I’ll never forget my first bite of Arby’s Market Fresh Pecan Chicken Salad Sandwich. It was during a cross-country road trip when fast food fatigue had set in, and I was desperately seeking something that didn’t come with fries. That sandwich – with its perfect balance of flavors and textures – was a revelation that made me pull over to savor every bite.
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Table of Contents
Why This Homemade Version Beats the Original
This copycat Arby’s chicken salad elevates the restaurant experience in several key ways:
- Versatile Serving Options – Enjoy it on various breads, as a wrap, or over greens—options not available at the drive-thru
- Superior Chicken Quality – Use perfectly cooked, juicy chicken instead of the sometimes dry, pre-packaged variety
- Freshness Factor – Make it with just-sliced fruit for maximum flavor and crunch
- Customizable Texture – Adjust the chop size of ingredients for your perfect bite feel
- Perfectly Balanced Seasoning – Fine-tune the salt, pepper, and lemon to your exact taste preferences
Arby’s Chicken Salad
With this chicken salad, you don’t need to limit yourself to just a sandwich. You could put it in a large tortilla for a wrap, or it would go well in a submarine bun. I loved it with toasted sourdough bread. Honestly, it’s great with crackers or scooped out and placed on a bed of lettuce for a salad.
The Secret to Perfect Chicken Salad
The magic of this recipe lies in balancing textures and flavors while allowing each ingredient to shine. The key is using high-quality ingredients and taking the time to prepare them properly.
Chicken Salad Ingredients
- Cooked chicken – Provides the tender, protein-rich foundation; rotisserie chicken adds depth of flavor and moist texture
- Red delicious apple – Contributes natural sweetness and a crisp, refreshing bite that brightens the salad
- Red seedless grapes – Adds bursts of juicy sweetness and beautiful color contrast to the salad
- Pecans – Delivers rich, buttery crunch and the distinctive nutty flavor that makes this recipe special
- Celery – Brings a fresh, crisp texture and subtle savory note that balances the sweet elements
- Mayonnaise – Creates the creamy binding that unifies all ingredients while adding richness
- Fresh lemon juice – Prevents apple browning and adds brightness that cuts through the richness
- Salt and pepper – Enhances all flavors and balances the sweetness of the fruit components
- Red onion – Provides a sharp flavor contrast that adds complexity and depth (optional but recommended)
Assembly Ingredients
- Honey wheat bread – Offers a slightly sweet, wholesome base that complements the chicken salad
- Fresh leaf lettuce – Adds a crisp texture contrast and fresh green flavor
- Mayonnaise (for spreading) – Creates a moisture barrier to prevent the bread from becoming soggy
Ingredient Notes
If you don’t have any grilled chicken around, you could use leftover chicken from a baked chicken or leftover rotisserie chicken. If you need to grill your chicken, you should grill 1 to 1¼ pounds for this recipe.
While they do not toast their pecans, you could quickly elevate this salad by toasting the pecans in a skillet over medium-high heat until they become fragrant. Allow the pecans to cool completely before preparing the chicken salad.
How to Make Arby’s Pecan Chicken Salad Sandwich
- Place the diced apples in a medium-sized bowl. Pour one tablespoon of lemon juice over the apples and gently stir to coat them and prevent them from browning.
- Add the chicken, grapes, celery, and pecans to the same bowl, and thoroughly mix all the ingredients.
- Add 1/2 cup of mayonnaise to the mixture and stir until well combined. If the mixture seems too dry, add 1/4 cup of mayonnaise as needed. Season the salad with salt and pepper according to your taste preferences.
- Cover the bowl and let the flavors meld together in the refrigerator for about 1 hour before serving.
- To make the sandwich, take about 1 cup of the prepared chicken salad and place it between two thick slices of honey wheat bread and a few lettuce leaves.
- Enjoy your delicious chicken salad sandwich with chips or fries.
Homemade Arby’s Market Fresh Pecan Chicken Salad Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced red apple
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (juice of one small lemon)
- 2 1/2 cups grilled chicken breast
- 1 cup halved grapes
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- salt and pepper to taste
- lettuce leaves optional
- thick-sliced wheat bread optional
Instructions
- Place the diced apples in a medium-sized bowl. Add one tablespoon of lemon juice and stir to coat the apples to prevent them from turning brown.
