this Cranberry Chicken Salad Served with creamy yogurt-mustard dressing for a quick, protein-packed weekday lunch. Flavors of pecans, cranberries, and celery in every bite! Perfect as is, on a bun or wrapped in a lettuce cup or wrap.


Why You’ll Love This Cranberry Chicken Salad Recipe
This easy Cranberry Chicken Salad is an easy lunch you'll be making on repeat all summer long.
- Meal Preparation. Make it up to a week in advance and enjoy it right out of the refrigerator.
- Refreshing. Crunchy scallions, lemon juice and celery make it light and refreshing.
- Fast. Ready in just 15 minutes!
- Great for leftovers. Use leftover apples, yogurt and cranberries to reduce food waste.


what do you need
Apples and dried cranberries add natural sweetness to this delicious salad with a creamy dressing. Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact ingredient quantities.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast – Feel free to use shredded rotisserie chicken.
- Original yogurt – Make sure it has no added sugar. It can be regular yogurt or Greek yogurt.
- Dijon Mustard – Stone ground mustard also works. Avoid American yellow mustard.
- garlic – You need fresh garlic for this.
- Dried sage – It can be replaced with fresh parsley.
- Dried thyme – Fresh thyme also works.
- smoked paprika – Sweet chili peppers are a great substitute.
- Fresh lemon juice – Lime juice also works, but reduce the amount by half.
- celery – This is a great way to use up celery that's no longer crispy.
- Walnut – Feel free to use walnuts or almonds.
- onion– They add crunch, but chives can be substituted.
- Dried cranberries – Fresh cranberries are not suitable for this recipe because they are too tart.
- apple – Use your favorite type.
How to Make Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad
You can stir in the dressing on its own, but why would you when you can turn it into a bowl of salad? Scroll to the bottom of the post to see the recipe card.




- Mix seasonings. Stir in yogurt, mustard, garlic, sage, and thyme, smoked paprikaand lemon juice in a large bowl until smooth.
- Add chicken. Add chicken, cranberries, celery, pecans, and green onions.
- Throw it away. Stir ingredients until evenly mixed.
- Serve. Add 2 tablespoons chicken salad to each apple slice. enjoy!
Tips and variations
Depending on your preference, make it into a pasta salad or use hummus instead of yogurt!
- Add more vegetables. Stir in 1 cup canned (and drained) peas, carrots, or sweet corn to add more flavor and texture to every bite.
- Make it into a pasta salad. Boil 1-3 cups penne or fusilli pasta according to package directions. Strain and blend to make a simple pasta salad.
- prepare in advance. Whip up the dressing ahead of time so when you're ready for lunch, all you have to do is toss the salad. Dressing can be made up to 4 days in advance.
- Eat something salty Omit the cranberries and use corn chips instead of apple slices in the salad for a variety of delicious flavors.
- Change it to yogurt While it adds a wonderful creamy, homemade vinaigrette, hummusPesto and avocado puree can be substituted.


How to serve Cranberry Chicken Salad
This Creamy Cranberry Salad is a quick lunch option. Serve it over sliced apples or lettuce slices. If you don't mind, toast or corn chips would also work.Side dish ideas include Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes or Air Fryer Zucchini Fries.mine Avocado fries and Roasted Green Bean Fries All great too.
Store correctly
Take it out of the refrigerator and enjoy!
- refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
More Easy Salad Recipes
describe
This 15-minute Cranberry Chicken Salad recipe is a creamy and hearty lunch option this week, packed with pecans and celery.
- In a small bowl, add plain yogurt, Dijon mustard, garlic cloves, sage, thyme, smoked paprika and lemon juice. Stir together until combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl add chopped chicken, celery, pecans, scallions and cranberries. Pour in the yogurt sauce and mix everything together.
- Top each apple slice with 2 tablespoons of chicken salad.
- Serve!
Nutrition
- Serving size: 3/4 cup chicken salad + 4 slices of apple
- Calories: 328
- sugar: 18 grams
- sodium: 362 mg
- fat: 11 grams
- Saturated fat: 1 g
- carbohydrate: 26 grams
- fiber: 6 grams
- protein: 26 grams
- cholesterol: 84 mg







