Healthy Cranberry Chicken Salad Recipe
This cranberry chicken salad is a Thanksgiving-inspired way to use up leftover chicken using things you probably already have in your refrigerator and pantry. No one will fault you, of course, if you cook chicken specifically to make this chicken salad recipe.
Tips and tricks for making chicken salad
Chicken salad is incredibly easy to make. Chop your chicken into cubes of the size your prefer. Add in some fruit, nuts, and celery. Stir together with mayonnaise, salt, and pepper. And serve.
Or go Mediterranean and mix chopped chicken with olives, capers, pine nuts for crunch, and a bit of lemon juice in addition to that mayo, salt, and pepper.
Or make a “Chinese” chicken salad with thinly sliced cabbage and carrots and some slivered almonds.
FAQs about this cranberry chicken salad
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Mix your spice mixture in a small bowl (for example: 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh sage, 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.)
Use your fingers to rub the spice mixture over the surface of the chicken.
Fry one side in a cast iron pan in a thin layer of oil.
Once that side has browned, flip the breast over and place the pan in the oven for about 15 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
I commonly make chicken salad with grapes and apples. There’s no need to peel them. Just chop the fruit into small pieces.
Try chopped almonds, hazelnuts, or pine nuts.
Chicken salad makes a great lunch. You can have it as a chicken salad sandwich or in a pita or as a chicken salad wrap. Or just serve it plain over lettuce to reduce your carbs.
Once the chicken salad has been combined, it shouldn’t be frozen. If you want to save this recipe for later, you can freeze the cooked chicken breast for several months.
How about this mushroom Stroganoff? Shred it and add it to tacos. Or how about chicken pot pie?
Cranberry Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1 chicken breast, cooked and cubed see note
- ¼ cup dried cranberries, chopped
- ¼ cup pecans, walnuts, or other nuts, toasted and chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped fine
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Put the chopped chicken, cranberries, nuts, and celery into a medium bowl.1 chicken breast, cooked and cubed, 1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped, 1/4 cup pecans, walnuts, or other nuts, toasted and chopped, 1 celery stalk, chopped fine
- Add the mayonnaise, salt, and pepper and adjust seasonings to taste.1 tablespoon mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to five days
Notes
- To pan-roast a chicken breast, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Mix your spices in a small bowl (e.g. 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh sage, 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.). Use your fingers to rub the spice mixture over the surface of the chicken and then fry one side in a cast iron pan in a thin layer of oil. Once that side has browned, flip the breast over and place the pan in the oven for about 15 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
- This recipe calls for a small amount of mayonnaise just to hold the ingredients together. Feel free to increase the amount if you like a chicken salad full of mayo.
Nutrition
What’s next?
If you make this cranberry chicken salad recipe, please leave a comment or rating. Or share a pic with me on Instagram!
Check out other chicken recipes like these chicken and apple meatballs or this pan-roasted chicken breast with mushroom Stroganoff.
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