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
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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!
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Copycat Panera Bread Napa Almond Chicken Salad Sandwich is one of my favorite light lunches. Made with grapes, almonds and celery, it's seriously quick and easy to make and a great way to repurpose leftover chicken!
- Cooking spray
- 2 raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Lemon pepper seasoning
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1 cup celery, diced (around 3 ribs)
- 1 cup red grapes, halved
- 3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon sour cream
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Good sour dough bread, sliced
- Lettuce, clean and broken down into individual leaves
- Tomatoes, sliced
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Preheat the oven to 400. Line a sheet pan with a silicone line or foil. If using foil, spray with cooking spray.
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Place the chicken breasts onto the pan. Lightly sprinkle with lemon pepper and a bit of salt (to taste).
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Bake for 25 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
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Cool the chicken and chop.
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Add the chicken into a large mixing bowl.
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Add all the other ingredients and mix everything until well combined. Taste for seasoning and add more if necessary.
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Place the first piece of bread on the cutting board.
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Add the lettuce and then the tomatoes onto the bread.
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Top them with a good layer of chicken salad.
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Cover with the other piece of bread and cut the sandwich in half. Serve immediately.
Chicken salad can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a few days.
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.
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10 Comments
Wendy Fillion
March 1, 2019 at 3:05 pm Thank you so much for this recipe!! I am thrilled with the taste, the fact that it's right in my fridge and the money I'm saving by not buying the sandwich!!!Jessy Freimann
March 2, 2019 at 12:01 pm Woohoo- so glad you like it Wendy!Patti Prickett
May 10, 2019 at 7:04 pm How many cups of chopped chicken would equal the 2 chicken breasts (which are all different sizes)? I would like to use the chicken off of a roasted chickef bought at the grocery store...Jessy Freimann
June 7, 2019 at 3:08 pm Hi Patti! In my experience, I've gotten 3-4 cups of shredded chicken for a rotisserie chicken (depending on the size). So I'm say start at 2 cups and add more if needed. Hope you enjoy!Christina - The Everyday Dog Mom
May 29, 2019 at 7:06 pm I made this today and my husband and I loved it. Thanks so much for sharing!Jessy Freimann
June 7, 2019 at 3:04 pm I'm so glad you and he loved them Christina! Thanks for sharing!Maria
November 6, 2019 at 7:20 am I made it today.. we liked it soo much 👍🏻Jessy Freimann
November 7, 2019 at 9:47 pm So glad you loved it!Ha Nguyen
December 17, 2019 at 4:10 pm I was looking for a copy cat of the Napa Almond Chicken Salad recipe from Panera Bread and this was it! I followed every direction and it tasted delicious!! My fiance ate almost all of it and didn't save me any haha! Thank you so much for posting. Will definitely keep this as a recipe to make!Jessy Freimann
December 26, 2019 at 3:24 pm I'm so glad you love it- that's my favorite thing to order at Panera, so I have to give it a shot at home!Haha your fiance sounds like my husband!