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I love whipping up this cranberry chicken salad whenever I need a quick lunch or an easy side dish. It’s packed with crunchy pecans, crisp celery, and sweet-tart cranberries, so every bite has great texture and flavor. It’s budget-friendly, keeps me full and fueled for the day, and is perfect for those busy weeknights when I just want something easy and delicious.
After making this dozens of times, I’ve learned that the real trick is mixing mayonnaise with Greek yogurt and giving the salad time to rest in the fridge. The yogurt lightens up the mayo just enough, adding a subtle tang while still keeping that classic creamy texture. Giving it a 30-minute chill time is crucial because it softens the cranberries just enough and lets the chicken soak up all that creamy goodness.
If you love easy, creamy side dishes, you’ll want to try my classic macaroni salad or my all-time favorite loaded potato salad!
How to Make Cranberry Chicken Salad
Step 1: Mix the creamy dressing
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, honey, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper until the mixture is completely smooth. Set it aside for now.
Step 2: Combine the salad base
In a large mixing bowl, add the shredded chicken, dried cranberries, celery, shallot, and toasted pecans. Give everything a good toss so the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Step 3: Coat the chicken
Pour the creamy dressing over the chicken mixture and stir gently until everything is well coated. Fold in the fresh parsley, then taste and adjust with a little extra salt, pepper, or lemon juice if needed.
Step 4: Chill and serve
Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes so the flavors can come together. Serve the salad scooped onto croissants or crackers, or piled into a sandwich or lettuce wrap.
Storage Tips
- Storing leftovers: Keep any leftover cranberry chicken salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing it, as the mayo and yogurt can separate and get watery.
- Serving leftovers: This salad is perfect for meal-prep since it holds up well in the fridge. Over time, the chicken soaks up the dressing and may dry out slightly, so stirring in a little extra mayo or Greek yogurt brings back that fresh creamy texture.
More Side Dishes Recipes You May Enjoy
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Cranberry Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups rotisserie chicken shredded or diced
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup diced celery
- 1 shallot finely diced,about 1/3 cup
- ½ cup toasted pecans roughly chopped
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Whisk together the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, honey, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl until it’s smooth. Set aside for now.½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Add the chicken, cranberries, celery, shallot, and pecans into a large mixing bowl and toss together until everything is evenly mixed together.3 cups rotisserie chicken, ½ cup dried cranberries, ½ cup diced celery, ½ cup toasted pecans, 1 shallot
- Pour the sauce over the chicken mixture and mix until everything is coated in the creamy mayo.
- Add the parsley and gently mix in. Taste test the salad and add more salt, pepper or lemon juice as needed.½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop. Serve as sandwiches or with crackers with some extra chopped parsley.
Jenn’s Notes
- Storage: Keep your leftover cranberry chicken salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing this, as the mayonnaise and yogurt will separate and get incredibly watery when it thaws out.
Serving leftovers: Because this is a cold salad, you definitely do not want to reheat it! - As it sits in the fridge, the chicken will naturally soak up some of the dressing and dry out slightly. I always stir in an extra spoonful of mayonnaise or Greek yogurt right before serving to bring back that perfect, fresh creaminess.
