Served with chips. So simple.
Hey, Valerie… nice name 🙂 That is a huge compliment! I’ve made this so many times recently and we love it too. Thanks so much for your comment.