Cranberry Chicken Salad Recipe | Happy healthy eating

this Cranberry Chicken Salad Creamy Yogurt-Mustard Dressing is a quick weekday lunch packed with protein. Each bite has an explosion of flavor with a bite of pecans, cranberries and celery! Perfect as a bread or lettuce cup or wrap.

Why You'll Love This Cranberry Chicken Salad Recipe

This easy cranberry chicken salad is an effortless lunch you'll have on repeat all summer long.

• Food preparation Make it for weeks ahead and enjoy it straight from the fridge.
• refreshing Crunchy green onions, lemon juice and celery keep things light and fresh.
• quickly It's ready in just 15 minutes!
• Great for leftovers. Use leftover apples, yogurt and cranberries to reduce food waste.

What you will need

Apples and dried cranberries add a bit of natural sweetness to this savory salad with a creamy dressing. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact ingredient amounts.

• Boneless skinless chicken breast- Feel free to use shredded rotisserie chicken.
• Plain Yogurt – Make sure it is unsweetened. It can be regular or Greek yogurt.
• Dijon Mustard – Stone-ground mustard also works. Avoid American yellow mustard.
• garlic – For this you need fresh garlic.
• dry sage- It can be swapped for fresh parsley.
• dried thyme- Fresh thyme also works.
• Smoked paprika – Sweet paprika is a good swap.
• Fresh lemon juice- Lime juice also works but cut the amount in half.
• celery – This is a great way to use celery that doesn't get so crunchy anymore.
• pecans – Feel free to use walnuts or almonds.
• Green Onion – They add crunch, but chives can be used instead.
• Dried Cranberries – Fresh cranberries do not work for this recipe because they are too tart.
• apple- Use your favorite type.

How to Make Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad

You can toss the dressing separately, but why when you can make it into a bowl of salad? Scroll to the bottom of the post for the recipe card.

• Mix the dressing. Stir in yogurt, mustard, garlic, sage, thyme, Smoked paprikaand lemon juice in a large bowl until smooth.
• Add the chicken. Mix in chicken, cranberries, celery, pecans and green onions.
• Do the toss. Toss ingredients until well combined.
• serve Add 2 tablespoons chicken salad dressing to each apple slice. Enjoy!

Tips and variations

Make it a pasta salad or use hummus instead of yogurt depending on what you like!

• Add more vegetables. Stir in 1 cup canned (and drained) peas, carrots, or sweet corn to add more flavor and texture to each bite.
• Make it a pasta salad. Boil 1-3 cups of penne or fusilli pasta according to package directions. Drain it and mix it up for an easy pasta-salad variation.
• Prepare ahead. Toss the dressing ahead of time so all you have to do is toss the salad when you're ready for lunch. The dressing can be made up to 4 days in advance.
• Go delicious. Remove the cranberries and serve the salad with corn chips instead of sliced ​​apples for an all-flavored variation.
• Swap the yogurt. While it adds nice creaminess, the homemade vinaigrette, hummusPesto, and mashed avocados can be used instead.

How to Serve Cranberry Chicken Salad

This creamy cranberry salad is a quick lunch option. Serve over sliced ​​apples or lettuce wedges. If you don't mind, toasty sliced ​​baguette or corn chips also work. Side dish ideas included Air fryer sweet potato fries or Air Fryer Zucchini Fry. my Avocado fries And Baked Green Bean Fries Great as well.

Proper storage

Enjoy it straight from the fridge!

• Fridge: Store it in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

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