Chicken Salad With Dried Cranberries

Best Chicken Salad Recipe

Chicken Cranberry Pecan Salad

I want to be that person who invented egg salad and chicken salad. I mean, that person deserves a gold medal. Yummy, versatile, classic.

Even though this particular chicken salad has been floating around for ages, I was only introduced to it a few years ago by a friend. I was practically mesmerized by all the ingredients she was mixing together. Dried cranberries, apples, and pecans? It all seemed so oddand yet wonderful. I knew immediately how much I would love it.

Ive been making it this way ever since and everyone I serve it to begs for the recipe.

Tips For Best Results

Slow cook the chicken breasts My absolute favorite way to cook chicken breast for this recipe is in the slow cooker. It makes for the most incredibly tender meat, with absolutely no browning on the outside. See Crockpot Chicken Breast for this easy method. You can also use pre-cooked breasts from the store, or rotisserie chicken.

Use a good mayonnaise Its wild how much the taste quality varies among storebought mayonnaise brands. I actually now prefer to make my own Mayonnaise from scratch since the flavor is superior and its very easy, but if youre using storebought, make sure youre using a good one. Ive had good experience with Sir Kensingtons brand.

Chill the salad for an hour before serving This is optional, but ideally you want to chill the cranberry chicken salad for at least an hour before serving, to allow the flavors to meld and the dressing to soak into the meat. This is a recipe that gets better as it sits.

Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad

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Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad will soon become your favorite chicken salad, hands down! This easy-to-make recipe has loads of tender chicken, tart cranberries, crunchy pecans, and sweet apples. Its great as a sandwich, with lettuce as a salad, on crackers, and great for parties and potlucks.

This is my all-time favorite chicken salad recipe. Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad is one of those simple recipes that have the perfect combination of flavors and texture to make it super delicious. Its great to serve all year long but its especially good when you want to have a festive dish to serve for lunch during the holidays or a festive celebration.

This is a terrific recipe for using up leftover chicken or turkey. If there are no leftovers, I snag a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket to keep save time and to keep things simple.

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How To Easily Toast Walnuts

If youre having one of those days and toasting walnuts on the stove top simply seems too much, I have a fix for you!

You can microwave the walnuts on a plate for 30 seconds. Stop, stir and sniff. Really. If you can smell the toasted walnuts, theyre done. You may need to microwave them for another 15-20 seconds.

Dont over toast them or youll have to toss them and start over.

Im sure this walnut hack is 100% not approved by Martha Stewart or Julia Child. But it works here in the Frieders household so were gonna roll with it.

This Chicken Salad Is Great For Brunch Lunch Or Dinner

Cranberry Chicken Salad (Whole30 Paleo Keto)

Honestly, this chicken salad is so good, I usually eat it by the spoonful. However, you can eat it many different ways.

Here are some ideas:

Try it as a lettuce wrap. Just take a large leaf of lettuce, put a spoonful or two of chicken salad in the middle, fold in the side and tuck in the top and bottom. Its a little wrap thats low in carbs but big on crunch.

Top your greens with this chicken salad. A scoop of this cranberry walnut chicken salad on top of your typical leafy green salad for a punch of protein and flavor.

Wrap it up with any flavor tortilla wrap.

Serve this chicken salad as a complete low-carb meal! Start with the chicken salad and serve with a side of steamed or raw broccoli and low-carb bread toasted with a slice of cheese.

Try it served on a croissant. You can choose a large croissant and make it a meal. Or smaller croissants for more of an appetizer.

The chicken salad sandwiches on croissants makes a great little brunch menu item thats perfect for baby and bridal showers.

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How To Make This Recipe

This recipe comes together in no time especially if your using leftovers or rotisserie chicken. Just remove the chicken meat from the bone and chop or shred it into bite-size pieces.
Chop the pecans, apple, and green onion.
Add all the ingredients to a medium-size bowl. Add in the mayonnaise salt, pepper, and garlic.
Mix everything together and youre ready to enjoy.
Store in the fridge covered for 3 to 5 days.

