A festive twist on a favourite, this cranberry pecan chicken salad is the perfect easy, make ahead lunch idea these holidays. Filled with crunchy pecans and sweet dried cranberries, this creamy dairy free chicken salad will be ready in less than 15 minutes and makes a delicious filling for sandwiches or wraps.
When creating savoury Christmas themed recipes, it’s usually all about the hot dinner or the appetizer to serve with drinks, but what about a simple lunch? That’s where this festive twist on chicken salad comes in.
A classic chicken salad is a great way to use up any leftover roast chicken or to stretch a supermarket hot chook further, in a delicious way. It can be used on sandwiches, in wraps, on toast or rice cakes, or even to fill croissants.
This creamy and delicious dairy free chicken salad variation, is filled with sweet dried cranberries and chopped pecans which gives this an unquestionable taste of Christmas. I think I actually like it even better than regular chicken salad!
This recipe is perfect to make ahead or meal prep. You can make the chicken salad and then just store it in the fridge for a few days.
Key Ingredients
Chicken salad is great because it can be really customisable based on what you have on hand and the ingredients you like. This is the combination that I’m using to create a chicken salad filled with fresh and delicious flavour perfect for the holidays.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Cooked chicken – to make chicken salad you will need cooked and shredded chicken. The easiest way is to pick up a grocery store rotisserie chicken as they have a lot of flavour. Otherwise you can use any leftover roasted chicken, or even just use poached chicken breast instead.
- Mayonnaise – I really don’t think it’s chicken salad without mayo! Use a good quality mayo for the best flavour and creamy texture.
- Yoghurt – I am using a dairy free Greek yoghurt just to lighten up the chicken salad as it can be really heavy with all mayo. You can use any plain, unsweetened yoghurt you like here or substitute with sour cream.
- Pecans – the first addition to give this a festive twist. The crunchy nuts add so much extra favour and texture which is essential!
- Dried cranberries – adds that little sweetness and really makes this taste like Christmas time!
- Celery – I think celery is an essential textural element in chicken salad. It adds that perfect crunch.
- Fresh herbs – I love the addition of both dill and parsley in this recipe. It keeps the flavour really fresh and light and while the dill is subtle, it compliments the other flavours perfectly.
Note: You can also add ¼ of a finely chopped red onion or 2 sliced spring onions to this chicken salad if you like. I prefer it without which is why it’s not written into the recipe, but you do you!
Step-By-Step Instructions
Chicken salad is one the easiest sandwich fillings to prep ahead of time and this cranberry pecan variation is no exception!
Start with your cooked chicken, then it’s just about gathering the other ingredients and making sure everything is finely chopped and adding it to a bowl.
The key to a really good chicken salad is that everything should be chopped uniformly and as small as possible. There should be no large chunks and everything should kind of meld together in each bite so you’re always getting that combination of flavours.
To the bowl with the chicken, pecans, cranberries, celery and herbs, add the mayonnaise and yoghurt and mix well to combine using a rubber spatula or large spoon. Taste, and season with salt and pepper.
And that’s it! From here how you serve it is up to you. Classically serve it up on some white bread for sandwiches, pop it on some croissants, or simply serve it spread on some toasted sourdough (my favourite!).
You’ll Also Love: Sausage Rolls
Recipe FAQs
Unfortunately store bought rotisserie chicken is NOT gluten-free. Therefore to make a gluten free version of these sandwiches, you’ll need to roast or poach your own chicken to ensure it is safe.
Yes, this is the perfect make ahead or meal prep lunch. You can make the chicken salad and store it in the fridge for 3-4 days covered in an airtight container.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More easy lunch ideas:
Vegetarian Fresh Spring Rolls
Burger Bowls
Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad
BBQ Prawn Tacos
Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked shredded chicken
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- 2 stalks celery finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs such as dill and parsley
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup Greek yoghurt regular, lactose free or dairy free
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make sure all of your ingredients are finely chopped, including the shredded chicken.
- Add the chicken, pecans, cranberries, celery and herbs to a large mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise and yoghurt and mix well to combine using a rubber spatula or large spoon.
- Taste, and season with salt and pepper.
- Store the chicken salad covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve, or serve immediately in sandwiches, wraps, croissants or on toasted sourdough.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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