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    Home » By Ingredient

    Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad Recipe

    Published: Dec 21, 2021 by Andrea Howe · This post may contain affiliate links.

    8 shares
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    The best cranberry pecan chicken salad recipe, made with rotisserie chicken and Greek yogurt. The perfect mix of creaminess and crunch, this salad is perfect for sandwiches, dipping with crackers or to make a low-carb lettuce wrap.

    piece of butter lettuce with a scoop of cranberry pecan chicken salad on top

    One of my favorite lunches and snack foods is a simple cranberry chicken salad, but it’s hard to find premade without a salad without lots of other random ingredients haha. I do enjoy Trader Joe’s Napa chicken salad, but don’t shop there regularly. So when I get a craving, the easiest thing to do is make my own! Let me show you one of the easiest healthy chicken salad recipes.

    Why this recipe works

    • Quick and easy to make! Just a few simple ingredients to pull together and you have a nutritious lunch!
    • Healthy and full of lean protein. Most chicken salads are made with mayo, but I like using half mayo for creaminess, and half nonfat Green yogurt to lighten it up.
    • Delicious of course! A perfect mix of textures and sweet and savory.
    little bowls filled with raw ingredients to make chicken salad, on a wooden board

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups of rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken, white meat preferred
    • ¼ cup mayonnaise and ¼ cup Greek yogurt
    • ¼ cup each crunchy celery, dried cranberries and pecans add flavor and texture
    • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar plus a teaspoon each of salt, pepper and garlic powder

    Easy quick steps to make the best chicken salad recipe

    There ain’t much to making this easy recipe, but it’s delicious just the same!

    wooden bowl filled with yogurt, mayonnaise and chicken pieces to make a salad

    Steps 1 & 2

    I like to start by first mixing together the mayonnaise, yogurt and apple cider vinegar together with the salt, pepper and garlic powder in a large mixing bowl. This ensures those key ingredients will be more evenly mixed into the chicken.

    Stir in the diced cooked chicken till thoroughly mixed with the mayo mixture.

    cranberries, pecans and celery being mixed into a bowl of creamy chicken salad

    Steps 3 & 4

    Lastly, stir in the crunchy pecans, and cranberries and mix till combined. Add the diced celery last.

    close up photo of chicken salad in a white bowl

    Serving and other expert tips

    A great way to enjoy chicken salad is on a buttery croissant or soft brown bread. But one of my favorite ways to get a quick healthy snack in, is a scoop on a bed of lettuce. Try a crunchy iceberg or a soft and tender piece of butter lettuce.

    To keep your chicken salad from getting watery, make sure you add the ingredients in the order listed.

    brown bread chicken sandwich stacked on top of a white plate

    Recipe swaps

    A couple of easy swaps you can make, if you don’t have yogurt on hand, is to use sour cream. This doesn’t ramp up the protein quite as much as Greek yogurt, but it does lend to that lighter, yet tangier taste.

    And if you are out of apple cider vinegar, you can swap in lemon juice. Another great option is to use white wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar. Of course you can leave out the vinegar all together, but I do find it helps to cut down on the creaminess of the mayo and gives a nice tang.

    I love how easy it is to customize ingredients to create your own favorite chicken salad recipe! Some enjoy adding diced up fresh apples, green onions or red onion! And of course don’t forget that you can even swap out the chicken for leftover turkey!

    The possibilities are endless, but I do encourage you to start with this great recipe first haha, and then toy around to your liking. I really think you’ll love it!

    And I love using cranberries in all sorts of dishes, from breakfast all the way through dinner! You can find a few favorites linked below, but find even more by searching ‘cranberries’ on the blog.

    wooden board with a cranberry pecan chicken salad recipe lettuce wrap on top next to a plate with a sandwich on it
    • Sheet Pan Cranberry Chicken and Potatoes
      Sheet Pan Cranberry Chicken With Potatoes
    • Moist & Fluffy Oatmeal Craisin Cookies
    • high protein egg white oatmeal with toppings in a white bowl
      Egg White Oatmeal
    • 2 glasses filled with a bright pink smoothie on a pink table
      High Protein Cranberry Smoothie Recipe

    Tried this recipe? Please leave a comment and/or rating, letting me know how you enjoyed it! Connect with me on Instagram and Pinterest, and never miss a post by signing up for my weekly newsletter!

    Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad

    The best cranberry pecan chicken salad recipe, made with rotisserie chicken and Greek yogurt. The perfect mix of creaminess and crunch, this salad is perfect for sandwiches, dipping with crackers or to make a low-carb lettuce wrap.
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Author:Andrea

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups Cubed/shredded rotisserie chicken
    • ¼ cup Mayonnaise
    • ¼ cup Greek yogurt
    • 1 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon Salt & pepper
    • ¼ cup pecans chopped
    • ¼ cup dried cranberries
    • ¼ cup celery diced
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    Instructions

    • Combine the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt and apple cider vinegar in a medium mixing bowl and mix well. Stir in the chicken, then the pecans, cranberries and lastly, the celery. Serve on a bed of lettuce or in a sandwich.

    Notes

    To keep your chicken salad from getting watery, make sure you add the ingredients in the order listed.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 391kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 1091mg | Potassium: 78mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 41IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 0.3mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @Howe.We.Live or tag #HoweWeLiveRecipes!

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    About Andrea Howe

    Andrea Howe is a Certified Nutrition Coach (CNC PN-L1) and the founder of Howe We Live. As a seasoned home cook of over 20 years, developing and photographing recipes is her passion. Andrea has spent over 10 years in the health & nutrition industry, writing for various publications including Babble and Disney. Her work has appeared in Real Simple, Taste of Home, Yahoo, Buzzfeed and ABC News.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Liz says

      November 28, 2022 at 4:37 pm

      I don’t see the amounts for cranberries or pecans or. celery!

      Reply
      • Andrea Howe says

        November 28, 2022 at 8:02 pm

        Hi Liz, it was within the recipe – 1/4 cup each. I have added it to the recipe card though. Sorry about that!

        Reply

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    Welcome to Howe We Live. I’m Andrea, a Certified Nutrition Coach and a passionate home cook and mother of 3. I’ve been writing about the health & nutrition industry for over a decade, and my number one goal is to make eating well as uncomplicated as possible. Let me help you throw together a great meal at home that is both delicious, and healthy-ish. Read More

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