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    Home » Recent Posts » Chicken

    Creamy and Crunchy Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad

    Published: Mar 8, 2022 · Updated: Mar 10, 2022 by Katy McAvoy

    I love when you share my recipes!

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    Cranberry walnut chicken salad features tender chicken, crisp celery, crunchy walnuts, sweet and tangy cranberries, and spices, all folded together in a creamy dressing. 

    Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad

    Serve cranberry walnut chicken salad with a side of crackers or pita chips for a hearty snack. Put it between slices of bread for a delicious sandwich. Or serve it on a bed of greens, in lettuce wraps or scooped into lettuce cups. So many easy options from this one easy recipe!

    I love using more than just white meat chicken breasts for this cranberry walnut chicken salad recipe. Shredding a whole chicken and using a mix of white and dark meat gives the chicken salad a better flavor and texture. You can pick up a rotisserie chicken from the store or roast a chicken in the slow cooker for a budget-friendly option. It’s also a great recipe for using up leftover chicken or even leftover turkey. 

    What You Need 

    Ingredients for Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad
    • Cooked Chicken
    • Onion
    • Celery
    • Dried Cranberries
    • Walnuts
    • Mayonnaise 
    • Sour Cream
    • Lemon Juice 
    • Garlic Powder
    • Dried Tarragon 
    • Salt

    How to Make Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad

    In a mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, garlic powder, tarragon and salt. Set aside. 

    Dressing for chicken salad

    On a cutting board, roughly chop the dried cranberries and finely chop the walnuts. 

    Combine chicken, onion, celery, cranberries and walnuts in a large bowl. 

    Ingredients for chicken salad mixed up

    Add the mayonnaise mixture and toss well to combine. 

    Chicken Salad in a bowl ready to serve

    Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat. 

    Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad on a bed of greens

    Enjoy!

    Tips on Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad

    Can I use low fat or fat free mayonnaise? 

    Yes! You can lower the fat and calories in this recipe by using low fat or fat free mayonnaise and sour cream. Greek yogurt can also be used instead of the sour cream if you prefer.

    What can I use instead of dried tarragon?

    Tarragon goes really well with chicken, but if you don’t have any tarragon on hand, swap it out for dried oregano or just leave it out completely. 

    What do I serve with Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad?

    Serve this chicken salad on a bed of greens, on some bread for a sandwich, or with a pile of crackers for an easy snack or light lunch. 

    What if I don’t like dried cranberries?

    Use dried cherries instead of the cranberries!

    What can I use instead of walnuts?

    Make it cranberry pecan chicken salad by swapping the walnuts for diced pecans. 

    Try it with turkey!

    This is a great recipe to make with leftover turkey from Thanksgiving dinner. Just swap the chicken for cooked, diced turkey. (Use both white and dark meat!)

    Can I freeze chicken salad with mayonnaise?

    Nope. The creamy dressing and the celery in this recipe aren’t going to survive being frozen. Leftover chicken salad will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so make what you need and eat it up! 

    Roast Chicken in Your Slow Cooker 

    Want to roast your own chicken for this recipe? Grab your slow cooker! Slow cooker roast chicken is insanely easy and more budget friendly than buying a rotisserie chicken from the store. 

    Slow Cooker Roast Chicken
    Slow Cooker Roast Chicken

    Drink Pairings

    Non Alcoholic Red Sangria Mocktails
    Non Alcoholic Red Sangria Mocktails
    White Wine Sangria
    White Wine Sangria

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    Print the Recipe

    Print

    Creamy and Crunchy Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad

    Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Cranberry walnut chicken salad features tender chicken, crisp celery, crunchy walnuts, sweet and tangy cranberries, and spices, all folded together in a creamy dressing.

    • Author: Katy McAvoy
    • Prep Time: 15 min
    • Cook Time: 0 min
    • Total Time: 15 min
    • Yield: 8 servings 1x
    • Category: Appetizers
    • Method: Mixing
    • Cuisine: American

    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 3 cups diced, cooked chicken
    • ½ cup diced onion
    • ½ cup diced celery
    • ¼ cup dried cranberries
    • ¼ cup walnuts
    • ¾ cup mayonnaise
    • ¼ cup sour cream
    • ½ tsp lemon juice
    • 1 tsp garlic powder
    • ¾ tsp dried tarragon
    • ¼ tsp salt

    Instructions

    In a mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, garlic powder, tarragon and salt. Set aside.

    Roughly chop the dried cranberries and finely chop the walnuts.

    Combine chicken, onion, celery, cranberries and walnuts in a large bowl.

    Add the mayonnaise mixture and toss well to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat.

    Notes

    Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time.

    Keywords: chicken salad, leftover chicken, leftover turkey, Thanksgiving leftovers, picnic food, light lunch, snack time

    Did you make this recipe?

    Share a photo and tag me @katymcavoy on Instagram! I can’t wait to see what you made!

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    I love when you share my recipes!

    • 118

    About Katy McAvoy

    Katy is the author, photographer, home cook, mixologist, and Michigander behind MittenGirl.com. Since 2017, she's been crafting easy-to-make cocktails and delicious meals, along with sharing her love of all things Michigan (a.k.a. The Mitten)!

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    Katy McAvoy

    Hi! I’m Katy (she/her). I’m an author, photographer, home cook, mixologist, Michigander, and lover of all things food and drink. I never turn down a good happy hour and believe that a couple hours of meal prep pays off for days. Follow me on Instagram to check out what I’m working on next!

    More about me →

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