Cranberry Chicken Salad with Pecans | Easy Holiday Recipe

This Cranberry Chicken Salad combines tender shredded chicken with sweet cranberries, crunchy pecans, crisp celery, fresh parsley, and a bright lemon-mayonnaise dressing. It takes only about 15 minutes to make once your chicken is cooked, making it an easy lunch, light dinner, or make-ahead meal.

This is an easy recipe that takes classic chicken salad and turns it into a punchy chicken salad that can be served any time for a quick lunch or light dinner. It's also a particularly good recipe to have in your back pocket during the holiday season. The cranberries and pecans give it a festive feel, while the simple preparation (shout out to Costco rotisserie chicken) makes it useful when you're feeding family between holiday gatherings or looking for something lighter after a big meal or served with crackers on an appetizer table!

The combination works because every ingredient has a job. The cranberries add little pops of sweetness, pecans provide buttery crunch, celery keeps the salad crisp, and fresh lemon juice cuts through the richness of the mayonnaise. I also like using shredded chicken rather than large cubes because it makes every bite creamy without needing an excessive amount of dressing.

You can make the chicken salad a few hours ahead and refrigerate it until you're ready to serve. If you're preparing it for several days of lunches, keep the salad refrigerated in an airtight container and use it within 3 to 4 days.

Looking for more lunch or appetizer recipes? Try these: Jalapeno Chicken Salad, Tuna Salad, Elote Pasta Salad, and Sausage & Cream Cheese Stuffed Mini Bell Peppers.

Why You'll Love This Easy Cranberry Chicken Salad Recipe

• Sweet and savory without being overly sweet. Dried cranberries add just enough sweetness to balance the savory chicken and creamy dressing.
• Crunchy in every bite. Pecans and celery give the salad two different kinds of texture.
• Bright, not heavy. Fresh lemon juice and parsley keep the mayonnaise-based dressing tasting fresh.
• Fast to assemble. If you have cooked chicken ready to go, the salad comes together in about 15 minutes.
• Excellent for make-ahead lunches. The flavors actually have a chance to meld as the salad chills.
• Easy to serve several ways. Make sandwiches, lettuce cups, wraps, or simply scoop it onto greens.
• Family-friendly. The basic recipe is familiar enough for picky eaters, while the cranberries, pecans, lemon, and parsley make it more interesting for adults.

Ingredient Highlights

• Shredded Chicken Breast: Use cooked, cooled chicken breast shredded into small, consistent pieces. I prefer shredded chicken here rather than finely chopped chicken because it gives the salad a softer, more cohesive texture.
  • Store-bought rotisserie chicken is a convenient option, especially when you're trying to get lunch on the table quickly. You can also use leftover chicken that has been roasted or poached. Chicken thighs are not my preference for a chicken salad recipe, but they will work.
  • Avoid shredding the chicken while it is very hot. Let it cool first so it doesn't make the mayonnaise warm and greasy when everything is combined.
  • Here's a shortcut I use when shredding chicken: instead of pulling the chicken apart by hand, place warm or slightly cooled, boneless cooked chicken breasts in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for just a few seconds at a time until the chicken is shredded to the size you want. A hand mixer can do the same job in a large bowl. Don't overmix the chicken. A mixer can shred several breasts remarkably quickly, but it can also turn chicken into very fine strands if you let it run too long.
• Dried Cranberries: Dried cranberries bring sweetness and a slightly chewy texture to the salad. They are an important part of the recipe, so don't substitute fresh or frozen cranberries. If your dried cranberries are particularly large, roughly chop them before adding them. Smaller pieces distribute the sweetness more evenly throughout the salad.
• Pecans: Pecans provide the rich, buttery crunch that makes this chicken salad stand out from a basic deli-style version. For the best flavor, use freshly chopped pecans. You can also lightly toast them in a dry skillet for a few minutes, then let them cool completely before adding them to the salad.
• Celery: Don't skip the celery. It adds freshness and crunch that keeps the creamy chicken salad from becoming one-dimensional. Finely dice the crunchy celery, so you get a little crunch in nearly every bite without large pieces taking over the salad.
• Mayonnaise: Mayonnaise creates the creamy base of the dressing. Use a good mayonnaise you enjoy the flavor of because it makes up a substantial part of the finished dish. Start with the recommended amount rather than adding all of the mayonnaise at once. Depending on how moist your chicken is, you may prefer slightly more or less dressing.
• Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice is one of the most important ingredients in the dressing. It adds acidity that balances the richness of the mayonnaise and keeps the chicken salad tasting fresh. Bottled lemon juice can work in a pinch, but fresh lemon juice is noticeably better here.
• Fresh Parsley: Fresh parsley adds a clean, herbal note and a little color. Flat-leaf parsley is my preference, but curly parsley works too.
• Salt and Black Pepper: Chicken salad can taste surprisingly flat without enough seasoning. Taste the finished salad after it has been mixed and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.

