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Creamy Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad

Creamy Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad

joymakersandco
Creamy Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad is a picnic essential, perfect for light lunches. Sometimes we crave something beyond the ordinary lunch meat filled sandwich. Serve it on your favorite bread or by itself as a side dish for a party or potluck.
5 from 3 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Lunch
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 76493 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Medium Mixing Bowl

Ingredients
  

  • 2- 12.5 oz cans of chicken breast, drained. SEE NOTES
  • 2 stalks of celery, diced
  • 1/2 cup mayo
  • 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, or sour cream
  • 1 T. Dijon mustard
  • 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted or untoasted.
  • 1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley, optional
  • 3-4 green onions, sliced
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • salt & pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Optional: Lightly toast the pecans or walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat. Watch them, and stir carefully. Set aside to cool before chopping. If you want to skip the toasting, you can.
  • Prepare the celery, parsley, and green onions by dicing, chopping, and slicing as written above. Add it to a medium mixing bowl.
  • Drain the chicken and add it to the bowl with the celery, parsley, and green onions. Toss in the cranberries and mix in the mayo and Greek yogurt (or sour cream).
  • Chop the nuts and stir to combine, making sure to shred & break apart the chunks of chicken as you mix. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
  • Best served chilled in the fridge for about an hour.
  • Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. See notes below for variations.

Notes

Nutritional values and servings are estimates only. 
Updated: 8/31/2024
Canned Chicken Breast- One thing pre-made thing I like to keep in my pantry is a good canned chicken breast. Look for one that has simple ingredients, water, salt, chicken. If you do not have canned chicken, don't worry! Use 1-1/2 pounds of shredded chicken, either breast or thighs work.
VARIATIONS
Spice it Up: Add a pinch of cayenne pepper or 1/2-1 teaspoon of curry powder for a kick.
Fruity Swaps: Swap the cranberries with chopped grapes, apples, golden raisins or dried cherries. Have another dried fruit in mind? Give it a try!
Turn up the Heat: Add chopped jalapeños.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 76493kcalCarbohydrates: 6640gProtein: 5315gFat: 4246gSaturated Fat: 318gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1138gMonounsaturated Fat: 3245gTrans Fat: 16gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 1375096mgPotassium: 187611mgFiber: 5377gSugar: 1787gVitamin A: 89132IUVitamin C: 506mgCalcium: 78778mgIron: 1988mg
Keyword chicken cranberry, chicken salad, cranberry pecan, creamy chicken salad, easy chicken salad, summer salad
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