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This cranberry pecan chicken salad is light and bright, with fresh herbs and a creamy dressing pulling together tender bites of chicken, sweet apple, dried cranberries, crunchy celery, and toasted pecans. I especially love to use Greek yogurt in the dressing for a light, tangy effect. Pull this out for an easy lunch to meal prep or share.
A Note from Monica
Why you’ll love this family favorite recipe!
As a busy Mom, I deeply appreciate a chicken salad that I can prep once and enjoy for my own lunches all week. This particular combination, with a medley of crisp apple, sweet-tart cranberries, and crunchy pecans, is a stunner for me in the fall and winter. Fresh herbs and a creamy, tangy dressing tie it all together in the best and simplest way.
Rotisserie chicken is always a great option, but if you have a few extra chicken breasts to use up, poaching them yourself is surprisingly easy. Either way, this is a high-protein, satisfying lunch that keeps and travels as well as it tastes.
“Awesome recipe. My husband says this is the best chicken salad he has ever had.”
Ingredient Notes
- Cooked chicken. Rotisserie or other pre-cooked chicken works, but it’s also easier than you may think to poach chicken breasts yourself, and the results are excellent for chicken salad: tender, juicy, and easy to dice or shred. I like to poach chicken by simmering in well-salted water for 15-20 minutes, then dicing or shredding after it has cooled in the fridge.
- Red onion, celery, and apple. Tang, crunch, and color are essential elements of a good chicken salad, and these deliver. Aim for a relatively firm apple variety, such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Fuji.
- Dried cranberries. These add such a pleasant contrast to the crisp veggies and crunchy pecans. This same mix is also tasty with dried cherries.
- Toasted pecans. Purchase pre-toasted or just set them in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes while prepping the other ingredients. Sunflower seeds or pepitas are always a good nut-free swap.
- Greek yogurt and/or mayonnaise for the dressing. I prefer leaning into the yogurt, but have found in recipe tests that including at least a small amount of mayo yields a more sleek, glossy coating over the chicken and veggies.
- Staples and seasonings: thyme or rosemary, kosher salt, and black pepper.
This is one simple but well-balanced chicken salad—perfect for tossing together when you have just a little time and energy in the tank to make something good for the week. I also think it would be lovely to share with friends over a casual lunch at your house!
Chop, Toss, Chill
Chop. This is about as simple as it gets; the hardest part is a bit of chopping. You can shred or dice the chicken into small cubes, whichever texture you prefer.
It’s worth taking care to chop the celery, apple, and onion into small, even pieces. This way, most bites will include a little bit of everything, giving the most satisfying overall flavor and texture.
Toss to combine. Add everything to a large mixing bowl. Stir in the Greek yogurt and/or mayo, plus salt and pepper to taste. A squeeze of lemon juice is a nice touch, too, for my fellow citrus lovers.
Chill. Chicken salad truly tastes best refrigerator-cold. I recommend that you cover tightly and chill for at least 20 minutes before digging in.
Variations & More Mix-Ins
This cranberry pecan mix should definitely be considered a jumping off point; add more ingredients to suit your taste or clean out your fridge.
- Extra oregano and tarragon work well.
- Shredded carrot adds color without significantly changing the flavor.
- Green onions add a little extra crunch and tang.
- Pear is a fun swap for apple, though can go soft more quickly in the fridge, so plan accordingly.
- Grapes are a nice sweet addition and the star of my other favorite, Sonoma-style chicken salad.
Serving and Storing
- Keep it simple and scoop up this salad with baby carrots, celery sticks, or crackers—I especially love the contrast between bites of the cool, creamy salad and crisp, salty Triscuits.
- Stuff cranberry pecan chicken salad into croissants, wraps, or other bread for simple, beautiful sandwiches.
- Serve over a bed of spring mix, baby spinach, or butter lettuce.
- Chicken salad keeps at least 4 days tightly covered in the refrigerator. These glass containers are perfect for portions. If it’s been a few days and you want to perk up that final helping, I find sprinkling on an extra touch of flaked sea salt and fresh lemon juice makes the old new.
More High-Protein Salads
Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 2-3 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1 medium apple, diced, see note
- 1/4 small red onion, diced
- 1/4 cup toasted chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme or rosemary, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt or mayo, any mix that you like
- kosher salt and black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken, celery, apple, red onion, pecans, cranberries, and thyme or rosemary.2-3 cups cooked chicken, 3 stalks celery, 1 medium apple, 1/4 small red onion, 1/4 cup toasted chopped pecans, 1/4 cup dried cranberries, 2 teaspoons fresh thyme or rosemary
- Add the Greek yogurt or mayo and stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (I start with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and add more until the flavors really pop.) Add more yogurt or mayo for a creamier consistency, if you like.1/2 cup Greek yogurt or mayo, kosher salt and black pepper
- Cover and chill for at least 20 minutes.
- Serve cold with crackers, in sandwiches, over salad greens, in wraps, etc. Enjoy!
Notes
- Chicken: Rotisserie or other pre-cooked chicken works, but it’s also easier than you may think to poach chicken breasts yourself, and the results are excellent for chicken salad: tender, juicy, and easy to dice or shred. I like to poach chicken by simmering in well-salted water for 15-20 minutes, then dicing or shredding after it has cooled in the fridge.
- Apple: Aim for a relatively firm apple variety, such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Fuji.
- Pecans: Purchase pre-toasted or just set them in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes while prepping the other ingredients. Sunflower seeds or pepitas are always a good nut-free swap.
- Yogurt vs. Mayo: I prefer more yogurt, but in my experience you can mix these according to taste as you like. Using at least part mayo does tend to yield a more smooth, glossy coating over the other ingredients.
- Storage: Chicken salad keeps at least 4 days tightly covered in the refrigerator. If you want to perk that final helping after a few days, I find sprinkling on an extra touch of flaked sea salt and fresh lemon juice makes the old new.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published on February 18, 2025 and has been updated with new photos. The recipe is unchanged.
Awesome recipe. My husband says this is the best chicken salad he has ever had.
I love that! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this note, and I am so glad it was a winner for you & yours.