Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad: A Sweet & Savory Favorite
This Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad combines tender chicken, crunchy pecans, crisp apples, and tart cranberries in a creamy homemade dill dressing—perfect for meal prep, baby showers, or a quick lunch.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken diced
- ¼ cup red onion diced small
- ½ cup chopped pecans toasted
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ Granny Smith Apple diced small
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tbsp fresh dill chopped
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Prep Your Ingredients: Grab a cutting board and dice your cooked chicken, red onion, apple, and any additional mix-ins you’d like. Toast your pecans in a dry skillet to bring out even more flavor.
- Mix the Dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), lemon juice, fresh dill, and black pepper. This is your flavorful dressing base!
- Combine Everything: In a large mixing bowl, combine the diced chicken, red onion, dried cranberries, chopped pecans, apple, and any optional ingredients. Stir to combine. Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture and stir until everything is well coated.
- Taste and adjust: Don’t skip this step! Give it a taste and add more of anything you think it needs. I most often add another spoonful of mayonnaise or Greek yogurt to make it a little creamier. If you started with some extra juicy chicken or used canned chicken, you may not need to add more mayo.
- Chill and Serve: Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld. Serve cold.
Notes
Pro Tips & Tricks
- Use rotisserie chicken for a quick shortcut—it’s flavorful, juicy, and saves prep time.
- Toast the pecans in a dry skillet for a few minutes to deepen their flavor and add extra crunch.
- Add the diced apple last and right before serving if prepping ahead—it keeps them crisp and prevents browning.
- Customize your dressing by adjusting the mayo and Greek yogurt ratio to your taste and desired creaminess.
- Don’t skip the chill time! Letting the salad sit for at least 30 minutes allows the flavors to meld beautifully.
- Use a large mixing bowl so everything combines evenly without making a mess.
- Serve it your way—on croissants, in lettuce wraps, or with crackers for a crowd-pleasing spread.
Nutrition
Calories: 314kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 17gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 121mgPotassium: 257mgFiber: 2gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 66IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!