Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad is a classic that's perfect for any occasion. The flavors are perfectly balanced, it's delicious on a bed or Spring greens, or tucked into a pita sandwich.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
If you're looking for a fresh and flavorful dish to add to your weekly rotation, then look no further than this classic cranberry pecan chicken salad!
Perfectly cooked chunks of juicy chicken are paired with sweet and tart dried cranberries, crunchy pieces of nutty pecans, then combined with a honey-lemon mayonnaise based dressing.
And the best part? This delicious chicken salad is quick and easy to put together. All you need is about 30 minutes using canned or rotisserie chicken to prepare this hearty dish.
- Easy to make. The ingredients are simple and straightforward, and the recipe is quick and easy to follow.
- Versatile. You can serve it on sandwiches, crackers, or lettuce leaves. You can also add it to wraps or salads.
- Delicious. The combination of chicken, cranberries, pecans, and mayonnaise is simply irresistible.
- Festive. This salad is perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any other fall gathering.
Jump to:
- Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Cranberry Chicken Pecan Salad Ingredients
- How to Make Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad
- Serving Suggestions
- Related Recipes
- Substitutions and Variations
- Equipment
- Storage and Reheating
- Tips for Success
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love
- 📖 Recipe
- Food Safety
Cranberry Chicken Pecan Salad Ingredients
This delicious chicken salad is bright and festive, made with juicy chicken, tart cranberries, crunchy pecans, a hint of tarragon, and a creamy mayonnaise based dressing.
Using already cooked chicken makes prep even easier! Read on for our favorite version of this classic recipe.
- Chicken - You can use any cooked chicken, such as leftover chicken breasts, rotisserie chicken, or even canned Swanson chicken (drained of course). You can EVEN use leftover Holiday Turkey!
- Cranberries - Dried, roughly chopped, or whole. During the holidays, I like to use them whole and also add in green grapes.
- Pecans - Chopped coarsely to the size pieces you like.
- Celery - Diced. If you don't like celery, substitute with halved green grapes for the red and green 'Grinch' colors if this salad is for the holidays.
- Green Onions - Slice the scallions.
- Mayonnaise - Use good Real mayonnaise, or for a lighter tough, use plain Greek yogurt.
- Honey
- Lemon juice - Fresh squeezed juice from one lemon.
- Garlic powder
- Tarragon - Tarragon is SO overlooked as a herb, but it's the 'super power' of this Cranberry Pecan Chicken salad. It elevates all the flavors. You need about 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped tarragon.
- Salt
- Black pepper
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad
Whether you're hosting brunch or packing lunch, this easy chicken salad recipe is sure to be a hit with the whole family. Plus, it's loaded with bursts of flavor from the cranberries and pecans, that make it far from boring.
Dice The Chicken and Vegetables
- Chop the chicken into dice sized chunks. Chop the dried cranberries and pecans to the size pieces you prefer in your salad. Slice the green onions, mince the fresh tarragon, and dice the celery.
- Add the chopped chicken, cranberries, pecans, green onions, minced tarragon, and celery to a large mixing bowl.
Prepare The Honey Lemon Dressing
This simple mayonnaise salad dressing can be adapted and adjusted with different ingredients. Some great options are using lime juice instead of lemon juice.
- Add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, honey, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to a smaller mixing bowl.
- Using a whisk or your mini food processor, blend the ingredients until creamy and smooth.
Dress The Cranberry Chicken Pecan Salad
- Pour the creamy salad dressing over the top of the chopped ingredients in the large mixing bowl.
Mix and Serve
- Fold the salad dressing into the bowl of chicken and chopped ingredients. Blend until all ingredients are coated. If you prefer more moisture, you can add more mayonnaise, or additional lemon juice.
Serving Suggestions
Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad can be served in a variety of ways. Here are a few additional ideas:
- On lettuce leaves: Make lettuce wraps with the salad and your favorite toppings.
- As a dip: Serve the salad with crudités, such as carrots, celery, and cucumbers.
- As a sandwich: Use this savory chicken salad to make pita bread sandwiches, handheld Chicken Salad Wraps, or use our Bread Machine Honey Wheat Bread for sliced bread sandwiches.
Great sides to go with this cranberry pecan chicken salad are:
- Greek Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- Panera's Autumn Squash Soup
- Cowboy Soup
- Kapusniak (Polish Cabbage Soup)
- Crockpot Black Forest Dump Cake
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Related Recipes
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few delicious variations when making this chicken pecan salad recipe.
- If you don't want to use mayonnaise, you can use yogurt or sour cream.
- You can add other fruits or vegetables to the salad, such as grape halves, diced apples, or diced jicama.
- Chopped herbs such as Tarragon, Parsley, or Thyme are delicious added to this salad!
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Below are some of my favorite pieces of equipment that I use when making this chicken pecan salad recipe.
- Mixing Bowls
Storage and Reheating
- Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- This salad does not freeze well!
Tips for Success
- Use a good quality mayonnaise. This will make a big difference in the flavor of the salad.
- Use good quality chicken. The better the chicken, the better the salad will taste.
- If you don't have dried cranberries, you can use raisins.
- Use rotisserie chicken instead of cooking your own.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, canned chicken is perfect for this cranberry chicken pecan salad recipe.
Yes, you can use other types of nuts in this recipe, such as walnuts, almonds, or pistachios.
No, mayonnaise based salads do not freeze well. When thawed, the mayonnaise separates into a watery mess.
Yes, you can use a ranch dressing or honey mustard dressing.
Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love
📖 Recipe
Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad Pitas
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cup Chicken cooked - Leftover, rotisserie, or canned.
- ⅔ cup Cranberries coarse chopped or whole
- ⅓ cup Pecans chopped
- 3 Green Onions sliced
- 2 tablespoon Tarragon fresh, chopped
- 1 stalk Celery diced
- ⅔ cup Mayonnaise more if you want it moister
- 2 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon Honey
- ⅛ teaspoon Garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Chop the chicken into dice sized chunks. Chop the dried cranberries and pecans to the size pieces you prefer in your salad. Slice the green onions, mince the fresh tarragon, and dice the celery.3 cup Chicken, ⅔ cup Cranberries, ⅓ cup Pecans, 3 Green Onions, 1 stalk Celery, 2 tablespoon Tarragon
- Add the chopped chicken, cranberries, pecans, green onions, minced tarragon, and celery to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, honey, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to a smaller mixing bowl.⅔ cup Mayonnaise, 2 tablespoon Lemon juice, 2 tablespoon Honey, ⅛ teaspoon Garlic powder, ½ teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
- Using a whisk or your mini food processor, blend the ingredients until creamy and smooth.
- Pour the creamy salad dressing over the top of the chopped ingredients in the large mixing bowl.
- Fold the salad dressing into the bowl of chicken and chopped ingredients. Blend until all ingredients are coated. If you prefer more moisture, you can add more mayonnaise, or additional lemon juice.
- Use this cranberry pecan chicken salad to make sandwiches using pita bread, fresh homemade sliced bread, croissants, or simply top on a fresh greens. To make a lighter dressing, just use plain Greek yogurt instead of the mayonnaise.
Notes
- Use a good quality mayonnaise. This will make a big difference in the flavor of the salad.
- Use good quality chicken. The better the chicken, the better the salad will taste.
- If you don't have dried cranberries, you can use raisins.
- Use rotisserie chicken instead of cooking your own.
Nutrition
Food Safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
Leave a Reply