Wendy’s is known for their fresh burgers, chili, and many other great menu items. Here is my version of Wendy’s Apple Pecan Salad with chicken, cranberries, and blue cheese.
I love a great hearty salad. This fresh salad from Wendy’s is easy to duplicate at home. This is a wonderful salad to enjoy at home when you prepare it yourself. You can even take a couple of extra steps to make this salad taste just a little bit better when you make it in your own kitchen.
Apple pecan salad with chicken is perfect for fall when apples are crisp, juicy, and in season. Both sweet and tart apples are in this salad for a great balance of flavor. It’s an extraordinary salad with crisp greens, tender chicken, fresh apples, crunchy pecans, sweet cranberries, and tangy blue cheese.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
Here’s a list of what you need:
- Chicken breast, boneless and skinless
- Vegetable oil
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Parsley flakes
- Romaine lettuce
- Fresh Spinach
- Dried cranberries
- Red apple
- Green apple
- Blue cheese
- Pecans
Ingredient Notes
What I really love about cooking from home is you can tailor your recipes for the way you eat.
I like to use organic meats and vegetables when I can. Wendy’s Apple Pecan Salad is the perfect salad to do this. I love to use organic chicken and organic apples in this recipe. You can buy organic meats and fruits at many stores, heck, even Walmart sells organic items now.
You could use packaged salad for this recipe. Or you can save some money by buying romaine and washing it yourself, and cutting it. Romaine lettuce is very easy to work with, so it is easy to do.
How to Make Wendy’s Apple Pecan Salad
- Heat a skillet over medium heat.
- Add oil to the pan and let it get hot.
- Use a paper towel to blot away excess moisture from the chicken breast.
- In a small bowl combine salt, pepper, garlic powder, and parsley flakes.
- Sprinkle the spice mixture on both sides of the chicken.
- Place chicken into the skillet and cook for 4 to 6 minutes on each side or until fully cooked.
- Allow meat to rest while you make the salad.
- Place lettuce and spinach in bowls.
- Top with dried cranberries, red apple slices, green apple slices, chopped pecans, and blue cheese crumbles.
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, divide pieces equally, and place on top of the salads.
- Drizzle the salads with the dressing of your choice.
Recipe Notes
Some ways you can enhance the salad:
- Toast the pecans in a skillet until they become fragrant. This will really help the flavor come through.
- I also like to use a nice quality of blue cheese to make this salad simply delicious.
- You can also chill the bowls you are going to serve the salad in to add a little extra touch.
Wendy’s Apple Pecan Salad Dressing
When it comes to the perfect salad dressing you can buy some Marzetti Simply Dressed Pomegranate Vinaigrette.
You could also make a quick homemade herbed vinaigrette. I make these by adding 1 part vinegar, and 2 parts vegetable oil, and I add salt, pepper, and other dried herbs.
No matter what you top this salad with you are going to enjoy this salad when it is made from your own kitchen.
I know you are going to love this copycat recipe!
Love Wendy’s? Try these copycat recipes!
- Wendy’s Summer Strawberry Salad
- Wendy’s Taco Salad
- BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad
- Wendy’s Cheese Fries
- Wendy’s Chili
- Instant Pot Wendy’s Chili
- Wendy’s Frosty Recipe
- Wendy’s Breakfast Baconator
Best Salad Dressing Recipes
- Hot Bacon Dressing
- Russian Salad Dressing
- Blue Cheese Salad Dressing
- Japanese Dressing
- Olive Garden Italian Dressing Recipe
Be sure to check out more of my easy salad recipes and the best fast food copycat recipes.
Wendy’s Apple Pecan Salad with Chicken
Ingredients
- 15 ounces chicken breast
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon parsley flakes
- 16 ounces Romaine lettuce
- 6 ounces spinach
- 4 tablespoons dried cranberries (you can use Craisins)
- 1 red apple chopped
- 1 green apple chopped
- 1/2 cup blue cheese
- 2 tablespoons pecans chopped
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium heat, I like to use cast iron as it helps meat brown beautifully. Add your oil to the pan and let it get hot. Use a paper towel to blot away excess moisture from the chicken breast. In a small bowl combine salt, pepper, garlic powder, and parsley flakes. Sprinkle the spice mixture on both sides of your chicken. Place chicken into the skillet, and cook for 4 to 6 minutes on each side. You can use a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken has fully cooked. Allow meat to rest while you make the rest of your salad.
- Wash the lettuce and spinach, divide the salads between two bowls. Build each salad by adding to each bowl: 2 tablespoons of dried cranberries, 1/2 of the red apple, 1/2 of the green apple, 1 tablespoon of chopped pecans, and 1/4 cup chopped blue cheese. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and divide the meat evenly between the two bowls. Top the salad with the dressing of your choice.
Sally
This is the perfect summer salad. I used fuji apples and almonds. It was still good.
Erich
This is the perfect summer salad. I used fuji apples and almonds. It was still good.
Juanita
I loved this salad when they had it, now I can make it at home.
Ann Marie
I’ve been making this salad at home since Wendys introduced it. Only thing, we can I find the Marzetti pomegranate dressing? I’ve looked all over and can’t seem to find. Thanks.
Nyeasha
The sell it at Ralph’s. But not where the regular dressing is. It’s by the produce
Kate Meaney
Several of my supermarkets have it, but only Shaws carries the Pomogranate. It’s in the produce section, because it has a short shelf life…no preservatives. See the date on the bottle. Now…if I could just replicate the sweet-spicy pecans they give you!
gbullock
i found it at Meijers
Greg Winston
Only site I’ve seen which bothers to tell you how to season the chicken to approximate the delicious flavor of the chicken in the Wendy’s salad. Which is an indispensable part of the preparation, to get the right flavor. Kudos to you for providing this piece of necessary info.
Stephanie
It’s important, bland chicken helps no one.
Clarice Perry
Please copy Ruth Chris’ Stuffed Chicken. Very good.
Joseph Quam
I think I love you! Thanks for posting this! I literally CRAVE that freakin’ salad! Well done!
Stephanie
I am so glad you can make the soup at home now.
Jamie
I haven’t tried the Wendy’s salad, but this looks good. I’ll have to give this a try before summer is over.
Stephanie
I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Claudia Krusch
Your salad looks soooo good and easy to make! I am definitely going to try it! I love trying new salads!!!
keikilani
This salad looks right up my husbands alley! He loves blue cheese anything.
Brianne
This salad looks delicious and super easy to make! I am writing these ingredients down now to buy for my next grocery shop!
Erin
Yum! I love trying all different kinds of salads! I don’t eat chicken but I bet this would still be delicious without it 🙂 Or maybe with some beans in their place?
Cynthia
I don’t eat fast food very often, but when I do, I enjoy going to Wendy’s for a salad. I love the combination of sweet fruit and the saltiness of the blue cheese.
Chris
nicely said
Heather Lawrence
Yummy! Honestly we don’t usually eat salads when we are at a burger joint but I can see me making this for my family. Looks delicious!
lynn venturini
have you heard of cool hand lukes? they make the best jalapeno beans can you copy that