What Can You Add To Cranberry Chicken Salad

Want to make a few additions to this salad? Fantastic! I encourage you to make this recipe your own! The sky is the limit you can add a wide variety of ingredients to customize this salad to your specific taste! Get creative and add your favorite ingredients! Below are a few ideas to get you started.

Substitutions and Variations

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Is This Recipe High In Protein

This easy cranberry chicken salad recipe is low in carbs, high in protein and packed with omega-3 rich walnuts! The exact amount of protein in chicken salad will depend upon the precise amount of ingredients and brands used. This chicken salad recipe contains approximately 19 grams of protein per serving.

Can You Freeze It

Pecan Cranberry Chicken Salad – Easy Cranberry Chicken Salad

Cranberry chicken salad does not freeze well as the mayonnaise will separate once the salad is defrosted.

However, you can prep ahead! Poach the chicken breasts, dice and freeze the cooked chicken to have on hand! Cooked chicken will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost chicken in the refrigerator overnight. When you are ready to make the cranberry chicken salad, dice the chicken, add the fresh ingredients and toss with the dressing.

Versatile, easy to make and loaded with flavor, this creamy cranberry chicken salad recipe is sure to become a family favorite!

Until next time, friends, cheers!

XOXO

For the Chicken

1poundBoneless Skinless Chicken Breasts or Thighs
Optional aromatics: 1 Shallot OR Small Yellow Onion , 2 cloves garlic , fresh herbs, 1 TBS lemon juice, 1 Cup Dry White Wine

For the Salad:

1cupDried Cranberries
3/4cupToasted Nuts coarsely chopped
2/3cupCelery thinly sliced or small diced
1/3cupScallions thinly sliced
2/3CupMayonnaise
1/3CupPlain Greek Yogurt
1 ½ – 2tspfresh squeezed Lemon Juice to taste
heaping 3/4tspEACH: Ground Ginger & Dried Thyme
Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper

Optional for Serving: Sandwich bread, Rolls or Croissants Bibb Lettuce, Thinly Sliced Apples

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This Curry Chicken Salad With Dried Cranberries And Toasted Walnuts Is A Favorite Of Mine The Dried Fruit And Toasted Nuts Really Elevate The Salad And Its Fantastic

I first had this Curry Chicken Salad with Dried Cranberries and Toasted Walnuts at a networking event at a local Chamber of Commerce event that I attended several years ago. It was so good that everyone wanted the recipe from the woman who had made it. She told us it was her favorite thing to prepare with leftover chicken and now its mine too.

Though Ive made it with leftover grilled chicken breast I think it best when I buy or make a rotisserie style chicken and use a combination of dark and white meat. One whole chicken is just about enough to double the recipe too if youre making it for a crowd. I decided to make this just for me this past week and hide it at the back of the fridge so I wouldnt finish it off in one day!

Ill eat it on a crusty roll as a sandwich but also love it simply scooped onto some lettuce and served with crackers and grapes. Always grapes. Im not sure why but for me grapes are a must with this salad they are a great complement with the curry spice in the chicken.

Over the years Ive modified the original a bit with the addition of some dried cranberries and toasted nuts while I love the splash of color and texture they add, the combination of the two really elevate a simple chicken salad from really good to extraordinary.

PIN Curry Chicken Salad with Dried Cranberries and Walnuts

How To Serve This Chicken Salad

There are so many yummy ways to serve this salad. My personal favorite is to put a big dollop on a cracker, then sit back and savor. The boys love it served as a roll-up and Mr. SS likes it served in a lettuce wrap.

It is a great dish to serve at lunch when youre having friends over. And if thats not enough, its always a hit at a covered dish supper and I guarantee youll be taking home an empty bowl at the end of the meal!

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Ways To Switch Up The Recipe

There are a few ways you can mix and match the ingredients to create variations.

PecansThe first way is with the nuts! You can swap pecans with walnuts, peanuts, or whichever type you prefer. Theyll all taste great!

