A 10-minute cranberry chicken salad made with rotisserie chicken, celery, cranberries, toasted walnuts, and creamy Dijon dressing!
Sometimes, you want something quick and filling. However, that doesn’t mean you have to skimp on flavor. Using leftover rotisserie chicken, you can create a flavorful lunch that’s done in minutes. Our cranberry chicken salad recipe is easy to prepare and will make up to 10 servings. Which means it’s perfect for meal prep. When properly stored in the fridge it will last up to 3-days.
You could make it on Sunday afternoon and have lunches covered until Wednesday. Not bad. So, let’s get started, that way you can get your lunches ready for next week. Speaking of leftovers, use that leftover Thanksgiving turkey to create a turkey pot pie with puff pastry.
How to make cranberry chicken salad with walnuts?
First, grab a small pan and place it over low heat. Toast the walnuts for about 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and set the walnuts aside to cool while you make the dressing.
Next, in a small mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, fresh lemon juice, sea salt, and ground black pepper.
Use a whisk or kitchen fork to mix the creamy Dijon salad dressing.
Then, grab a large mixing bowl. Add in the rotisserie chicken, dried cranberries, sliced celery, diced red onion, and toasted walnuts.
Afterward, use a rubber spatula to pour the dressing over the chicken and other ingredients.
Using the same spatula, stir the chicken salad to combine everything. Last, serve the dish on lettuce, high-fiber wraps, or slider buns.
Alternatively, you can store it in a sealed container, in your fridge, for up to 3-days. That way, you can use it for lunches the following week.
That’s it, your cranberry chicken salad is done! Kim and I hope you enjoy it and wish you all the best 🙂
Recipe Tips:
- Making toasted walnuts isn’t difficult. Just keep in mind that once you start smelling their woody aroma, it’s time to turn off the heat.
- If you’re using this recipe for meal prep, then let me make this recommendation. Do not place the salad on any buns or wraps in advance. Otherwise, the dressing will soak into the bread and the sandwich (or wrap) may become soggy.
- We used rotisserie chicken for our recipe, but Thanksgiving is just around the corner. You could easily substitute leftover turkey to create a cranberry turkey salad.
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Don’t forget to check out our Cranberry Chicken Salad web story!
Cranberry Chicken Salad
A 10-minute cranberry chicken salad made with rotisserie chicken, celery, cranberries, toasted walnuts, and creamy Dijon dressing!
Ingredients
- ⅔ Cup Mayonnaise
- 3 Teaspoons Dijon Mustard
- 3 Teaspoons Lemon Juice (fresh)
- ½ Teaspoon Sea Salt
- ¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 3 Cups Cooked Chicken, cubed or shredded (leftover rotisserie chicken works great)
- ½ Cup Dried Cranberries
- ⅓ Cup Celery, thinly sliced
- ⅓ Cup Toasted Walnuts
- ¼ Cup Red Onion, finely diced
Instructions
- Toast the walnuts in a small pan over low heat for 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- In a separate, large bowl, combine the chicken, cranberries, celery, walnuts, and onion. Add the dressing, and stir to combine.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve as-is, on croissants, sliders, in a wrap, or as a sandwich. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
*The calories listed are an approximation based on the ingredients in the recipe card and a serving size of about ½ cup of the cranberry chicken salad. Actual calories will vary.
*For more information and tips, please refer to the post.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: .5 CupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 241Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 272mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 11g
*The calories are an estimate and are based on the ingredients and serving size listed. The calories can vary depending on the brand of product purchased.
Sharon Donovan
Sunday 2nd of May 2021
I love this Cranberry Chicken salad. The roasted walnuts are wonderful in the salad, always use walnuts, for now on they will be roasted. The only thing I had to switch was the salad dressing, not a fan of the mustard. Thank you, Sharon D
John
Monday 3rd of May 2021
Thank you Sharon! Kim and I are glad you enjoyed the salad. We hope you have an awesome day :)