This is our favorite chicken salad. We love the chicken, celery, grapes, craisins, almonds, and green onions in the salad, and the dressing takes it over the top. The creamy mayonnaise poppy seed dressing has a little sugar, oil and vinegar, and Dijon mustard that really sets this chicken salad apart. Always a favorite when served to company, you will love this easy, flavorful chicken salad made with rotisserie chicken.
What we love about this Chicken Salad Sandwich on a Croissant
We have made so many chicken salad versions over the years, but this is a huge stand-out. I love the sweetness of the grapes and craisins, the nutty crunch of the almonds, poppy seeds and celery, and the green onions to balance the flavors. We have made this time and again, and it is always a company favorite. I love using a rotisserie chicken for easy prep, and combined with the delicious dressing, you have a special chicken salad for book club, graduation parties, special lunches, holidays, or just a weekday meal. It’s ready in less than 30 minutes and is delicious.
The dressing really sets this chicken salad apart. I’ve always used a little oil and vinegar and mustard in my chicken salad dressings, but the addition of sugar and poppy seeds is such an amazing combination with this chicken salad. It enhances the fruit and is basically a creamy poppy-seed dressing for the chicken salad.
Looking for another easy weeknight meal that can also feed a crowd? Try our Italian Sausage and Broccoli Pasta!
What you need to make Chicken Salad on Croissant
You will need the following ingredients:
- Cooked chicken (a rotisserie chicken works great)
- Mayonnaise
- Dijon Mustard
- White vinegar or red wine vinegar
- Sugar
- Olive oil
- Poppy seeds
- Salt
- Pepper
- Grapes
- Celery
- Scallions
- Sliced almonds
- Craisins
- Croissants
- Optional: green leaf lettuce for serving
Croissant Chicken Salad Substitutions
I know what it’s like when you don’t have everything on hand, and the last thing you want to do is run to the store and pick something up. Here are a few ideas to substitute items on the ingredients list if needed:
- You can use leftover cooked chicken or roast chicken at home to make the chicken salad if you don’t want to use a rotisserie chicken. You may want to add a little more salt to the dressing, depending on the method used for baking. See my tips and notes below the recipe for roasting chicken at home.
- Lemon juice could possibly be substituted for the vinegar.
- You can use grapes or just cranberries alone. You can use a different kind of grape, substitute raisins or currants for the cranberries, or try using apples in place of the grapes.
- If you don’t like celery, you can leave it out, but we do like the crunch it adds.
- You could substitute red onion for the scallions if desired.
- You could omit the vinegar and sugar if you like, but the combination really boosts the flavor.
Step-by-step Instructions for Croissant Chicken Salad
Step 1. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, vinegar, olive oil, sugar, poppy seeds, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt or sugar if desired. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator while you combine the salad ingredients
Step 2. In a large bowl, combine chicken, grapes, celery, ½ cup scallions, almonds, and cranberries.
Step 3. Fold in dressing and garnish with additional scallions. Serve chicken salad immediately in croissants, with lettuce if desired.
Tips
- If you prefer to cook your chicken at home instead of using a rotisserie chicken, I highly recommend roasting bone-in chicken for the best flavor. Simply rub 3 split chicken breasts with oil, salt, and pepper, and cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 50 minutes (or until the meat reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit when checked with an oven thermometer). It may take up to 60 minutes to completely cook based on the size of the chicken breasts. You can also use poached chicken or leftover crockpot chicken. Sometimes, I will cook several boneless chicken breasts in the crockpot and cube or shred them for future meals.
- If you are looking for new mixing bowls, I love these OXO mixing bowls with a spout and textured grip that are great for pouring dressings, batters, etc. I have some I purchased years ago that I use all the time.
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Frequently Asked Questions
| How to store Croissant Chicken Salad? |
| The chicken salad can be safely stored in the fridge, covered, for 3-4 days, or kept in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for about 3-4 months for best quality. Leftovers should be stored in the fridge within 2 hours of cooking. I recommend storing it separately from the croissant and adding it to the bread at the time of serving. |
| Can you make the chicken salad in advance? |
| You can make the chicken salad a day or two in advance before serving. If you are making it in advance, wait and add the almonds right before serving so they stay crisp. You may also want to make some additional dressing. The ingredients slightly absorb the dressing as it sits and you may want to freshen the salad before serving with a little additional dressing or mayonnaise. |
| What should I serve with Chicken Salad Sandwich on a Croissant? |
| Chicken salad can be served for lunch or dinner. Great sides include pickle spears, chips, potato salad, macaroni salad, veggie tray or fruit, soup, cheese and crackers, or a spinach or green salad. |
Croissant Chicken Salad
25
minutes0
minutes4-6
croissant sandwiches (depending on size of croissant)25
minutesIngredients
4 1/2 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken (1 large rotisserie chicken works well, or 2 smaller chickens may be needed)
1 ¼ cups mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 ½ tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 ½ cups red seedless grapes, sliced in half
1 cup chopped celery
½ cup + 2 tablespoons sliced scallions
½ cup sliced almonds
⅓ cup dried cranberries
4 -6 croissants, sliced in half
Optional: green leaf lettuce
Directions
- In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, vinegar, olive oil, sugar, poppy seeds, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt or sugar if desired. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator while you combine the salad ingredients.
- In a large bowl, combine chicken, grapes, celery, ½ cup scallions, almonds, and cranberries. Fold in dressing and garnish with additional scallions.
- Serve chicken salad immediately in croissants, with lettuce if desired.
Notes
- The chicken salad tastes great on a bed of greens as well instead of served as a sandwich on a croissant.
- If you can find quality fresh croissants from the bakery at your grocery store, I recommend them with the chicken salad.
- If you prefer to cook your chicken at home instead of using a rotisserie chicken, I highly recommend roasting bone-in chicken for the best flavor. Simply rub 3 split chicken breasts with oil, salt, and pepper, and cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 50 minutes (or until the meat reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit when checked with an oven thermometer). Shred the chicken to use for the salad.
We love chicken salads and I like how fun to enjoy them with croissants!
Thanks for the great feedback! This chicken salad tastes so good in a croissant, I am glad you like it. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
I can’t wait to try these. They look so yummy.
Thank you! We love this chicken salad, let me know if you give it a try! Thanks for the great feedback!
Flaky croissant, juicy chicken! Now that’s a salad upgrade!
Thank you so much! We love this chicken salad tucked in a croissant. It’s great for casual entertaining and for every day meals. Thanks for taking the time to stop by and check it out!