If you are a classic chicken salad lover Cranberry Chicken Salad is a must make! Tender chicken, sweet cranberries, crunchy celery and almonds, tart apple make a creamy Cranberry Chicken Salad you’ll love.
Delicious cranberry chicken salad is a great variation on regular chicken salad. Using simple ingredients it takes chicken up a notch adding sweet and tangy flavors.
It’s a great recipe for what we think is the best chicken salad. It has sweetness, crunch, some tang and tartness too. It’s a simple recipe that’s perfect for making chicken salad sandwiches, a quick snack or easy dinners in the summer.
I discovered this chicken salad at an upscale grocery store in Northern California decades ago and it was love at first bite. The store has since gone under but the Cranberry Chicken Salad lives on in our house.
Jump to:
Recipe Ingredients Notes
Cooked chicken. The recipe requires 2 cups of chilled chopped pre-cooked chicken. I use cooked chicken breast but chicken thighs (or a mix of white and dark meat) could be used too.
Rotisserie chicken, leftover roast chicken, poached chicken or homemade chicken can be used. Our shredded chicken recipe is perfect; just do the first step of cooking the boneless skinless chicken breasts then cube it, do not shred.
Dried cranberries. You’ll need sweetened dried cranberries. Unsweetened dried cranberries are too tart for this recipe.
Slivered almonds. These will be rough chopped before starting the recipe.
Granny Smith apple. This adds some sweet and tart flavors to the chicken salad.
Celery. Chopped celery is a classic ingredient adding some crunch.
Mayonnaise. We use full fat mayonnaise though light mayonnaise can also be used.
Variations
- Add some onion. Chopped red onion or sliced green onions can be added for some zesty onion flavors.
- Change the nuts. You can change up the nuts for crunchy pecans or walnuts for cranberry walnut chicken salad or cranberry pecan chicken salad!
- Add some curry powder. For curry chicken salad stir in some curry powder.
- Make it creamier. The amount of mayonnaise used binds the ingredients well however if you love a super creamy easy chicken salad stir in an additional 1/4 cup.
- Substitute leftover turkey. A perfect way to use up holiday turkey!
How to Make it
Printable recipe card at the end of the post.
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl (except the salt and pepper).
Mix to fully combine. Salt and pepper to taste.
Pro Tips
Keep it cold. This easy cranberry chicken salad recipe should be kept cold. Any salad with mayonnaise should not be left out more than two hours and less if it’s hot outside. Keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
How to serve it
Sandwich. Serve on your favorite bread or a croissant for a delicious sandwich. You can add some lettuce too.
Lettuce wrap. It’s completely refreshing in summer as a wrap. Swap the slices of bread for lettuce leaves, roll it up or fold and enjoy for a quick lunch.
On greens. A large scoop on a bed of fresh lettuce leaves is a great way to enjoy a satisfying light meal.
How to store it
Store any leftover chicken salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This healthy chicken salad recipe is meant to be eaten cold.
Unfortunately no, freezing is not recommended.
More recipes you’ll love!
Recipe
Cranberry Chicken Salad with almonds and apple
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chilled chicken preferably roasted and cooled to room temperature or chilled, chopped into bite size chunks
- 1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds rough chopped
- 1/2 cup Granny Smith apple peeled, cored and finely chopped
- 1/2 cup celery finely chopped
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a large bowl (except salt and pepper).3 cups cooked chilled chicken, 1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries, 1/2 cup slivered almonds, 1/2 cup Granny Smith apple, 1/2 cup celery, 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- Salt and pepper to your personal taste. Pile on slices of your favorite sandwich bread or on fresh lettuce and dig in!Salt and pepper to taste
Notes
- Add some onion. Chopped red onion or sliced green onions can be added for some zesty onion flavors.
- Change the nuts. You can change up the nuts for crunchy pecans or walnuts for cranberry walnut chicken salad or cranberry pecan chicken salad!
- Add some curry powder. For curry chicken salad stir in some curry powder.
- Make it creamier. The amount of mayonnaise used binds the ingredients well however if you love a super creamy easy chicken salad stir in an additional 1/4 cup.
- Substitute leftover turkey. A perfect way to use up holiday turkey!
Nutrition
Originally published: June 19, 2012
Kristyn says
Love the crunch from the almonds & the chewiness & flavor the cranberries bring!! Love all the different options you can have in chicken salad. It’s one of our-go-to recipes!
Kara says
I’ve had chicken salad with grapes, but not apples. It was so good! Love the crunch of the apples as well as the almonds!
Kristen says
This was so simple to make and delicious.
Lizzy says
I'm choosing your chicken salad over the other sandwich options 😉 It sounds perfect!
PS…my youngest sister went to the University of California Santa Cruz…somehow she found it more appealing than staying in Iowa! I can't blame her~
kita says
First, swimming is the best! I loved it and really need to get back into it.
Second, onion sandwich? Whattt!
Third, I love chicken salad with cranberries and apples. The chicken salad we had growing up was tons of mayo and tiny chunks of chicken. Once I tasted the sweet tartness of cranberries in chicken salad – and way less mayo – there was no going back.
...... says
my cousins use to eat a mayo banana and black pepper sammy. I thought it sounded so GROSS till i tried it then yumm. your post has me craving one. Another weird thing we ate canned pears with a dollop of mayo in the center sprinkled with parm cheese yep the stuff in the green can no less
Boulder Locavore says
Ok the only think funnier than reading your comment was that when I read it aloud to my husband he perked up at the description of your 'salad' at the end and said '…..with walnuts!'. Apparently his Mom served the same thing but 'elevated it' with the nuts. I'll take my Mom's pear halves in lime jello I think!
Do they even make the 'green can' anymore? What a great flashback, thank you!
Chris says
Hm, well, today I just want to let you know, that I nominated you for the versatile blogger award.
Boulder Locavore says
Very kind of you, thanks! Would I have to eat any of the sandwiches in this post to get the award?! If so I'm not so sure….
Chris says
Ah, no worries!