- Add the chicken, grapes, celery, and pecans to the bowl and mix well.
- Add 1/2 cup mayonnaise and stir to combine. If the mixture is too dry you can add another 1/4 cup of mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Allow the flavors to marry in a covered bowl in the refrigerator for about 1 hour before serving.
- If you would like to serve the chicken salad as a sandwich, place about 1 cup of chicken salad and a few lettuce leaves between two thick slices of wheat bread.
Video
Notes
Troubleshooting
- If too dry: Add mayonnaise 1 tablespoon at a time
- If too wet: Add more diced chicken or nuts
- If too sweet, Add celery or onion for balance
- If not flavorful enough: Add salt and pepper gradually
Pro Tips
- While Arby’s does not toast its pecans, you could easily elevate this salad by toasting the pecans in a skillet on medium-high heat until fragrant. Allow the pecans to cool completely before adding them to the salad.
- Dice chicken and vegetables uniformly for the best texture
- Toast nuts for enhanced flavor
- Chill salad before serving to develop flavors
- Keep ingredients cold while preparing
- Use fresh, crisp apples for the best texture
- Pat chicken dry before dicing to prevent excess moisture
Nutrition
Arby’s Chicken Salad Recipe Variations
Protein Options
- Grilled chicken breast (recommended)
- Rotisserie chicken
- Baked chicken
- Poached chicken
- Canned chicken (in a pinch)
Nutritional Notes
- For lower calorie version:
- Use light mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
- Reduce nuts
- Serve on lettuce instead of bread
- For lower carb version:
- Skip bread
- Use lettuce wraps
- Reduce grapes and apples
- For higher protein:
- Increase chicken ratio
- Use Greek yogurt for part of mayo
Substitutions
- Bread alternatives: Croissants, wraps, submarine rolls, or lettuce wraps
- Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, cashews, or pine nuts
- Fruit: Green grapes, dried cranberries, or raisins
- Mayo alternatives: Greek yogurt, light mayonnaise, or a mixture of both
How to Store Arby’s Chicken and Pecan Salad
Store your chicken salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. For best results, keep the chicken salad separate from the bread and assemble sandwiches just before serving to prevent sogginess.
The chicken salad does not freeze well due to the mayonnaise and fresh fruit components, which can separate and become watery upon thawing
Do you love Arby’s? Be sure to check out these copycat recipes
More Chicken Salad Recipes
- Subway Salad
- Jason Deli Salad
- Newks Salad
- Chicken Salad Chick Fancy Nancy
- Chicken Salad Chick Classic Carol
- Chicken Salad with Dried Cherries
- Restaurant Chicken Salad
- Fruity Chicken Salad
- Mango Curry Chicken Salad
Be sure to check out my copycat restaurant salad recipes and easy chicken recipes.
AWESOME recipe! I made this for my 3 daughters and they loved it and wanted the recipe. I always add more mayonnaise bc I like it creamier. I use Nature’s Own Perfectly Crafted Multigrain Bread, Thick-Sliced Loaf and it is perfectly DELICIOUS! Great recipe thank you!
I love this sandwich and the pecan children salad is awesome!
I love this sandwich and would like to make it, and I would like to know what brand of bread you use and can it be bought in a store.
I believe I used Nature’s Own when I prepared this.
Looks good and not that hard yum yum
Ty for the idea. Any thoughts on what the calorie count is without using the bread and using light mayo instead?
Just made it… HUGE fan, thank you.
Fantastic
You nailed it, this the Arby’s chicken salad we know and love.
This was very good❤️
I love this recipe! I made a couple changes recently to where I like it even more! I use Veganaise instead of regular mayo (I like the taste and texture more). I omitted the grapes entirely and replaced them with a cup of chopped dried cherries (or can do 1/2 C grapes, 1/2 C cherries).
This salad is also great to eat atop crackers, try mixing in 1/2 of a cup of crumbled Gorgonzola cheese…so delicious!
Is the 363 calorie count for the whole recipe or just per serving?
It is per serving.
Why do they only offer it fora limited time only? It should be offered all year long. It’s a good alternative to roast beef.
It is offered all year everyday. Its a marketing scam to boost profits of the sandwich. I worked for arbys 7 years and made it every single day I was there. Don’t be fooled.
Here in Ky. they only sell it during the summer months!
They only sell it where I live in the summer.