Recreate the iconic Wendy's Apple Pecan salad at home with this easy-to-follow recipe! Every bite bursts with sweet apples, crunchy pecans, and a tangy vinaigrette, proving salads can be both satisfying and crave-worthy.
Our copycat recipe is topped with blue cheese and dressed with a delicious pomegranate dressing also!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
The apples and pecans add a touch of sweetness, while the chicken and blue cheese add a savory flavor. This delicious salad is then tossed in a creamy pomegranate dressing that ties everything together.
Perfect for a light lunch or dinner for the whole family, or as a side dish for a potluck or picnic, this copycat Wendy's Apple Pecan Chicken salad is also a great way to use up leftover chicken. Some other reasons to love this recipe:
- Very easy to make, a few minutes to put together.
- Simple ingredients that are easy to find, perfect for leftover chicken.
- Light entree dinner, or as a side dish for a potluck or picnic.
Ingredients You'll Need
This recipe makes a large salad that can easily feed four, or supplement a meal for six. You can easily use our recipe card sizing tool to make a version for two servings, or even just one person!
Wendy's Apple Pecan Chicken Salad Base
- Chicken - Previously cooked and diced. A rotisserie chicken is perfect!
- Romaine lettuce - Or your favorite salad greens blend.
- Pecans - Chopped, and if you have time, toasted.
- Blue Cheese crumbles - Or you can also use Gorgonzola or Feta crumbles.
- Dried Cranberries - Raisins are good also.
- Apples - Washed, cored, and diced.
Pomegranate Salad Dressing
- Pomegranate Juice - Bottled.
- Dijon Mustard
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Honey
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Wendy's Apple Pecan Salad
Use a large, shallow baking dish or shallow salad bowl to prepare this large, centerpiece salad. It will look stunning at the table, buffet, or at a brunch!
Prepare The Pomegranate Dressing
- Using a small bowl, whisk together the pomegranate juice, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pour into a mason jar and seal, refrigerate until ready to use.
Prepare the Salad Greens
- Wash and pat dry the romaine lettuce, spinach, or salad greens you will be using.
- Spread them out in the shallow baking dish or shallow salad bowl.
- Dice up the cooked rotisserie chicken into ½" to 1" cubes and scatter evenly over the bed of lettuces.
Peel and Chop The Apples
- Wash, core, and chop up the apples. Spread them out over the diced chicken evenly.
Garnish With Toppings
- Garnish with chopped pecans, dried cranberries, and the crumbled blue cheese.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this copycat Wendy's Apple Pecan Chicken Salad as a delicious light lunch or dinner.
This refreshing combination of chicken, apples, pecans, dried cranberries, and blue cheese, goes perfectly with the pomegranate dressing, and is perfect for any time of year.
Related Recipes
Substitution and Variations
Here are a few scrumptious variations using this recipe as a base:
- Use holiday turkey meat for a great way to make something different with leftover turkey. Store bought rotisserie chicken is a super fast option.
- If you don't have dried cranberries, you can use raisins or currants.
- Use your favorite type of apple. Granny Smith apples are a classic choice, but you can also use Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Gala apples.
- Feta cheese or Gorgonzola are great substitutes for the blue cheese.
- Lemon poppy seed dressing is a great dressing variation.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Below are some of my favorite pieces of equipment that I use when making Wendy's Apple Pecan Salad.
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Storage Options
- Store any leftover, undressed salad in the refrigerator, separately from the dressing for up to 2 days.
- If you have tossed it with salad dressing, it will only store for about 12 to 24 hours before the lettuce wilts. And, DO NOT freeze.
Tips for Success
- Toast the pecans before adding them to the salad. This will give them a richer flavor.
- If you don't have blue cheese, you can use crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese.
- Be generous with the dressing. The dressing is what brings all of the flavors of the salad together.
- Don't be afraid to experiment with different ingredients. You can add other fruits like grapes or strawberries, or you can add other nuts like walnuts or almonds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use rotisserie chicken in this recipe. Just be sure to shred the chicken before adding it to the salad. chopping it.
Yes, you can make this salad ahead of time. Simply assemble the salad and store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to serve, add the dressing and toss to coat.
No, you cannot freeze this salad. The apples and lettuce will become mushy when thawed.
More Delish Ideas
Wendy's Apple Pecan Salad
Ingredients
For Wendy's Apple Pecan Salad Base
- 8 cup salad blend romaine, spinach, spring greens
- 4 cup chicken cooked, cubed
- 2 large apples cored and diced
- 1 cup pecans chopped
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup blue cheese crumbles
For Pomegranate Dressing
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
- 3 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¾ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Wendy's Apple Pecan Salad
- Wash and pat dry the romaine lettuce, spinach, or salad greens you will be using.8 cup salad blend
- Spread them out in the shallow baking dish or shallow salad bowl.
- Dice up the cooked rotisserie chicken into ½" to 1" cubes and scatter evenly over the bed of lettuces.4 cup chicken
- Wash, core, and chop up the apples. Spread them out over the diced chicken evenly.2 large apples
- Garnish with chopped pecans, dried cranberries, and the crumbled blue cheese.1 cup pecans, 1 cup dried cranberries, 1 cup blue cheese crumbles
Prepare Pomegranate Dressing
- Using a small bowl, whisk together the pomegranate juice, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pour into a mason jar and seal, refrigerate until ready to use.1 cup pomegranate juice, 3 tablespoon Dijon mustard, ¾ cup red wine vinegar, ¼ cup honey, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Notes
- Toast the pecans before adding them to the salad. This will give them a richer flavor.
- If you don't have blue cheese, you can use crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese.
- Be generous with the dressing. The dressing is what brings all of the flavors of the salad together.
- Don't be afraid to experiment with different ingredients. You can add other fruits like grapes or strawberries, or you can add other nuts like walnuts or almonds.
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