These light yet filling classic chicken salad sandwiches are perfect for picnics, brunches, and teas!
Franz Bakery
This is one of the recipes I developed last year for Franz Bakery. I love working with them, not only because they’re great people. They also make amazing bread products!
For this recipe, I used the Franz Mountain White Gluten Free Bread. It’s a classic formula, made gluten free and delicious. Light but not at all flimsy, this is a great bread to use for fillings like classic chicken salad.
Chicken Salad
While I kept the traditional mayo in this recipe, I didn’t use as much as most recipes call for. You could also use yogurt if you’d like. I’ve done that before and it just gives the chicken salad a tangy flavor, but it’s still creamy – just different. I prefer the mayo version.
Serving Options
What I love most about these classic chicken salad sandwiches is that you can serve them in many different ways, for different occasions.
- Use less filling, cut off the crusts, quarter, and serve as tea sandwiches.
- Use the same amount of filling but cut off the crusts, quarter, stick an appetizer toothpick in the middle of each one, and serve as party appetizers.
- Cut in half, package up in paper and twine, and serve at picnics.
- Enjoy as a full sandwich for a simple, scrumptious every day lunch or dinner!
Wine Pairing Bliss
I suggest enjoying these classic chicken salad sandwiches with a nice crisp Oregon Chardonnay or an off-dry Riesling.
- 2015 Knudsen Chardonnay ($45) – this new (and currently unreleased) Chardonnay from Oregon’s Knudsen Vineyards is crisp and full of apples and pears, which makes it great to drink on its own, but a nice, luscious pairing with these chicken salad sandwiches. Read more about Knudsen Vineyards.
- 2015 Van Duzer Riesling ($20) – this off-dry white wine has enough acidity to hold up to the richness of the chicken salad. This would be an especially great pairing if you serve these as tea sandwiches, where you get to enjoy more of the wine with more of the salad versus the crusty bread.
- 2015 Raptor Ridge Auxerrois ($30) – This light, low acidity wine has a lovely smooth, velvety texture similar to that of a fine Chardonnay. With savory notes of fresh honey and herbs, it pairs well with the richness of these classic chicken salad sandwiches. Read more about Raptor Ridge.
Classic Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 8 slices of Franz Mountain White Gluten Free Bread
- 1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast halves or tenderloins
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1-1/2 cup mayonnaise plus 4 tablespoons
- ½ cup finely chopped green apples
- ¾ cup finely chopped celery
- ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Optional sandwich add-ins: fresh radish microgreens pictured here; slices of lettuce, tomato, radish, and/or cucumber.
Instructions
- Add chicken to a large stockpot of salted, boiling water. Reduce heat to medium and simmer chicken at a low boil for 10-12 minutes, or until it is cooked through. Remove from water and place on a plate to cool. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together garlic, ½ cup mayonnaise, green apples, celery, red onion, tarragon, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
- Cut the chicken into small cubes and stir into the mayonnaise mixture until the chicken is well coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. At this point, you can cover the bowl and refrigerate the chicken salad for up to four hours.
- When you are ready to assemble the sandwiches, lay out 8 slices of Franz Bakery White Mountain Gluten Free Bread.
- Spread remaining 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise evenly on each slice, approximately ½ tablespoon per slice.
- Top 4 of the slices with a scoop of the chicken salad mixture.
- Place any of your preferred optional sandwich add-ins on top of the chicken salad (we topped ours with radish microgreens, as pictured here).
- Top each with the remaining slices of bread.
- To serve as regular sandwiches: slice in half and serve. To serve as tea sandwiches, cut off crust and cut into halves or quarters, then serve.
I developed this recipe for Franz Bakery. You can find this and other recipes I’ve developed for them on their website’s Recipes page.
I love how you packaged this in paper and twine, so fancy… it’s a sandwich you almost want to serve open faced so you can appreciate how pretty it is with the microgreens!
I love chicken salad – it’s the all time favorite. in our home too. I’ve never use apples before, Will try your recipe next time. Thanks
Those microgreens look like beautiful blooms! At first glance I thought they were tiny hydrangea flowers. But I bet the greens taste a lot better on a sandwich. ;)
Your photos make me want to invite some friends over for afternoon tea! So pretty and no doubt delicious.
Such cute little sandwiches. Perfect for entertaining and I must agree you would need that glass of wine to go with :)
I’ve already pinned your chicken salad. It sounds delicious and I love the touch of the microgreens – it gives is such a special touch. We make our own bread and I can see putting it on our ciabatta rolls. I’m really glad you shared this recipe. Can’t wait to make it.
Totally LOVE those micro greens….wish I could get them here. I love a great chicken salad sandwich. A nice roll/bun stuffed with chicken salad is great for a nice lunch or even a light dinner. I have always made mine with relish…but using apples for the crunch is a great idea too.
OMG!!! What an adorable recipe. Those sandwiches are so cute and look delicious.
This chicken sandwich looks divine. I just had afternoon tea as a Mother’s day treat and we can little dainty sandwiches just like these. I love chicken sandwiches. Yummy.
Delicious chicken salad. I am yet to try micro green in my salad. These looks colorful and filling. I can have them as such or as a tea sandwiches.
That’s a beautiful sandwich! I would most certainly serve up a nice platter of those with an afternoon tea. It would certainly give me an excuse to use my new bone China teacups!
OMG, these sandwiches look so pretty n petite !!! I seriously would like to grab some out of the screen. They infact are my favorite snack and would try your recipe soon.
Wow this looks fantastic. It’s perfect for office lunch. Thanks for wine pairing suggestions. That really helps (my hubby will love that). I absolutely love that microgreens on top :)
I do love chicken salad but I admit I like it a tad on the boring side. Curious about the bread as I haven’t seen that brand here, how is it without warming?
Making the recipe as we speak. I noticed garlic in the ingredients but not in the instructions. When am I to add the minced garlic?
Add it with the mayo, etc. in a large bowl in the second step. Or, you could also leave the garlic out entirely. I have some friends who prefer this recipe without the garlic (I love garlic, so it’s in many of my recipes!). :) Thanks for letting me know Michelle! I’ll update it now. Hope you enjoy it!