This delightful chicken salad recipe with cranberries and Greek yogurt is perfect for lunch boxes, picnics and more! Kid-tested and very highly approved. 😉
There's really no comparison between a good homemade chicken salad and anything you might find pre-made at the grocery store, am I right? And this easy chicken salad recipe takes only 15 minutes to prepare if you have cooked chicken on hand. (No worries if not: cooking instructions are included.) And this chicken salad is not only delicious, it also makes awesome leftovers for work or school lunches.
If you live in New England like me, you might know this salad as Cape Cod chicken salad, thanks to its fabulous ode to Cape Cod cranberries. But fear not, you don't need fresh cranberries from the bog for this one. Dried cranberries (also know as Craisins) are perfect for this recipe and can be found at nearly all large grocery stores anytime of the year.
You can also try this avocado chicken salad if you're more of an avocado fan; it's equally good! And either of these chicken salads is amazing in a sandwich or over a simple salad of greens (you can top with an easy Greek dressing or just oil and vinegar.) It would also be delicious on top of these homemade 2 ingredient bagels or added to a veggie wrap.
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Takes only 15 minutes to make
- Easy to find ingredients no matter the time of year
- Great for meal prep lunches or gatherings
- Saves well in the fridge for make ahead meals
- Good way to use up extra cooked chicken
- Lightened up recipe with Greek yogurt instead of all mayo
🌿 Ingredients
As promised, all of the ingredients you'll need are easily found at any grocery store. Look for dried cranberries wherever raisins are located.
See recipe card below for exact quantities.
📝 Instructions
If you don't have any cooked chicken on hand, no problem! You can bake a couple of chicken breasts in a 400°F oven for about 25-30 minutes. Before baking, rub the chicken and pan with a little olive oil to coat, and season the chicken with salt and pepper.
The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F and can be checked with a meat thermometer in the thickest section of meat. Just make sure to let the chicken cool before handling and chopping it up (I like to cook the chicken about an hour before I make this recipe to give it time to cool.)
Step 1: Chop the celery and finely chop the onion.
Step 2: Place the chopped veggies in a large mixing bowl. Then, add the rest of the ingredients.
Step 3: Stir everything well to incorporate the mayonnaise and Greek yogurt evenly. If necessary, add a little extra mayonnaise to hold everything together.
Step 4: Serve immediately over a green salad, in a sandwich, or just enjoy on its own.
📋 Substitutions
You can make any of the following substitutions according to preferences or what you have on hand.
- Celery - you could substitute another mild veggie that has a good crunch to it such as bell peppers, cucumber or jicama (or, apples work too!)
- Red onion - use a yellow or white onion instead, or some finely sliced scallions
- Mayonnaise - feel free to use all Greek yogurt instead
- Greek yogurt - you can use any kind of plain Greek yogurt (nonfat is fine), but if you don't have any on hand I'd recommend just replacing it with all mayonnaise since regular yogurt is too runny for this recipe
- Lemon - use a little lemon zest instead if you don't have a fresh lemon, but it's okay to leave out if you don't have either
- Chicken breast - cooked, chopped chicken thighs or drumsticks are fine too; you can also buy a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken to cut up if you don't want to cook chicken breasts in the oven
- Dried cranberries - substitute raisins or grapes
📖 Variations
As written, this recipe is gluten free but feel free to make any of the following adjustments!
- Cranberry walnut chicken salad - add up to ½ cup of chopped walnuts, pecans or almonds to the salad; this is a delicious add on that gives the salad a delightful crunch as well as some additional nutrition
- Chicken salad with grapes - use grapes instead of dried cranberries
- Dairy free chicken salad - use all mayonnaise instead of Greek yogurt
- Egg free chicken salad - use all Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise, or use a plant-based mayonnaise instead
🔪 Equipment
I used the following equipment to make this recipe:
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- large mixing bowl
- citrus juicer (optional, to juice the lemon)
🍱 Storage
Cranberry chicken salad will stay fresh for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. It doesn't not stand up well to freezing.
🎉 Top tip
This easy chicken cranberry salad recipe is one of those everyday staples that can basically be eaten anytime or anywhere. It's travels amazingly well and it's a great one to have on hand with kiddos since it's full of protein and veggies. It makes a fabulous cranberry chicken sandwich, or can also be a snack alongside your favorite crackers or veggie sticks.
Enjoy!
💭 FAQ
You can cook chicken breasts in the oven and let them cool in advance of making chicken salad, or simply buy pre-cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.
You can bake a chicken breasts in a 400°F oven for about 25-30 minutes. Before baking, rub the chicken and pan with a little olive oil to coat, and season the chicken with salt and pepper. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F and can be checked with a meat thermometer in the thickest section of meat.
Chicken salad with cranberries works well in a sandwich with or without some lettuce and tomatoes, as a salad topping or simple greens, or as a snack alongside crackers or vegetable sticks such as carrots.
Yes; cranberry chicken salad can be made up to four days in advance if stored in an airtight container in the fridge. It does not stand up well to freezing.
🍳 Recipe
Cranberry Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Chop: Chop the celery and finely chop the onion and place in a large mixing bowl.
- Combine: Add all remaining ingredients and stir to incorporate the mayonnaise and Greek yogurt evenly. Add a little extra mayonnaise if necessary, to hold everything together.
- Enjoy: Serve immediately over greens or in a sandwich, or just enjoy on its own.
Nutrition
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
I'd absolutely love for you to leave a review!🌡️ Food safety
- Cook chicken to a minimum temperature of 165°F (74°C)
- Don't wash raw chicken to avoid spreading germs
- Use separate kitchen tools and utensils for prepping raw meat
- Wash hands in warm soapy water after handling raw meat
- Never leave food unattended on a hot stove
- Refrigerate leftover chicken within 2 hours
See more guidelines at foodsafety.gov.
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