This Cranberry Crunch Chicken Salad is one of those recipes that feels like a little bite of comfort. With tender chicken, the creamy tang of mayo and yogurt, the crunch of celery and sunflower kernels, and the sweet chewiness of dried cranberries, it’s a perfect mix of flavors and textures.
Chicken salad is so nostalgic to me. When I was a kid, my mom used to make it all the time. Granted, I was a mostly mayo based chicken-salad-chick growing up. I’ve come a long way since then.
It just reminds me of sitting the floor of my room watching Saturday morning shows on Nickelodeon (you kids today don’t know how great Nick was back in the day, I’m not saying I’m old – the 90’s and early 2000’s just feels like forever ago), having some lunch, and getting ready to go in the pool.
As an adult I like to play with my food a little more than I did when I was a kid. I used to like chicken salad or tuna salad with just mayo and a little salt and pepper. (I know NOT ENOUGH STUFF! There was obviously something wrong with me.) Now I like to add all sorts of textures and tasted to my chicken salad, and I love it on a nice grainy bread like Health Nut from Orowheat.
This chicken salad recipe has both mayo and Greek yogurt. I find that the Greek yogurt kind of cuts the saltiness of the mayo, and lets the other ingredients in the salad shine for a minute. It’s a good thing too, because this salad is packed with awesome stuff like celery, cranberries, and sunflower kernels!
What ingredients are needed to make Cranberry Crunch Chicken Salad?
- cooked (or rotisserie) coarsely chopped chicken
- mayonnaise
- plain Greek yogurt
- dried cranberries
- sunflower kernels
- chili powder
- kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
If you don’t have sunflower kernels around your house, any other sort of small seed will work. You could also add nuts (a little Waldorf salad moment), nuts like walnuts, chopped pecans, or almonds also go well with chicken salad. I like the sunflower kernels in this because it is a nice light flavor that adds just a hint of saltiness to offset the sweet dried cranberries.
What type of chicken should be used for the Cranberry Crunch Chicken Salad?
IYou can use rotisserie chicken, cooked chicken breasts or thighs, or even shredded tenders! The only specific that I recommend for this, chop the chicken up pretty small. This helps make sure that you get a little bit of each ingredient with every bite!
Ways to Use Chicken Salad
Chicken salad is such a versatile dish! You can use it on:
- the obvious, chicken salad sandwiches
- in salads
- for party pinwheels
- or honestly just eat a big bowl of it
It’s packed with protein, and depending on how you make it, it may also be relatively low in fat. This particular salad, I’d put in the middle because it does have mayonnaise in it. If you’re a pretty strict dieter, and want to steer away from any form of mayonnaise just sub it for more Greek yogurt.
How to Prepare Cranberry Crunch Chicken Salad:
This recipe is simple. Chop the ingredients finely and throw them all into a large mixing bowl (if you’ve got a lid for easy storage that matches your bowl – bonus points for you!).
Storage:
This recipe is perfect for meal prep! Place the prepared salad in an air-tight container and store it for 3-5 days. Use it on sandwiches, salads, or eat it by the spoonful when you just need a quick protein boost snack!
I hope you enjoyed this Cranberry Crunch Chicken Salad recipe! If you try it, please leave a comment or tag me @atoastedcrumb on all socials! I’d love to see your work!
Cranberry Crunch Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups Pre-Cooked Shredded Chicken
- 1/4 cup Mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
- 2 tbsp Dried Cranberries
- 2 Stalks of Celery diced
- 1 tbsp Sunflower Kernels
- Sprinkle Chili Powder
- Kosher Salt/Black Pepper to taste
Instructions
- This recipe is very simple! Just combine all of the ingredients in a big bowl and stir.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 -3 days.
