Newks Chicken Salad

Newks Chicken salad is the perfect combination of tender white chicken, pecans, grapes, and more. This chicken salad is great in a sandwich or even enjoyed on its own. This delicious homemade chicken salad is so easy to make, you don’t need to leave home to get it at the restaurant.

chicken salad sandwich on a plate

Favorite Newk’s Salad

Some people can’t get enough chicken salad, and then others just have never had a good chicken salad before. This easy chicken salad recipe is inspired by the version served at Newks restaurant is a real treat!

Thousands of Newks’ customers would never dream of walking out of the restaurant without picking up a container or two of this famous chicken salad to enjoy at home — it is that good! So, if you can’t make it to a local Newks, do yourself a favor and whip up a batch of Newks chicken salad recipe to see what all the fuss is about.

Chicken Salad Ingredients

Want a delicious chicken salad? Start with easy-to-find ingredients. This recipe can be made in no time at all, and you will need:

  • chicken breast or chicken tenders
  • lemon juice
  • pecans
  • red onion
  • celery
  • red grapes
  • mayonnaise
  • salt & pepper
  • sugar
Newks chicken salad ingredients

How to Cook Chicken for Chicken Salad

For the best-tasting chicken salad, you must prevent the flavor of the chicken from getting lost among all the other ingredients. That means the method you use for cooking the chicken is essential.

Many recipes suggest the best way of preparing the chicken is by poaching. While this method can help ensure the chicken stays moist, it tends to leave the meat waterlogged and tasteless. A better option is this unique (but simple) method that combines careful sauteing and steaming.

Start by removing the chicken from the fridge. While it is coming up to room temperature, lay a sheet of cling wrap on a cutting board. Place the chicken on the cutting board and lay another sheet of cling wrap on the top. Use a meat pounder or a rolling pin to gently pound the chicken into a uniform thickness. Don’t hit too hard, or you will tear the meat and spray chicken juice all over your kitchen!

Heat a saute pan that is large enough to cook all the chicken in a single layer over medium-high heat. While the pan is heating up, season the chicken generously with salt and pepper on both sides. When the pan is hot, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom and place the chicken in the pan.

Cook for exactly one minute, turn the chicken over and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan and set a timer for 10 minutes. When the timer beeps, turn off the stove but leave the cover on the pan for another 10 minutes. When the time is up, remove the lid, and the chicken should be perfectly cooked without being dried out.

Let the chicken cool and then pop in the fridge for at least an hour before making the chicken salad.

How to Make Newks Chicken Salad

  1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine lemon juice, mayonnaise, ground black pepper, sugar, salt, and seasoned salt.
  2. Add chicken, pecans, onion, and celery. Stir well to coat them with the dressing.
  3. Gently fold in the grapes.
  4. Place the salad in an air-tight container and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Tips for Serving Chicken Salad

Here are a couple of great ideas for serving chicken salad with grapes and pecans:

  • Toasting or grilling the slices of bread you use to make a sandwich will help prevent them from getting soggy.
  • Turn the chicken salad into a pasta salad by adding any cold, cooked short pasta.

How to Store Chicken Salad

Store any leftover chicken salad in an airtight container for up to three days in the fridge.

homemade Newks chicken salad in a sandwich and a wood bowl

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chicken salad sandwich on a plate

Newks Chicken Salad

Newks Chicken Salad with grapes, pecans, onions, and celery has the best combination of flavors and texture. Make it at home with this easy copycat recipe.
5 from 6 votes
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Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Chicken Salad, Newks Chicken Salad
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 10
Calories: 505kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 2 cups mayonnaise
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
  • 2.5 pounds cooked white chicken
  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/8 cup diced red onion
  • 3/4 cup finely diced celery
  • 1 cup sliced red grapes

Instructions

  • In a medium-sized bowl combine lemon juice, mayonnaise, ground black pepper, sugar, salt, and seasoned salt.
  • Stir the salad dressing very well.
  • Add in the cooked white chicken, chopped pecans, diced red onion, finely diced celery, and stir well. After the salad is well combined, gently fold in the sliced red grapes.
  • Placed the salad in an air-tight container, and allow the salad to rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Notes

Additional tips for making chicken salad. 
Want super tender chicken salad, start with cooked chicken tenders. 
Toast the pecans so their flavor really pops. 

Nutrition

Calories: 505kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 771mg | Potassium: 511mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 107IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Arpita Patel

    5 stars
    Great recipe. I made it for my wife before she got back from work and she really like it, thank you

  2. Agnelina

    I always only made basic Chicken Salad for sandwiches, and never quite got around to trying this type, but always wanted to. THIS one sounds very tasty, so I’ll give it a try. I will however, use a combo of light & dark meat, & only use the seasoned salt (eliminating the other 1/2 tsp). A good quality mayo is always the key to an amazing mayo-based salad. Duke’s or Hellman’s are always my choices, but I understand that when it comes to mayo, everyone has their favorite. Thanks for posting this recipe. 🙂

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