See the recipe card below for quantities.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Step 1: Cook and shred the chicken: If you haven't already cooked your chicken, cook the chicken breasts using your preferred method and allow them to cool slightly. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. You can do this by hand with two forks, but a stand mixer or hand or stand mixer is a particularly handy shortcut when you're shredding several chicken breasts. For a stand mixer, place the cooked chicken in the mixing bowl and use the paddle attachment on low speed for a few seconds at a time. Stop as soon as the chicken reaches the texture you want. For a hand mixer, place the chicken in a large, deep bowl and mix on low speed, moving the beaters around the bowl until the chicken is shredded. Be careful not to overmix. If you're using leftover or rotisserie chicken that is already cold, you can shred it directly from the refrigerator.

2. Step 2: Make the dressing: In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Whisk until smooth.

Tips for Success

• Use chicken that isn't overcooked. Dry chicken requires more mayonnaise to compensate, which can make the finished salad heavy. Moist, tender chicken gives you a much better starting point.
• Use a mixer when you're shredding a large batch of chicken. A stand mixer or hand mixer can turn several cooked chicken breasts into evenly shredded chicken in a fraction of the time it takes to pull them apart by hand. Use low speed and stop as soon as the chicken is shredded.
• Don't over-shred the chicken. You want distinct pieces of chicken throughout the salad. Running a stand or hand mixer too long can make the chicken very fine and pasty.
• Don't drown the chicken in dressing. Chicken salad should be well-combined and creamy, not swimming in mayonnaise. Start with the recommended amount and add more only if needed.
• Cut the celery fairly small. Large chunks of celery can overwhelm the other ingredients. A small dice gives you the crunch without taking over every bite.
• Toast the pecans for extra flavor. This is optional, but a few minutes in a dry skillet brings out the natural oils in the pecans and gives them a deeper, nuttier flavor. Cool them completely before mixing them into the salad.
• Use fresh lemon juice. The acidity is doing more work than you might think. It keeps the mayonnaise from tasting heavy and brings the other flavors into focus.
• Taste after mixing. Chicken varies in how much seasoning it needs, and mayonnaise varies in saltiness. Always taste the finished salad before serving and adjust accordingly.
• Don't add warm chicken to the mayonnaise. Let cooked chicken cool before mixing the salad. Warm chicken can soften the celery and pecans and make the dressing feel oily.

Substitutions & Variations

• Use a different nut: Walnuts are the easiest substitute for pecans. Almonds can also work, although they give the salad a firmer, less buttery crunch.
• Add grapes: For a more traditional deli-style chicken salad variation, add halved red or green grapes. Their juicy texture works particularly well with the dried cranberries and pecans.
• Add a little Dijon mustard: For a slightly more savory version, add a small amount of Dijon mustard to the dressing. Keep it subtle so it doesn't overpower the cranberry and pecan combination.
• Use onions: Thinly sliced green onions can replace some or all of the parsley if you want a little more savory bite. Or, add finely diced red onion or shallot.
• Make it extra crunchy: Add a little more celery or pecans. Just remember that increasing the dry ingredients may mean you need a small amount of additional mayonnaise.
• Make it less sweet: Use fewer dried cranberries if you prefer a more savory chicken salad.

Dietary Variations

• Gluten-Free: The chicken salad itself is naturally gluten-free as long as your individual ingredients are certified or labeled gluten-free when necessary. Serve it with gluten-free bread, crackers, or lettuce cups.
• Dairy-Free: This recipe is naturally dairy-free when prepared with a dairy-free mayonnaise.
• Lower Carb: Serve the chicken salad in lettuce cups, over mixed greens, or with cucumber slices instead of bread or crackers.
• Higher Protein: For a higher-protein meal, serve a generous portion of the chicken salad over a bed of greens or alongside a simple vegetable salad rather than using a large amount of bread. You can also replace the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt, but it will result in a different flavor.

Equipment Needed

• Large mixing bowl
• Small mixing bowl
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Whisk
• Rubber spatula or large spoon
• Chef's knife
• Cutting board
• Airtight storage container
• Stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer, optional for shredding chicken

Storage Instructions for Cranberry Chicken Salad

Store Cranberry Chicken Salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

For the best quality, use it within 3 to 4 days.

If you're making it ahead for lunches, keep the chicken salad refrigerated until you're ready to eat it. Don't leave mayonnaise-based chicken salad sitting at room temperature for extended periods. If you're serving the chicken salad at a holiday gathering, keep it refrigerated until you're ready to serve and follow the USDA's two-hour food safety rule.

The pecans will gradually soften as they sit in the dressing. If maximum crunch is important, you can reserve some chopped pecans and sprinkle them over individual servings just before eating.

I don't recommend freezing this chicken salad. Mayonnaise-based salads can separate and develop an unpleasant texture after freezing and thawing.

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