Copycat Panera Bread Napa Almond Chicken Salad Sandwich is one of my favorite light lunches. It's seriously quick and easy to make and a great way to repurpose leftover chicken!
Copycat Panera Bread Napa Almond Chicken Salad Sandwich
This post contains Affiliate Links. Please see the disclaimer here.
Raise your hand if you love Panera Bread! *waves both hands excitedly in the air* I've been a long time Panera Bread fan and one of my favorite things to order is their Napa Almond Chicken Salad Sandwich. This chicken salad with grapes, sliced almonds and celery always tastes fantastic and makes the perfect light lunch!
It's always good to have a few good chicken salad recipes up your sleeve (like these Chicken Salad Stuffed Tomatoes, which make an excellent, healthy appetizer!). It's a great way to repurpose your dinner into a light lunch the next day.
Frequently asked questions about this chicken salad sandwich recipe:
- Can I use leftover chicken instead of cooking the chicken as you do in the recipe? If you already have leftover chicken, feel free to use that instead.
- What if I'm only cooking for one or two people? This makes a pretty good amount for chicken salad so if you're cooking for one or two and don't want leftovers, feel free to halve the recipe.
- Is there a good way to make this recipe low carb? Sure! This homemade chicken salad would taste great as lettuce wraps or stuffed into hollowed out tomatoes or avocados.
- Can this be made ahead? Yes. The chicken salad lasts a few days in the fridge. Store it in an air-tight container. I'd encourage you to assemble the sandwiches just before serving so that the bread doesn't get soggy.
- Any tips for making this recipe a bit healthier? Although the recipe is pretty light to begin with, if you want to make it even lighter, you can use a light mayonnaise and substitute greek yogurt in place of sour cream (or just use light sour cream).
- What if I'm not a fan of sour dough bread? Then you and I are done! Just kidding, you can totally change out the bread and totally get creative with the toppings!
Helpful tools:
Copycat Panera Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon sour cream
- 1 ½ Tablespoons honey
- 1 ½ Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup celery, diced (around 3 ribs)
- 1 cup red grapes, halved
- ¾ cup sliced almonds, toasted
- 2 chicken breasts, diced
Instructions
- Add mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, honey, apple cider vinegar, basil , rosemary, salt and pepper to the bowl and mix until well combined.
- Add the chicken, celery, grapes and almonds. Mix until well combined and fully coated. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving.
Notes
- If you want to make the chicken for this salad: Cook in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until they reach 160 degrees F. Allow the chicken to cool and chop it.
- In a hurry? No problem, swap the chicken breasts for your favorite rotisserie chicken. It will save you a step and is a great option when you are in a time crunch.
- Play with the flavors. This Panera chicken salad recipe is forgiving, so you can easily adjust the ingredients. Fresh herbs, cranberries, and diced apples are just a few ideas to consider.
- Swap the almonds. Not a fan of almonds? That's fine! Simply swap them for walnuts or pecans. Or leave the nuts out altogether.
- Prep ahead: Cook and chop the chicken, dice celery and halve grapes.
- Leftovers and Storage: This will last up to 4 days covered in the fridge.
Nutrition
If you tried this recipe please comment and rate it 🙂 I love hearing your feedback and answering your questions!
Looking for some other easy sandwich recipes?
- Open-Faced Egg Sandwich
- Day After Thanksgiving Sandwich
- Open Face Tuna Melt
- Egg and Olive Salad Sandwich
You can find a full index of my recipes here.
Don’t forget to follow The Life Jolie on Pinterest for more recipe inspiration!
Or if Pinterest isn’t your style, bookmark this post!
Let’s keep the conversation going- join my Facebook group!
Wendy Fillion says
Jessy Freimann says
Patti Prickett says
Jessy Freimann says
Christina - The Everyday Dog Mom says
Jessy Freimann says
Maria says
Jessy Freimann says
Ha Nguyen says
Jessy Freimann says
NaTosha S Dudley says
Jessy Freimann says
Mary Robinos says
Jessy Freimann says
Maria says
Jessy Freimann says
Christina P. says
Andrea says