Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Pecans
This easy Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Pecans is creamy, crunchy, sweet, and savory with rotisserie chicken, dried cranberries, buttery pecans, celery, and a simple mayo dressing. Perfect for sandwiches, croissants, lettuce wraps, meal prep lunches, and easy entertaining.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 454kcal
Ingredients
- 1 rotisserie chicken, white and dark meat, three to four cups total
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- ½ cup mayonnaise, I like Duke's
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup chopped roasted pecans
Instructions
- Remove the skin and bones from the rotisserie chicken and either chop the meat into small bite-size cubes or shred it.
- Add the chicken, celery, cranberries, and pecans to a large bowl and stir to combine.
- Add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, kosher salt, and pepper, and combine.
- While you can serve it immediately, for the best flavor, you should chill this dish for at least 30 minutes before serving it.
Notes
Leftover cranberry chicken salad should be stored in your refrigerator, covered, and will last up to 4 days, depending on the freshness of the ingredients. I don't recommend freezing it.
This chicken salad is dry, with only half a cup of mayonnaise. If you prefer more dressing, you can add an additional quarter cup of mayonnaise, sour cream, or plain Greek yogurt.
When adding salt and pepper, keep in mind that rotisserie chickens vary in saltiness depending on the flavor and where you buy them. I usually buy lemon pepper, but almost any flavor, even BBQ, will work because you will remove the skin.
Save the skin and bones from your rotisserie chicken, along with celery scraps, to make homemade chicken stock.
You can make the roasted pecans in the oven. But because it's such a small amount, I find microwaving easier. To microwave chopped pecans, place them in a single layer on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 1 minute, then repeat for 6 to 7 minutes. The amount of time varies depending on your microwave's wattage and the nuts' size. Start tasting them at about the five-minute mark to see if they are done.
While some recipes call for canned chicken, I don't recommend it. It will have a different taste and texture.
Whole rotisserie chickens have a combination of dark and white meat, which I use in this recipe. However, if you prefer white meat only, you can use just the breasts and save the thighs and drumsticks for another use.
Nutrition
Calories: 454kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 150mg | Sodium: 869mg | Potassium: 554mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 106IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg
