Arby’s Grilled Chicken and Pecan Salad is a new menu item at Arby’s. Arby’s is known for their hearty roast beef sandwiches, but they do so much more than roast beef. They make a delicious nut and fruit filled grilled chicken salad like no one else. Many places skimp on the nuts when they go into a recipe, well, Arby’s knows how to make a chicken salad that is packed with all sorts of tasty ingredients. You can try one of their Market Fresh Grilled Chicken and Pecan Salad sandwiches at home.
You don’t need to limit yourself to just a sandwich with this chicken salad; you could put this in a large tortilla for a wrap. This chicken salad would go well in a submarine bun; I loved this with toasted sourdough bread. Honestly, this goes well only scooped out and placed on a salad. If you don’t happen to have any grilled chicken around, you could use leftover chicken that you may have from a baked chicken. If you need to grill your chicken, I will grill up about 1 to 1 1/4 pounds for this recipe. This recipe is very flexible, you could add a little more or a little less of any of these ingredients, and you will come up with a great tasting chicken salad sandwich.
While they do not toast their pecans, I think you could easily bring this salad to the next level by toasting the pecans in a skillet over medium-high heat just until they become fragrant. Allow the pecans to cool completely before preparing the chicken salad.
Do you love Arby’s? Be sure to check out these other copycat recipes.
Arby’s Horsey Sauce
Cherry Turnovers
Arby’s Chocolate Turnovers
Arby's Grilled Chicken and Pecan Salad
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups chicken breast grilled
- 1 cup of diced red apple
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup of grapes sliced in half
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup of mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (juice of one small lemon)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl add diced apple and one tablespoon of lemon juice. Stir lemon juice into apples coating them well. This will help keep the apples from turning brown. Add chicken, sliced grapes, diced celery, and pecans. Mix well until everything is mixed through. Add 1/2 cup mayonnaise, if the mixture is too dry you can add another 1/4 cup of mayonnaise. Add salt and pepper to taste. Allow flavors to marry in a covered bowl in the refrigerator for about 1 hour before serving.
- o prepare sandwich like Arby's use thickly sliced wheat bread, add a couple of slices of green leaf lettuce, and add about 1 cup of chicken salad to the sandwich. While they do not toast their pecans, I think you could easily bring this salad to the next level by toasting the pecans in a skillet on medium-high heat just until they become fragrant. Allow the pecans to cool completely before preparing the chicken salad.
Floyd_Lloyd says
I know that this article was written three years ago, but I love, Love, LOVE this sandwich and am always disappointed when they take it off the menu. It is seasonal and doesn’t stay on all year. My question is, if I can ever get a response, is the binder of this salad mayo or yogurt? It doesn’t really taste heavy enough to be mayonnaise. If I can figure this out, sorry Arby’s, I’ll be having this at home.
stephaniemanley says
My binder is mayonnaise, an employee later emailed me and said, wow your recipe is spot on, and I got the ingredients right. So I would assume it is mayonnaise as well. I think the key here is not to add too much of it.
Amanda says
Would miracle whip would or just mayo?
Rosa says
In the instructions you said to add chicken, sliced grapes, diced celery… but you don’t have grapes on ingredients. How much grapes do I add?
stephaniemanley says
I would add about a cup of grapes to the recipe. I will fix that right now.
Thanks!
Stephanie
Richard says
In the instructions it calls to add the sliced grapes but your ingredients does not list the grapes
Tosha Nicole Henson says
WHAT KIND OF MAYO?
stephaniemanley says
I use Hellman’s.
Amber Quates says
I make this recipe with regular mayonnaise. I can’t stand Hellman’s because it’s sweet. And I either use blue plate or a store brand that tastes good. I made this recipe for our churches graduation party for our congregation several years ago. It went over really well. In fact, my mom had never had chicken salad that way before and she loved it when she tasted it. So much so, she called me today and asked me to make it for Christmas Eve. This time though, I’m going to make it with roasted turkey. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Ellen says
You forgot the grapes, which are my favorite part 🙂 I make this at home all the time but I just boil chicken breasts instead of grilling them. I love this stuff!!
dlrich31 says
the picture shows grapes in the sandwich,but they aren’t listed in the recipe.
just me says
The ingredient list does not have the amount of grapes to use. I guessed and used 1/2 cup.