Dried cranberriesNot a cranberry fan? Try a different dried fruit! So many options will work, whether you use dried apples, raisins, or even dates!

Red onionFinally, the red onion can be swapped with white or yellow. Use your favorite type!

Tips For The Best Chicken Salad:

Chicken Salad with Dried Cranberries Recipe Salads with mayonnaise, red ...

You can use any type of cooked chicken for this easy chicken salad with dried cranberries. I like to make my own so I can control the salt and seasoning, which is why I always poach it. I have included instructions on how to poach chicken in the notes section of the recipe below.

Chicken: You can use any type of cooked chicken to make this chicken salad. Poaching your own chicken will produce an incredibly flavorful, moist chicken salad. However, I love using roast chicken as well! Or, you can leftover or rotisserie chicken instead! You need approximately 4 cups of cooked chicken. If using rotisserie chicken, make sure you remove and discard the skin, then chop the chicken meat into bite sized pieces. While you can use canned chicken, I recommend using leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken instead to ensure the best texture and flavor.

Nuts: Make sure you purchase toasted nuts or toast them yourself! Toasting nuts really enhances their flavor and texture, allowing this chicken salad to shine! To toast nuts: Place nuts in a small, dry skillet . Place the skillet over medium heat and toast, stirring frequently, until nuts are golden and fragrant. Make sure you stir frequently and watch carefully as the nuts can go from toasted to burned very quickly!

How to make creamy chicken salad with dried cranberries step by step photos:

How Do You Prepare Chicken For Chicken Salad

Cook the chicken. To cook the chicken for cranberry chicken salad, I usually top the chicken breasts with olive oil and salt & pepper and cover the pan with foil. Then I bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes. You can also boil the chicken until its fully cooked.

Chop the salad ingredients. Slice the celery. Chop the green onion and the chicken. Toast the pine nuts .

Mix the chicken salad. Combine the chopped ingredients in a mixing bowl with the chicken. Add the rest of the salad ingredients, and stir to combine. Before serving, adjust seasoning with salt & pepper, as needed.

Does This Chicken Salad Meet My Dietary Requirements

This cranberry walnut chicken salad recipe is totally flexible and it can easily be adapted to meet your dietary needs!

To make salad Whole 30: Make sure you use whole30-compliant mayo and no sugar added dried cranberries.
For Paleo chicken salad: Omit the Greek yogurt and substitute a paleo-friendly mayo. Also, make sure you also use no sugar added dried cranberries.
To make Keto-friendly chicken salad: Make sure you use zero sugar added dried cranberries.
For Gluten free chicken salad: Double check and make sure your Greek yogurt is free of any gluten-containing additives.

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Creamy Cranberry Chicken Salad

Say hello to your new favorite creamy chicken salad, my friends! This chicken salad is anything but boring or bland! Its incredibly flavorful, yet super simple to prepare! And, while it makes a wonderful on-the-go, ready-to-eat lunch or a light delicious dinner, its also the perfect addition to any holiday celebration!

This creamy salad features tender chicken, chewy dried cranberries, salty toasted nuts, crunchy celery and delicate scallions. Tossed in a silky, creamy, slightly sweet mayonnaise and Greek yogurt based dressing, this chicken salad is robust in flavor and loaded with texture! Its creamy, crunchy, savory, sweet, salty, slightly tart and 100% delicious! If you love chicken salad and have been searching for a new way to shake things up, look no further, because this light and creamy cranberry salad has got it going on!!

And, this festive salad is extremely easy to make and only requires 15 minutes of hands on preparation! Plus, its made with easy to find ingredients and totally customizable! Try it with fresh poached chicken, rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken! Throw in some apple for crunch or a little jalapeño for a touch of heat! However you make it, this salad is guaranteed to get rave reviews!!

