Easy Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad
Looking for a delightful twist to classic chicken salad? This easy cranberry chicken salad recipe is full of tender chicken breasts, crunchy pecans, tart cranberries and a sweet, tart dressing.
When there are croissants on the kitchen counter, my family knows one thing. We’re having chicken salad sandwiches!
I’ve been using this creamy chicken salad recipe for years. It’s a quick lunch or a quick snack, something that’s great to have in the fridge for a high protein (and tasty) option!
This easy chicken salad is wonderful for special occasions. I like using it for bridal showers, baby showers and brunch! To save time, you can use pre-cooked chicken, like a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, or drained, canned chicken. You can also use leftover chicken. Cubed or shredded!
The tangy dressing is special with because of a few special additions. Honey and champagne vinegar! The same additions I use for this very special lettuce salad.
Recipe Substitutions
- For the Champagne Vinegar: Substitute lemon juice, lime juice, white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.
- For the Mayo: Substitute plain Greek yogurt to make this a more healthy recipe.
- For the pecans: Substitute walnuts.
- For the sweet cranberries: Substitute diced dried cherries, dried apricots or raisins.
- For the chicken: Substitute leftover diced turkey.
Recipe Additions
This is a simple recipe! There are several additions that are wonderful with it, including:
- crunchy celery
- a few tablespoons of leftover cranberry sauce
- green onions, fresh thyme or rosemary
How much chicken salad per person?
I plan on about 3/4 cup of chicken salad per person, assuming there is a side dish served as well. You may want to plan for less (1/2 cup) or more (up to 1 cup) depending on what else is being served!
Serving Suggestions for Chicken Salad
There are so many ways to serve chicken salad! Here are a few:
- on Hawaiian rolls
- by itself
- on a bed of lettuce leaves
- rolled in a lettuce wrap
- on a croissant
- between slices of bread! but of course it’s great by itself
I think that crunchy kettle chips are the perfect side for chicken salad! You could also serve a side salad, or a creamy soup, like this Butternut Squash Soup.
I’m picturing this on the table at your next wedding or baby shower, along with some mimosas. What do you think?
Storing Leftover Chicken Salad
Chicken salad will last for 3-4 days in your refrigerator in an airtight container.
Keep in mind, as each day passes, the quality of the chicken salad will deteriorate! This is especially true for the crunchy ingredients like apples and nuts. They will soften over time.
Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad with Apples
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken breast, cooked, diced or shredded
- 1 cup Granny Smith apple, diced
- 3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
- ½ cup gorgonzola cheese crumbles, sub feta or goat cheese crumbles if you prefer
- ½ cup candied pecans, roughly chopped
- ¼ red onion, finely minced
For the Salad Dressing:
- ½ cup light mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- To a large bowl, add chicken, apple, cheese, cranberries, pecans and onion in a medium sized mixing bowl. Toss to combine.
- In a smaller bowl, combine mayo, honey, vinegar, sugar, and salt and pepper. Mix well to combine with fork or whisk.
- Pour mayo dressing over chicken mixture. Stir to combine. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve, serve cold.
Wow! Hands up for this recipe. Super easy to make, delicious, and healthy!
Thank you! 🙂
The cranberries are a nice twist, and I love the extra crunch of the pecans.
Glad you liked it! Thank you for letting me know.
This chicken salad was such a win. Hugely flavorful unlike the old recipe I had been using.
We love making a big batch of chicken salad at the beginning of the week and this champagne salad couldn’t sound anymore delicious!
I like the cranberries instead of the grapes, yum!
Thanks lady!
This salad sounds perfect for the Summer! The apples give it a nice crunch too.
Thanks Laura! I prefer the crunch of apples to the crunch of celery in traditional chicken salad, but maybe I’m weird!
I’m loving the Hawaiian roll with this! Sounds so good!
Yes! I’m obsessed with Hawaiian rolls. Great excuse to use them!
It is sooooo hot here! I feel you. If I don’t have to leave my house, I am not! This salad looks delicious and I love that I could easily make it vegetarian for myself.
Thanks Kacey!!!
This chicken salad looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks so much Kelley!
This looks delicious! I love the combination of cranberries and blue cheese.
Thanks Lucy! It’s super good. I usually make it for wedding and baby shower type events. The last time I made it, I had some leftover in the fridge and I found my husband standing there and eating it straight out of the tupper ware container!