Craving McAlister’s Deli? Try this copycat Savannah chopped salad recipe! It’s surprisingly easy to make and customizable—perfect for meal prep, lunch, or a light dinner.
If you’re looking for more copycat salad recipes, give the Sonoma California chicken salad a try.
What is in the Savannah Chopped Salad at McAlister’s Deli?
- Chicken Breast: Tender pre-cooked chicken breast is the base for this restaurant-style chicken salad, or substitute it with rotisserie chicken from Costco or leftover chicken from a previous meal. My thin cut chicken breasts are perfect for this salad, or use it to make honey mustard chicken wraps.
- Mixed Greens: Use a package of mixed greens, spinach leaves, or shredded romaine lettuce.
- Cucumber: I recommend using crispy Persian or English cucumbers.
- Tomatoes: Diced Roma tomatoes or cherry tomatoes cut in half are ideal for this recipe.
- Almonds: McAlister’s Deli uses honey-roasted sliced almonds, but any sliced almonds will do if you can’t find them.
- Dried Cranberries: Like the restaurant, I enjoy adding dried cranberries. They’re also a pantry staple in my house for meal prep and healthy snacks like oatmeal balls and granola bars.
- Gorgonzola Cheese: McAlister’s uses gorgonzola cheese in the Savannah chopped salad, but feel free to swap in crumbled goat cheese or feta.
- Sherry Shallot Dressing: Use finely diced shallot, fresh garlic cloves, aged sherry vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, kosher salt, black pepper, and olive oil to make my homemade version of the sherry shallot dressing.
Additions and Substitutions
- Replace the sherry shallot dressing with another dressing. Try raspberry vinaigrette, fig balsamic dressing, miso vinaigrette, blackberry vinaigrette, balsamic citrus vinaigrette, or the best ranch dressing recipe ever!
- Include hulled sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or another variety of nuts instead of almonds.
- If you don’t have chicken, use fried salmon bites, deli turkey, or sliced pork loin. You can also use white beans or hard-boiled eggs for a vegetarian option.
How to Make McAlister’s Savannah Chopped Salad
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Peel, cut, and mince the shallot and fresh garlic. Transfer them to a wide-mouthed jar. Stir in the sherry vinegar, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper. Use an immersion blender to combine.
Pour the olive oil into the jar in a slow, steady stream. Process until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Step 2: Add the greens, cucumbers, and tomatoes to a serving bowl.
Step 3: Top the salad with the chicken, sliced almonds, dried cranberries, and Gorgonzola cheese.
Step 4: Pour sherry shallot dressing over the top and toss to combine.
If you enjoy the copycat salad, try more light lunch recipes!
Serving Suggestions
Serve Savannah chopped salad alongside freshly baked Dutch oven sourdough bread or pillowy-soft rolls like pao de sal.
For a heartier option, pair the salad with a warm bowl of soup such as carrot pumpkin soup, Instant Pot butternut squash soup, or hamburger vegetable soup.
What to do with the Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. With dressing, the salad will stay fresh for 1-2 days. However, if you store the dressing separately, the Savannah chopped salad will stay fresh for 3-4 days.
- Repurpose: Use the leftover ingredients as a filling for flour tortillas, spinach protein wraps, sandwich bread, or fluffy croissants.
More Salad Recipes:
Savannah Chopped Salad
- Glass Jar
- 1 medium shallot, finely diced
- 1 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons aged sherry vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4 cups salad or mixed greens
- 1 medium English cucumber, sliced and quartered
- 1 medium Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 pound cooked chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup gorgonzola cheese
For the Sherry Shallot Dressing:
- Peel, cut, and mince the shallot and fresh garlic. Transfer them to a wide-mouthed jar. Stir in the sherry vinegar, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper. Use an immersion blender to combine.
- Pour the olive oil into the jar in a slow, steady stream. Process until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
For the Salad:
- Add the greens, cucumbers, and tomatoes to a serving bowl.
- Top the salad with the chicken, sliced almonds, dried cranberries, and Gorgonzola cheese.
- Pour the sherry shallot dressing over the top and toss to combine.
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.