Cranberry Chicken Salad Recipe

Debbi’s Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad

This easy, creamy Cranberry Chicken Salad recipe is heavenly delicious and is guaranteed to get rave reviews from even the pickiest of eaters! This sweet and savory salad uses simple ingredients, is so easy to make and can be prepared in advance! Its perfect for picnics, holiday potlucks, grab-and-go lunches and easy dinners!

This creamy chicken salad with cranberries is incredibly versatile! Keep it in the fridge for quick, protein-packed snacks and easy grab-and-go lunches! Or, stuff it in lettuce leaves, serve it on a buttery croissant or try it on apple slices for a light, delicious meal! Continue to read on for helpful tips on preparing perfect creamy cranberry chicken salad! And, dont miss the in-depth step-by-step photos at the bottom of the post!

If you are searching for more cranberry recipes, check out these easy favorites: Cranberry Baked Chicken & Rice, Cranberry Relish, Baked Camembert with Cranberry Compote and Cranberry Margaritas

Update: This post was originally published in November 2019. Ive made updates to the post below to include more information about chicken salad with cranberries and walnuts. Plus, Ive added step-by-step photos and a recipe video to show you exactly how easy this chicken salad is to make!

Quick Navigation – Table of Contents

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How To Serve Cranberry Chicken Salad:

For the longest time, I served my cranberry chicken salad on a croissant. I love the flaky, buttery texture, but since we are now dairy free, we usually opt for wheat bread or a nice, crusty roll.

If you have the choice of using a croissant, I highly suggest it. If not, even a bed of lettuce will be satisfying.

Ingredients In Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad

This cranberry pecan chicken salad recipe is overflowing with intense flavors. It uses a mix between savory and sweet for a flavor combo that totally hits the spot! Youll need one set of ingredients for the salad and another for the homemade dressing.

Salad

Chicken: Start with 3 cups of cooked chicken. Dice it up into bite-sized pieces or smaller.
Celery: Next, add some crunch to the chicken salad with 1 cup of diced celery.
Pecans: Include 1/2 cup of pecans. Be sure to chop them into smaller pieces.
Cranberries: Add the fruity cranberry flavor with 1/2 cup of dried cranberries.
Red onion: Finally, finish the salad by adding 1/2 cup of diced red onion. This adds a nice bite and tastes fantastic alongside the pecans and cranberries!

Dressing

Greek yogurt: 1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt will make up the base of the dressing.
Mayonnaise: Combine that with 1/4 cup of mayonnaise.
Lemon juice: Next, add some tangy flavor with 1 tbsp of lemon juice.
Fresh dill: Throw in 3 tbsp of fresh dill for taste.
Seasonings: Finally, add 1/2 tsp each of garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

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How To Make Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad

Toasted pecans and tart, and sweet cranberries make this a favorite recipe that everyone will love.

We also love how versatile this cranberry chicken salad is- there are endless ways to enjoy it and you can customize the add-ins based on your own personal taste.

Heres a quick look at how to make it but be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page to view the printable recipe card for all of the instructions and ingredient amounts.

First, in a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, celery, pecans, cranberries, onion, and chives.

Mix the dressing in a small dish and toss the salad mixture into the dressing.

Serve the chicken salad on greens garnished with more fresh chives, or on a soft and fluffy croissant for the ultimate chicken salad sandwich.

What Kind Of Chicken Should I Use

I love to make chicken salad with poached chicken breasts. Theyre easy to prepare and the meat is so tender, flavorful, and juicy. Plus, you can poach it ahead of time, and have it ready in the refrigerator a few days before you want to make your salad.

Ive also made this recipe with store bought rotisserie chicken, or oven-roasted chicken leftover from dinner. Roasted breast meat can be a little less juicy than poached, but it works tossed with the dressing.

I also find that store bought rotisserie chickens vary quite widely in terms of their salt content, so be mindful of that when seasoning the chicken salad. Always best to salt to taste!

Whether youre using poached or roasted chicken, cut it into about a 1/2- to 3/4-inch dice. I like my chicken salad to have nice-sized, meaty chunks of chicken, but still be manageable to eat on a sandwich without a fork.

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