This is a super easy recipe for cranberry chicken salad. It’s creamy and crunchy and loaded with bits of celery, toasted pecans, and sweet tart dried cranberries. Lemon juice and zest add a pop of brightness to the dish.
why I love cranberry chicken salad
It’s so so easy to make and not to mention delicious! This cranberry chicken salad has all the flavors and textures I adore. It’s salty, tart, sweet, crunchy, creamy, and savory all at the same time. Having a big bowl in the refrigerator means a meal can be made in minutes. I’m all about quick meals.
This is the best cranberry chicken salad recipe. Let’s make a batch!
the ingredients
- cooked and cubed chicken or rotisserie chicken
- diced celery
- toasted pecans or your favorite nut
- dried cranberries
- mayonnaise
- sour cream
- lemon zest
- lemon juice
- chopped fresh parsley
- kosher salt
- pepper
the recipe details for cranberry chicken salad
Chicken salad is a snap to toss together.
Some prep needs to be done before combining the ingredients. Cube the chicken, dice the celery, chop the pecans and parsley and zest and juice a lemon. Then grab a big bowl and add in all the ingredients. Give it a good stir, season to taste with kosher salt and pepper and that’s it. All that’s left to do is enjoy this tasty chicken salad recipe.
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frequently asked questions
what is the best way to cook tender chicken?
Poaching chicken in gently simmering water makes the most tender chicken. Place boneless and skinless chicken breasts to a pot. Add water to cover the chicken by about an inch. Place over medium heat and bring to a low boil. Turn the heat down so the water is just simmering. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size of the chicken breast. Use a digital thermometer to check when the chicken is perfectly cooked to 165 degrees F.
can you make cranberry chicken salad in advance?
Definitely! And it tastes even better after chilling in the refrigerator for a couple hours. The flavors deepen and blend together.
how do you make bland chicken salad taste better?
This chicken salad is anything but bland and boring. The dried cranberries, toasted pecans and lemon zest and juice punch up the flavor of the salad.
what goes with chicken salad?
Serve chicken salad on white, multi grain, sourdough or rye bread for a tasty sandwich. Pair it with crackers for a happy hour snack. Spoon the salad over chopped lettuce for a light lunch or dinner. Or my favorite way to is to eat cranberry chicken salad all by it self.
just one more thing
Did you make this cranberry chicken salad recipe? I’d love hearing from you if you did! Be sure to leave a comment. Or give this recipe a rating. I do my best to reply to all your comments. And snap a photo to post to Instagram. I’ll add the photos to my Insta stories. I love seeing all your creations.
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more salad recipes I love
Fresh and Healthy Blueberry Spinach Salad with Yogurt Dressing
Healthy Chicken Salad with Brussels Sprouts and Chickpeas
Southwest Salad with Chipotle Chicken and Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing
Balsamic Herb Steak Salad with Blue Cheese
Cranberry Chicken Salad with Toasted Pecans
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
This is a super easy recipe for cranberry chicken salad. It’s creamy and crunchy and loaded with bits of celery, toasted pecans, and sweet tart dried cranberries. Lemon juice and zest add a pop of brightness to the dish.
Ingredients
- 4 cups of cooked and cubed chicken
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup toasted and chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- zest of 1 lemon
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl add the chicken, celery, pecans, dried cranberries, mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, and parsley.
- Stir to thoroughly combine the ingredients.
- Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate in a covered container for up to 4 days.
Notes
frequently asked questions
what is the best way to cook tender chicken?
Poaching chicken in gently simmering water makes the most tender chicken. Place boneless and skinless chicken breasts to a pot. Add water to cover the chicken by about an inch. Place over medium heat and bring to a low boil. Turn the heat down so the water is just simmering. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size of the chicken breast. Use a digital thermometer to check when the chicken is perfectly cooked to 165 degrees F.
can you make cranberry chicken salad in advance?
Definitely! And it tastes even better after chilling in the refrigerator for a couple hours. The flavors deepen and blend together.
how do you make bland chicken salad taste better?
This chicken salad is anything but bland and boring. The dried cranberries, toasted pecans and lemon zest and juice punch up the flavor of the salad.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: entrée
- Method: no cooking required
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 436
- Sugar: 5.2 g
- Sodium: 672 mg
- Fat: 30.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 13.1 g
- Fiber: 2.6 g
- Protein: 29.8 g
- Cholesterol: 84 mg
Keywords: cranberry chicken salad, chicken salad recipe, best chicken salad, chicken salad with dried cranberries
This salad is so yummy, sweet and tart with great texture from the pecans. And the best part, so easy to make!
★★★★★
I’m all about easy recipes.
The lemon juice and the lemon zest are so clever both give a nice touch to the salad with an unexpected citrusy note. This is my to-go chicken salad. I make small sandwiches with it too.
★★★★★
I love the bright flavor the double lemon adds. And making small salads is a wonderful idea.
This Bowl is definitely a treat. Love every combination to this Salad. Healthy greens, Creamy texture, Nutty Pecans and meaty chicken. Definitely a One Pot meal too. I love it.
Thank you! This one has so many flavors.
So many delicious layers of flavors in this amazing fall salad! Love the crunch from pecans and the sweetness from the cranberries!
Yes! I love the combination of savory and sweet ingredients.
I’m making this salad tomorrow with some of my leftover turkeys from Thanksgiving. Thank you for the inspiration. Happy Holidays!
★★★★★
You are so welcome Enri!
So delicious! Made this for lunch (meal prep) and it turned out amazing! Easy to make too! Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Great idea to meal prep this one!
This was a delicious salad and easy to make. I couldn’t help adding a small amount of leftover cranberry sauce for some more tartness. Lovely recipe and will be making again.
★★★★★
Great idea! Cranberry sauce would be tasty in the salad.
Fabulous salad recipe for an after thanksgiving “detox”! I tossed in a few toasted walnuts with the pecans for more crunch and it was wonderful.
★★★★★
I love the idea of double the nuts Isabelle.
This recipe was awesome! Not normally a fan of celery but with the mayo, cranberries and sour cream, it was simply delicious!
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed the recipe. I love the crunch celery adds.