This creamy cranberry chicken salad is great as a side dish or sandwich filler, particularly for the holiday season and winter.
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This delicious cranberry chicken salad is absolutely delicious, and really easy to make if you have leftover cooked chicken.
It’s a fantastic version of creamy chicken salad, and since it’s gluten free, dairy free and nut free, it’s also suitable for most dietary restrictions.
I love how quickly this salad comes together, and how little effort it requires. It’s perfect around the holiday season, and I often make this salad for Sunday brunch through the winter.
Ingredients
To make this salad you will need mayonnaise, red onion, celery, walnuts or pecans, mustard, dried cranberries, salt, pepper and cooked chicken.
You can use leftover roast chicken, buy a rotisserie chicken, or cook the chicken using your favorite method. I have a really easy recipe for poached chicken breasts which works incredibly well for this dish!
Optionally, you can also add extra seasoning such as lemon juice or rosemary.
Instructions
Finely dice the celery and onion, and cube or shred the cooked chicken.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and add any additional seasoning to taste.
Serve the cranberry chicken salad immediately, or store it in a sealed container in a refrigerator.
Top tips
Here are my best tips to help you succeed with this recipe:
- Use cubed cooked chicken. You can cook your own chicken using your favorite method, or buy cubed chicken. Make sure that the chicken is plain, as certain flavors and seasonings could ruin the flavor of the salad.
- Feel free to add or omit any ingredients as you please. Simply use what you like!
Serving suggestions
You can definitely serve cranberry chicken salad as a side dish with your meals, or as a sandwich filler. If you’re looking for something else however, here are some fantastic serving suggestions:
- Air Fryer Baked Potato – Top your baked potatoes with this creamy chicken salad.
- Alternative sandwiches: use the salad as filling in wraps, lettuce wraps, rolls, in pita breads, or on flatbreads.
- Flaxseed Crackers – Chicken salad on crackers is a healthy, delicious snack or breakfast!
Variations
Here are some fun variations of the dish that you could try:
Light and low calorie: Use Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise for a lighter option.
Vegetarian: Replace the chicken with chickpeas, cooked tofu or a vegetarian chicken substitute.
Leftovers
Leftover cranberry chicken salad can be stored in sealed containers in a refrigerator for up to 4 days. This makes it an excellent meal prep alternative for quick and easy future breakfasts, lunches or dinners.
I don’t recommend freezing the salad, as it tends to separate when thawed.
Frequently asked questions
Absolutely, you can make chicken salad with fresh cranberries if you prefer.
You might also like these recipes
- Southern Style Chicken Salad
- Grape and Chicken Salad
- Spicy Tuna Wraps
- Caprese Chicken Sandwich
- Sardine Sandwich
Recipe
Cranberry Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup cubed chicken (2 breasts)
- ⅓ cup cranberries
- ½ cup celery
- ⅓ cup roughly diced pecans
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 4 tablespoons Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Finely dice the celery and onion, and cube or shred the cooked chicken.
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and add any additional seasoning to taste.
- Serve the cranberry chicken salad immediately, or store it in a sealed container in a refrigerator.
Video
Notes
- Use cubed cooked chicken. You can cook your own chicken using your favorite method, or buy cubed chicken. Make sure that the chicken is plain, as certain flavors and seasonings could ruin the flavor of the salad.
- Feel free to add or omit any ingredients as you please. Simply use what you like!
- Leftover cranberry chicken salad can be stored in sealed containers in a refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Mike
This was so yummy. Thanks for sharing.
Sarah
This is SO good! I doubled the recipe and it has lasted me all week.