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    Home » Recipes » Easy Dinner Recipes

    Easy Cranberry Chicken Salad Recipe

    Sep 12, 2023 by Sandra Flegg

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    Cranberry chicken salad on a white plate with a buttery croissant.

    This Cranberry Chicken Salad Recipe features tender chicken, sweet dried cranberries, and crisp celery, all combined in a creamy dressing.

    This easy salad recipe requires little effort to make and ideal for preparing lunches ahead of time or enjoying as a snack with crackers.

    Cranberry chicken salad in a white bowl. this recipe!

    This easy cranberry chicken salad recipe is simple yet delicious. It's so handy to have in the fridge, whether you're meal-prepping or looking for a a quick appetizer.

    This deli-style chicken salad is a recipe you'll want to add to your regular menu! Serve it on bread, buns or buttery croissants for a tasty sandwich for lunch.

    Cranberry chicken salad sandwich on a white plate.

    Why You'll Love This Cranberry Chicken Salad

    • It's effortless to make - seriously, it does not get any eaiser than this and it's satisfying without having the hassle of spending a lot of time.
    • Great flavor - a tasty mix of savory chicken with sweet cranberries.
    • Perfect for making ahead the night before for lunch the next day.
    • Perfect for any occasion - planning a baby shower, bridal shower or Boxing Day brunch? Chicken salad sandwiches are a great choice!

    Let's not wait! Let's dive into making this classic chicken salad with a twist!

    Ingredients for Chicken Cranberry Salad

    Simple ingrdients that you can find in the grocery store and I'm guessing you'll already have some in the fridge and pantry.

    Labelled ingredients for chicken salad sandwich.

    Chicken - cooked, poached chicken, leftover cooked chicken breast or rotisserie chicken will all work perfectly for this recipe. Chopped or shredded will do the trick!

    Dried Cranberries - we like to use the sweet cranberries, but you can certainly use unsweetened dried cranberries as well if you're trying to reduce the amount of sugar.

    Mayonnaise - use your favorite brand. Making a healthy lunch? Substitute the mayo for plain Greek yogurt.

    Lemon juice - use fresh-squeezed lemon juice

    Celery - crunchy celery adds flavor and is classic in chicken salad. Don't skip this ingredient!

    Green Onions - or you could substitute chopped red onion or white sweet onions, like Vidalia.

    Dried dill - adds flavor

    Salt & Pepper - we've added a small amount of salt and pepper. Taste and season to suit your taste after mixing.

    How to Make Chicken Salad with Cranberries & Celery

    You can find a full printable recipe card by scrolling to the bottom of this page.

    Chopped ingredients for chicken salad on cutting board with knife.

    Prep: Start by chopping or shredding the cooked chicken and place in a small bowl, then chop the green onions and celery.

    Ingredients for chicken salad in white bowl, ready to be mixed.

    This is so easy to make! Simply place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until well combined.

    Variations for Chicken Cranberry Salad

    • Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad - add in ¼ cup of chopped walnuts
    • Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad - add in ¼ cup of chopped crunchy pecans
    • Lettuce chicken salad wrap - place chicken salad in the middle of a lettuce leaf and roll up like a burrito
    • Change up the flavors - stire in 1 Tablespoon of Dijon mustard or honey mustard.
    • Add in some fruit - chopped apples, grapes are a great way to add more flavor to the chicken salad.
    Mixed cranberry chicken salad in white bowl with spatula.

    What Kind of Chicken Should I use?

    You can use leftover cooked chicken, rotisserie chicken, even canned chicken.

    How Do You Eat Chicken Salad?

    Pile the chicken salad onto a buttery croissant, bread of roll it up in a lettuce wrap.

    Chicken salad is also delicious wrapped up in a flour tortilla or a healthy lettuce wrap and lettuce cups.

    How Long Does Chicken Salad Last in the Fridge?

    Store any leftover chicken salad in the refrigerator as soon as possible and not more than one hour after it sitting out at room temperature.

    Store leftover chicken salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. (This is for freshly cooked chicken. Times for using leftover chicken to make the chicken salad will be different).

    For all food safety guidelines, review the safe food handling guidelines at the USDA website.

    You might also enjoy these chicken recipes

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    • Chicken noodle casserole on a white plate.
      BEST Chicken Noodle Casserole Recipe (Without Canned Soup)
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    Cranberry chicken salad on a white plate with a buttery croissant.

    Easy Cranberry Chicken Salad Recipe


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    • Author: Sandra Flegg
    • Total Time: 10 minutes
    • Yield: 4 servings
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    Description

    This Cranberry Chicken Salad Recipe features tender chicken, sweet dried cranberries, and crisp celery, all combined in a creamy dressing. It's requires little effort to make and ideal for preparing lunches ahead of time or enjoying as a snack with crackers. 


    Ingredients

    2 cups deli cooked chicken, chopped

    ⅔ cup dried cranberries

    ½ cup mayonnaise

    2 celery stalks, chopped

    2 Tablespoons green onion, chopped

    Juice from ½ lemon

    1 teaspoon dried dill

    ⅛ teaspoon salt

    ⅛ teaspoon black pepper


    Instructions

    1. In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients.  Mix until fully combined.  Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to blank days.

    Notes

    Storage - Place any leftover chicken salad in the refrigerator as soon as possible and not more than one hour after it sitting out at room temperature. 

    Store leftover chicken salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. (This is for freshly cooked chicken. Times for using leftover chicken to make the chicken salad will be different). 

    For all food safety guidelines, review the safe food handling guidelines at the USDA website.

    • Prep Time: 10 minutes
    • Category: Salad
    • Method: No Bake
    • Cuisine: American

    Keywords: cranberry chicken salad

    If you've made this recipe, please come back and leave us a star rating and comment below. Or, tag us on social media @shesnotcookin or #shesnotcookin for a chance to be featured!

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    Hi, I'm Sandra! Welcome to my kitchen. A self-taught cook, I love being in the kitchen. My inspiration is the people who I love the most - my family. Here you will find our family's favorite recipes! More about me

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