CR says
Thanks for posting this recipe. Other sites I’ve gone to don’t have a decent recipe or just a calorie count of Arby’s. I’ve eaten at Arby’s and like the chicken salad, however I like being able to make my own at home and control the calories. Your servings say 1…what? Very good and refreshing! I eat it on a whole wheat wrap. Yum!
stephaniemanley says
I had an error on the serving size, this makes about 4 servings. So you could have a very thick 2 sandwiches, or say 4 normal sandwiches.
Tina P says
Use the extra heavy mayo. You can get it at Sams club or Gordens.
Tina P says
I worked there when they first started making the market fresh line. You’ve pretty much got it, you just have one extra ingredient 😉
KC Hater says
I have a super dumb question, and hopefully someone will see this and respond. Can anyone tell me how to best prepare the chicken? Obviously you can prepare your own, or even by the Tyson precooked stuff, what is the best option to get that Arby’s taste? Sorry, I know, I know, DURP.
stephaniemanley says
Why don’t you take about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of chicken breasts sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides, and then cook them in a pan. To the pan be sure to add a couple of teaspoons of oil, and cook them for about 7 to 8 minutes on the first side and about 5 minutes on the second side over medium heat. Be sure the chicken is fully cooked before making the chicken salad.
KC Hater says
Thank you for your help. I really like the Arby’s Chicken Salad, and didn’t want to wreck the recipe by cooking the chicken the wrong way.
Much appreciated! !!!
Jeff
stephaniemanley says
Jeff, I am glad to hear that!
Consuelo Johnson Yero says
I would definitely make my own by simply cooking it over the stove depending on how you want to season it but you can also buy the chicken already precooked as well
tonytate42 says
Braise the chicken in very salty water.
stephaniemanley says
That could work.
Valerie Villalobos says
I make a different chicken salad with boiled chicken thighs all u do is season the water right n the broth makes ur chicken more flavorful. Shredded then chopped. I find white meat is a lil 2 dry 4 a salad. Truste me boiling in its own juices gives it more tastier n tenderer.
Stephanie Manley says
I will have to give your suggestion a try.
Ani Animasola says
I use a 1/2 cup sour cream as part of the binder. I adjust the mayo by the same amount. My family likes it a lot. Oh, also I use walnuts.
purplyrose says
I love this at the Restaurants. I have to go out and get all this.
arbys employee says
I work at an arbys and this isnt quite the recipe. To make 12 sandwiches you need 1 lb of grilled chicken breast (diced), 1/2 lb of mayo, 8 oz of chopped grapes and apples (red) and 4 oz of pecans and chopped celery.The portion sizes are 6 oz each on 2 slices of wheat bread. Also add a piece if leaf lettuce to it. All you do is chop and mix all the ingredients together (except the lettuce) in a bowl, then it is ready to put on the bread abd serve.
stephaniemanley says
I appreciate your tips.
Carol says
Just made this! Amazing! I added some ingredients though: parsley, spinach, mango flavored cranberries (so yum!), and cayanne pepper. It is without a doubt the richest chicken salad I’ve ever had. Thanks! 🙂
Consuelo Johnson Yero says
Know this is an old posting that sounded good how you added a twist to it
Guest says
Guest, since you say you work there, just how close is this? I think the key is the “dressing”.
whyisthismakingmepickaname says
Arby’s makes their chicken salad by bulk.. 4 lbs of chicken, 1 lb
apples, 8 oz celery, 8 oz grapes, 8 oz pecans (I’m going off of memory
but I’m pretty sure that’s it..) and the original recipe calls for around 2 lbs of mayonnaise, but every Arby’s I’ve worked in cuts that down to around 20-28 oz because customers complain a lot when there’s too much mayo.
Guest says
Not bad. I work there. It’s pretty close
stephaniemanley says
Thanks!
NJuniee says
This is out of this world delicious !! OMG ! I will never eat chicken salad any other way ! Thank you so much for this recipe !!
Jfkmo says
Wow! I just had this as a wrap over the weekend and am so glad i found the recipe. Thanks!
louisville chiropractic says
Wow what a delicious chicken salad,love it!
Bjn says
have you ever made the tim horton’s bisquit that they serve for breakfast with cheese and ham?I just want to make the bisquit.please say you do!I love all the copy cat things. what a terrific site this is. sincerely.jeanne
Anonymous says
I am so far south there are no Tim Horton’s near my 🙁
Wendy (The Weekend Gourmet) says
I love this chicken salad…and now I can make it at home for less money! Thanks, Stephanie…
stephaniemanley says
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe.