This cool and refreshing Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad is here to make lunchtime fun! Easy to prepare, wholesome, and packed with protein, this healthy chicken salad recipe is worthy of keeping on constant rotation.
When the weather begins to heat up, I’m all about chicken salad, salmon salad, and tuna salad for weekday lunches. These chilled protein salads are refreshing, nutritious, and keep you feeling energized without the mid-day energy crash.
Not only do chicken salad recipes like this one keep you full, but they are also crazy easy to toss together and perfect for making in bulk. Cook once, eat 4 to 6 times!
Made with wholesome ingredients like chicken breasts, Greek yogurt, raw pecans, blueberries, dried cranberries, and onion, this cooling lunch recipe is loaded with attractive flavors and all sorts of health benefits.
The satisfying crunch and the sweet and savory flavors make this my favorite chicken salad recipe.
I make my cranberry pecan chicken salad recipes a little differently than what is typical.
I like adding fresh blueberries for some additional fiber, micronutrients, and deliciousness. In addition, I make a healthier creamy dressing with primarily Greek yogurt and a touch of mayo.
This lightened up version of chicken salad is just positively packed with fresh flavors for a feel-good lunch (or dinner).
If you love healthy lunch recipes like this, also try my Waldorf Chicken Salad.
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for cranberry pecan chicken salad! The great news is the full list of ingredients can be found at any local grocery store.
Ingredients for Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad:
Chicken Breasts or Rotisserie Chicken: Use the instructions in this post to poach chicken for this chicken salad recipe, or save time by using pre-cooked store-bought rotisserie chicken. I love both methods! Chicken thighs also work great.
Raw Pecans: Crunchy pecans bring a nutty textural element to the salad. Swap them out for walnuts, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds if you prefer.
Dried Cranberries: Contributing both sweetness and tangy sour flavor, dried cranberries are a true hero here. If you prefer raisins, feel free to make the swap.
Fresh Blueberries: Providing a burst of antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and fresh berry flavor, blueberries are a fun addition here. They are optional, so skip them if you aren’t into it.
Celery: While crunchy celery isn’t every person’s favorite, it adds a unique flavor, freshness, and crunch to chicken salad recipes.
I’m not a huge fan of celery, but I do think it has a special place here because they add the most satisfying crunch.
Red Onion: Bringing a nice bite of flavor, onion is a key ingredient here. Swap it for green onions or yellow onion if you prefer. If you aren’t into onions, omit it!
The creamy homemade dressing levels up this simple salad into a delicious meal. Here’s what we need for the dressing.
Salad Dressing Ingredients:
Plain Greek Yogurt: The majority of the creamy dressing is made with Greek yogurt.
Use nonfat plain yogurt to keep the fat content and calories low if you prefer. Otherwise, use 2% or 5% for richer dressing.
Mayonnaise: A touch of mayo provides a thicker texture and richer flavor, so I do recommend adding at least a little.
I use avocado oil mayonnaise because it contains healthy fats, but you can pick your favorite kind.
Lemon Zest: A little citrus flavor gives this easy chicken salad a bright freshness. You can skip it if you don’t have lemons on hand. Feel free to add a little lemon juice too.
Fresh Garlic: One small clove of fresh garlic goes a long way in adding to the flavor profile. If you’re obsessed with garlic, add more. You can also leave it out altogether.
Sea Salt and Black Pepper: Season the chicken salad to your personal taste using salt and pepper.
Recipe Customizations:
- Use sour cream instead of yogurt or mayonnaise.
- Swap out the dried cranberries for another kind of dried fruit. Dried blueberries work great here too.
- Use a different fresh fruit to replace the blueberries. I recommend a sweet apple such as honey crisp apple, Granny Smith apple, or mandarins.
- Have leftover chicken on hand? Grilled chicken or baked chicken works great in this cranberry chicken pecan salad too.
- Love the flavor of mustard? Add a couple teaspoons of dijon mustard to the dressing.
- Leftover turkey from Thanksgiving works magically here too!
Now that we’ve covered the basic ingredients, let’s make this easy chicken salad recipe!
How to Make Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad:
If you’re preparing your chicken breasts rather than using store-bought rotisserie chicken, here’s what to do.
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a full boil.
Carefully place the raw chicken breasts inside the pot of boiling water using tongs and reduce to medium. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat, cover it with a lid, and allow the chicken to sit in the hot water for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast to check for doneness.
Transfer the chicken breasts to an airtight container and refrigerate until they are completely chilled.
When you’re ready to prepare the chicken salad recipe, either chop the breasts into bite-sized cubes, or use two forks to shred it.
As an alternative, transfer the cooked chicken to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and turn the mixer on medium speed to shred the chicken.
Transfer the cooked shredded or diced chicken to a large bowl, along with the chopped pecans, dried cranberries, blueberries, celery, and red onions.
In a small mixing bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, minced garlic, lemon zest, sea salt, and black pepper.
Pour the dressing into the bowl with the chicken salad ingredients and give them a good stir until everything is coated with dressing.
Taste the chicken salad for flavor and add more salt, pepper, or other ingredients to your personal taste.
Serve over a bed of lettuce with any other salad ingredients or as a sandwich or a wrap using a tortilla or lettuce wraps.
Store cranberry chicken salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
A great meal prep option, I trust you’ll adore this easy recipe for weekday lunches. It also works magically for breakfast and a quick dinner too!
I love eating it on toasted buttered bread or with crackers, although tossing a helping on a green salad has happened on numerous occasions as well.
This cranberry pecan chicken salad recipe is also a great option for all kinds of eaters, as it can be enjoyed with a carbohydrate caravan or with a low-carb base too.
If you seek more chilled lunch recipes also try some of these classics.
More Lunch Recipes:
- Avocado Egg Salad
- Copycat Trader Joe’s Curried Chicken Salad
- Pesto Chicken Salad
- Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
- Easy Canned Salmon Salad
What is your favorite way of enjoying this great dish?
Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts poached* (4 cups)
- ⅔ cup raw pecans chopped
- ⅔ cup dried cranberries
- ⅔ cup fresh blueberries optional**
- ½ cup celery finely chopped, optional
- ½ cup red onions finely chopped
- ⅓ cup (5 oz) plain Greek Yogurt
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 small clove garlic minced, optional
- 1/2 tsp sea salt to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- If you’re preparing your chicken breasts rather than using store-bought rotisserie chicken, here’s what to do. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a full boil. Carefully place the raw chicken breasts inside the pot of boiling water using tongs and reduce to medium. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, cover it with a lid, and allow the chicken to sit in the hot water for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast to check for doneness.
- Transfer the chicken breasts to an airtight container and refrigerate until they are completely chilled.
- When you’re ready to prepare the chicken salad recipe, either chop the breasts into bite-sized cubes, or use two forks to shred it. As an alternative, transfer the cooked chicken to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and turn the mixer on medium speed to shred the chicken.
- Transfer the cooked shredded or diced chicken to a large bowl, along with the chopped pecans, dried cranberries, blueberries, celery, and red onions.
- In a small mixing bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, minced garlic, lemon zest, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Pour the dressing into the bowl with the chicken salad ingredients and give them a good stir until everything is coated with dressing. Taste the chicken salad for flavor and add more salt, pepper, or other ingredients to your personal taste.
- Serve over a bed of lettuce with any other salad ingredients or as a sandwich or a wrap using a tortilla or lettuce wraps.
Notes
Nutrition
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