Description
This Festive Cranberry Chicken Salad with Crunchy Almonds is a bright, tangy twist on classic chicken salad. Tender shredded chicken is tossed with sweet cranberries, crisp celery, and toasty almonds, then bound together with a creamy Greek yogurt dressing. It’s quick to make, protein-packed, and perfect for sandwiches, wraps, or a light, refreshing lunch over greens.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup celery, chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken, dried cranberries, chopped celery, finely chopped red onion, and sliced almonds.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper until smooth and creamy.
- Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture and gently stir until everything is evenly coated.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
- Cover and chill the cranberry chicken salad in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- Before serving, give the salad a quick stir, garnish with fresh chopped parsley, and serve on a bed of greens, in a sandwich, or wrapped in a tortilla.
Notes
- For extra crunch, toast the sliced almonds lightly in a dry skillet before adding them to the salad.
- Use rotisserie chicken or leftover roasted chicken to make this recipe even quicker.
- If you prefer a sweeter salad, add an extra teaspoon of honey or a few more dried cranberries.
- Letting the salad chill longer (up to a few hours) deepens the flavor and improves the texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g (estimated)
- Sodium: 360 mg (estimated)
- Fat: 16 g (estimated)
- Saturated Fat: 3 g (estimated)
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g (estimated)
- Trans Fat: 0 g (estimated)
- Carbohydrates: 20 g (estimated)
- Fiber: 3 g (estimated)
- Protein: 24 g (estimated)
- Cholesterol: 70 mg (estimated)
Keywords: cranberry chicken salad, healthy chicken salad, Greek yogurt chicken salad, make-ahead lunch, holiday salad