Name: Easy Cranberry Chicken Salad with Toasted Pecans
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 4 cups of cooked and cubed chicken; 1 cup diced celery; 1 cup toasted and chopped pecans; ½ cup dried cranberries; ¾ cup mayonnaise; ¼ cup sour cream; zest of 1 lemon; juice of 1 lemon; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley; kosher salt and pepper to taste

Easy Cranberry Chicken Salad with Toasted Pecans

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.

Prep15 minutes

Total15 minutes

Serves6

Calories436 kcal

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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.

"I used this recipe for the Labor Day holiday and it's my new favorite. I didn't change a thing except I used toasted walnuts in lieu of the pecans only because I was out of pecans. 5 star recipe for sure and I love the cranberries."

Recipe review

creamy chicken salad with cranberries and toasted pecans over shredded lettuce.

What's to love about chicken salad with cranberries

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!

cooked chicken, dried cranberries, celery, pecans, lemon, mayonnaise, sour cream, parsley.

Ingredients for chicken salad with cranberries

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

glass bowl with ingredients for cranberry chicken salad.

How to make 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.

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.