Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups cooked, shredded or diced chicken (grilled, poached, or rotisserie)
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup toasted walnuts, chopped
- ½ cup diced celery
- ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
- ½ cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt (or a mix of both)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Optional: ½ cup diced apple for extra sweetness
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken – If using fresh chicken, cook and shred or dice it. For rotisserie or canned chicken, simply chop or shred.
- Toast the walnuts – In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the walnuts for 3–5 minutes until fragrant. Let them cool.
- Mix the ingredients – In a large bowl, combine the chicken, cranberries, walnuts, celery, and red onion.
- Make the dressing – In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise (or Greek yogurt), Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- Combine everything – Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture and toss until well coated.
- Chill and serve – For the best flavor, refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. Serve on sandwiches, wraps, lettuce cups, or with crackers.
Notes
- For a healthier version, use Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise.
- For extra crunch, add diced apples or grapes.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To make it dairy-free, use a vegan mayo or hummus-based dressing.
- Best served cold or at room temperature for optimal flavor.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad, Lunch, Meal Prep
- Method: No-cook, Mixing
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 360mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
Keywords: cranberry walnut chicken salad, healthy chicken salad, chicken salad recipe, easy chicken salad