Description

This Cranberry Chicken Salad combines tender cooked chicken breast with sweet dried cranberries, crunchy celery, and toasted pine nuts, all bound together with a creamy, tangy mayonnaise and mustard dressing. Perfectly balanced with a hint of spice and salt, this salad is refreshing and satisfying, ideal for sandwiches, wraps, or served atop apple slices for a lighter, low-carb option.

Ingredients

Scale

Salad Ingredients

4 cups cooked chicken breast, chopped
1 stalk celery, sliced
1-2 green onions, sliced
3/4 cup sweetened, dried cranberries
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

Dressing Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder (or 1-2 teaspoons Dijon mustard)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

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Instructions

Prep the salad ingredients: Slice the celery stalk and green onions finely. Chop the cooked chicken breast into bite-sized pieces. Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently until golden brown and fragrant, then set aside to cool.
Mix the chicken salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped chicken, sliced celery, sliced green onions, dried cranberries, and toasted pine nuts. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and mustard powder (or Dijon mustard), then add coarse salt and black pepper. Pour this dressing over the chicken mixture and stir well until all ingredients are evenly coated.
Chill before serving: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together. Before serving, taste and adjust the seasoning by adding more salt and pepper if needed. Serve chilled, either in sandwiches, on croissants, or atop apple slices for a delicious low-carb variation.

Notes

This easy cranberry chicken salad recipe is filled with sweet cranberries, crunchy celery and toasted pine nuts – swap pecans or almonds if that’s what you have on hand.
It can be served on a croissant or bread for a sandwich, or on apple slices for a low carb option.
To toast pine nuts, use a dry skillet on medium heat and stir constantly to prevent burning.
Adjust the mustard quantity to suit your flavor preference – use Dijon mustard for a sharper taste or reduce for a milder dressing.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 405 kcal
Sugar: 12 g
Sodium: 384 mg
Fat: 25 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Unsaturated Fat: 19 g
Trans Fat: 0.03 g
Carbohydrates: 14 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 31 g
Cholesterol: 87 mg