Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad

5 from 1 vote

This Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad combines tender chicken, sweet cranberries, and toasted pecans in a creamy honey-mustard dressing. Perfect for lunch, light dinners, or elegant parties!

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Total Time24

Course: All Recipes, Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 517kcal

Author: Jeri Walker

Ingredients

For the Salad:

1 cup pecans toasted and roughly chopped
3 cups cooked chicken breast diced
½ cup red onion finely diced
3 large celery stalks finely diced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
1 cup dried cranberries

For the Dressing:

¾ cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
¼ cup Greek yogurt plain
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon dried thyme

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F and set rack to middle position. Spread 1 cup pecans on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast for 8-10 minutes until fragrant and lightly browned, stirring once. Let cool completely, then roughly chop.
While the pecans toast in the oven, prep the ingredients. Dice 3 cups of chicken into ½-inch pieces. Finely dice ½ cup red onion and 3 celery stalks. Chop 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley. Place in a large bowl with 1 cup of dried cranberries.
In a large bowl, whisk together ¾ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons of honey, 1 tablespoon each Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon dried thyme until smooth.
Pour the dressing over the chicken and prepared ingredients, then gently stir everything together until evenly coated in the dressing. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
When ready to serve, garnish with additional fresh parsley. Serve on croissants, crackers, sandwiches, wraps, or over fresh greens. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Enjoy!

Notes

Use rotisserie chicken for a quick shortcut.
Toast pecans ahead and store them in an airtight container.
For the best flavor, let it chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Keeps fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Make it lighter by using all Greek yogurt instead of mayo.

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