Napa Almond Chicken Salad (Panera Copycat Recipe) (2024)

Home Chicken Sandwiches Napa Almond Chicken Salad (Panera Copycat Recipe)

Becky Hardin

4.61 from 63 votes

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If love the Panera Chicken Salad, you are going to adore this homemade version of their Napa almond chicken salad. The chicken salad is covered in a creamy mayo dressing for one of the best sandwich fillings you’ll find!

Napa Almond Chicken Salad (Panera Copycat Recipe) (1)

Copycat Panera Chicken Salad

Whenever we visit Panera I always get the Napa almond chicken salad, it’s my hands down favorite! In fact, I’m not sure why it took so long to recreate it at home!

Made with chicken breast, it’s ready to serve, from scratch, in less than 30 minutes.

You’re going to love this copycat Frontega Chicken Panini recipe too!

Why this almond chicken salad is so good!

  • Creamy dressing: The mayo based dressing is sweetened with honey and you get a nice tang from a little apple cider vinegar. It’s so addictive!
  • Easy: This salad comes together quickly and easily with simple ingredients.
  • Make ahead: You can make a batch of this salad and enjoy it for easy lunches, or take on picnics.
Napa Almond Chicken Salad (Panera Copycat Recipe) (2)

Napa Almond Chicken Salad (Panera Copycat Recipe) (3)

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How long does it keep?

Once you have made the salad, transfer it to an airtight container or cover the bowl with plastic wrap. It will keep well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Just give it a little stir before using.

How else can you use it?

This, of course is a great filling for sandwiches, baguettes, wraps and pita, perfect for a quick and easy lunch. It’s also great served in lettuce wraps or as a topping for simple green salads.

Recipe Variations

This Panera copycat recipe is so delicious as it is, but you can easily make it your own. Try swapping some of the mayo for Greek yogurt or adding in other nuts like walnuts or dried cranberries for a little bite of tang.

Napa Almond Chicken Salad (Panera Copycat Recipe) (4)

Recipe Notes and Tips

  • To save time, you can use store-bought rotisserie chicken or any leftover chicken you may have on hand.
  • Because the dressing contains mayo, don’t let the almond chicken salad sit out for more than 2 hours.

Napa Almond Chicken Salad (Panera Copycat Recipe) (5)

4.61 from 63 votes

Napa Almond Chicken Salad (Panera Copycat)

If love the chicken salad at Panera Bakery, you are going to adore this homemade version of their Napa almond chicken salad. The chicken salad is covered in a creamy mayo dressing for one of the best sandwich fillings you'll find!

Napa Almond Chicken Salad (Panera Copycat Recipe) (6)

Email This Recipe

Enter your email and we’ll send the recipe directly to you!

By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Easy Chicken Recipes.

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Ingredients

For the Chicken

  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

For the Dressing

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon dried rosemary or 1 teaspoon fresh, chopped

For Assembly

  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 1 cup seedless grapes sliced
  • ½ cup sliced almonds
  • 8 slices bread
  • 2 Roma tomatoes sliced
  • 4 lettuce leaves

Instructions

For the Chicken

  • Combine the salt, lemon pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Rub the seasoning mixture and 1 tablespoon olive oil over the chicken breasts.

    ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

  • Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the chicken breasts, cooking for 5-6 minutes on each side, until the breasts are golden brown on the outside and cooked through. Let the chicken breasts cool. Then, chop into small small chunks.

For the Chicken Salad

  • In a large bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients together.

    1 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon dried rosemary

  • Add in the chicken, celery, grapes, and almonds and toss to coat.

    1 cup diced celery, 1 cup seedless grapes, ½ cup sliced almonds

For the Sandwiches

  • Spread an even amount of chicken salad on 4 slices of bread. Top with tomato slices, lettuce, and the other slice of bread.

    8 slices bread, 2 Roma tomatoes, 4 lettuce leaves

Notes

  • To save time, use store-bought rotisserie chicken leftover cooked chicken.
  • Because the dressing contains mayo, don’t let the salad sit out for more than 2 hours.

Storage:Store Napa almond chicken salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition Facts

Napa Almond Chicken Salad (Panera Copycat)

Amount Per Serving (1 sandwich)

Calories 915Calories from Fat 558

% Daily Value*

Fat 62g95%

Saturated Fat 9g56%

Trans Fat 0.1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 29g

Monounsaturated Fat 20g

Cholesterol 132mg44%

Sodium 1430mg62%

Potassium 1080mg31%

Carbohydrates 44g15%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 16g18%

Protein 46g92%

Vitamin A 2265IU45%

Vitamin C 13mg16%

Calcium 144mg14%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Author: Becky Hardin

Course:Main Course, Salad, Sandwiches

Cuisine:American

Did You Make This?We love seeing what you’ve made! Tag us on social media at@easychickenrecipesfor a chance to be featured.

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Napa Almond Chicken Salad (Panera Copycat Recipe) (13)

Meet Becky Hardin

Becky Hardin founded Easy Chicken Recipes in 2018. She has been creating trusted, easy, and delicious recipes on the web since 2012. Becky is known for simple dinner ideas, delicious crockpot recipes, creative chicken meals, and so much more. We have built a team of recipe developers, testers, and writers that love to create trust chicken recipes for every family.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Review

  1. Napa Almond Chicken Salad (Panera Copycat Recipe) (14)Mohana says

    Napa Almond Chicken Salad (Panera Copycat Recipe) (15)
    I tried other recipes and this is the closest taste to panera Napa almond. Thank you so much for sharing

    Reply

    • Napa Almond Chicken Salad (Panera Copycat Recipe) (16)Becky Hardin says

      You are welcome, Mohana!

      Reply

  2. Napa Almond Chicken Salad (Panera Copycat Recipe) (17)Trinket says

    Napa Almond Chicken Salad (Panera Copycat Recipe) (18)
    Delicious. I make my own focaccia and have this on top of it (my typical alteration at Panera). It’s easy, although I wouldn’t say the taste is identical: this is fresher and tastier than at Panera, and I can add extra grapes.

    Reply

    • Napa Almond Chicken Salad (Panera Copycat Recipe) (19)Becky Hardin says

      Thanks for stopping by and sharing!

      Reply

  3. Napa Almond Chicken Salad (Panera Copycat Recipe) (20)Jorli says

    What is the serving size for this recipe. My mother is a diabetic and is strict about her servings.

    Thank you so much in advance.

    Reply

    • Napa Almond Chicken Salad (Panera Copycat Recipe) (21)Becky Hardin says

      This serves four!

      Reply

  4. Napa Almond Chicken Salad (Panera Copycat Recipe) (22)Flea says

    Your dressing is way to “fancy”. It’s literally just the sliced chicken they used for their salads, sliced almonds and grapes and plain mayo. I used to make 10-15 lbs of it 5 days a week, I’ll never forget the recipe XD

    Reply

    • Napa Almond Chicken Salad (Panera Copycat Recipe) (23)Becky Hardin says

      Thanks for sharing, Flea!

      Reply

    • Napa Almond Chicken Salad (Panera Copycat Recipe) (24)Jane doe says

      Your Panera must have been skimping. The ingredient list is on Panera’s page and it’s not just basic mayo. It does have honey, rosemary, etc in it.

      Reply

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