Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad

This delicious Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad is easy to make and full of flavor. With shredded chicken, toasted pecans, crisp diced apple, fresh celery, sweet dried cranberries, mayo, and dijon mustard, this chicken salad is the perfect combination of flavors and textures! Make it in just under 1 hour!

Course Lunch, Main Course, Salad

Cuisine American

Diet Diabetic, Gluten Free, Kosher, Low Lactose

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 496kcal

Author Alana Lieberman

Cost $15

Equipment

Ingredients

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup chopped pecans
¾ cup diced honeycrisp or gala apple (about ½ an apple)
½ cup diced celery (about 2 celery ribs)
½ cup thinly sliced red grapes (about 10 grapes)
½ cup dried cranberries
1 cup mayonnaise
2 to 3 teaspoons dijon mustard, or to your own taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray.
Place chicken in the baking dish. Season with salt and pepper.
Bake chicken, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, or until cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
While chicken is baking, add pecans to a baking sheet. Place in the oven and toast for about 6 to 8 minutes, or until fragrant and lightly golden.
Remove from oven immediately and allow to cool completely. Be careful not to burn the pecans.
Once chicken has cooled, shred with two forks or cut into smaller pieces and place in the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment. Set to medium low speed and allow the paddle to shred the chicken. (This is my preferred method since it makes it so quick and easy!)
Use your hands to break apart any of the larger chicken pieces.
Add toasted pecans, diced apples, celery, grapes, and dried cranberries to the bowl with the shredded chicken. Using a spoon, stir to combine.
Add mayonnaise and dijon. Stir again until evenly distributed. Taste and adjust seasonings or dijon to desired flavor.
Serve with crackers for scooping or on toasted bread with crisp lettuce for a sandwich.

Notes

If you’re short on time, you can use a store-bought rotisserie chicken! Just skip steps 2 and 3 and shred/remove the cooked chicken from the bone.
Personally, I don’t love the flavor of raw onion, so I don’t include it. However, I know many people do, so if you like it, feel free to finely dice some red onion and add it in!

Nutrition