Description

With just 5 minutes of preparation time, this easy cranberry chicken salad is a delicious side dish for the holiday season or any special occasion. Eat this salad on its own or make chicken salad sandwiches! Gluten-free and dairy-free too.

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
3 tablespoons pine nuts
4 tablespoons dried cranberries
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon pepper

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Instructions

Combine Chicken, Nuts, Cranberries & Celery: Place the cooked chicken, pine nuts, dried cranberries and chopped celery in a deep bowl.
Prepare Salad Dressing: Mix the mayonnaise and mustard in a small bowl until well combined.
Add Dressing to Ingredients: Pour the salad dressing into the bowl with the salad ingredients, then top with salt and pepper.
Mix Well: Mix everything thoroughly, then chill the salad in the refrigerator for half an hour.
Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle the chicken cranberry salad with fresh herbs and serve.

Notes

Chicken: You can either cook your own chicken and shred it, or use store-bought rotisserie chicken for convenience. Just make sure to shred the cooked chicken finely before mixing it with the other ingredients in this chicken salad.

Pine Nuts: I used pine nuts to add a nice crunchy contrast to the creaminess of this dried cranberry chicken salad. Alternatively, you may use equal quantities of walnuts or pecans instead.

Cranberries: Make sure to use dried cranberries (NOT fresh cranberries). Alternatively, you may also use raisins or dried blueberries if you prefer.

Celery: For best results, dice the celery into small pieces so you don’t get huge chunks of it.

Mustard: I used Dijon mustard, but you can also use honey mustard or yellow mustard if you prefer.

Mayonnaise: Feel free to use whichever mayonnaise you have on hand.

Storing: If there are any leftovers, place the chicken cranberry salad in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Prep Time: 5 mins
Chilling Time: 30 mins
Category: Salads
Cuisine: American