Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Pecans Recipe

Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Pecans on a bed of lettuce in a white bowl.

5 from 1 vote

Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Pecans Recipe

This quick and easy recipe for Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Pecans is a unique and delicious twist on the classic homemade chicken salad that we all know and love. It also features a creamy mayonnaise-based dressing and crunchy bits of celery.

Prep Time15

Total Time15

Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American, Southern

Servings: servings

Calories: 454kcal

Author: Sharon Rigsby

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

Leftovers should be stored covered in your refrigerator and will last up to four days, depending on the freshness of the individual 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 a quarter cup more mayonnaise, sour cream, or plain Greek yogurt.

When adding the salt and pepper, remember 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 and 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 using the microwave easier. To microwave chopped pecans, place them in a single layer on a microwave-safe plate and microwave at one-minute intervals for six to seven minutes. The amount of time varies depending on your microwave's wattage and the nuts' size. Start tasting them to see if they are done at about the five-minute mark.

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