Make the most of your leftover rotisserie chicken with this super simple chicken salad with cranberries and walnuts! It’s perfectly sweet and crunchy, and relies on plain Greek yogurt for a creamy texture with a punch of extra protein. It’s ready in less than 15 minutes, perfect for a quick lunch or the easiest meal prep ever! {Gluten-free}
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Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad
If lunch is usually a bit of an afterthought for you, then this cranberry walnut chicken salad recipe will be a total game changer! I love making up a batch on the weekend, and having it ready to enjoy throughout the week for fuss free lunches (or dinners) that the whole family enjoys.
Plus, it’s lower in saturated fat and traditional chicken salad, which helps reduce the calories, too. Serve it as a sandwich, salad, or on lettuce wraps for an easy lunch you’ll be glad to enjoy again and again!
For more healthy chicken salad recipes, be sure to try my Chicken Salad with Grapes and Almonds and Thai Chicken Mango Salad too!
Elysia’s Recipe Recap
Taste & Texture: Classic flavor combination with sweet cranberries and crunchy walnuts. Creamy and rich with a nice bright, sweetness from the vinegar and honey.
Ease: So easy and uses simple ingredients and common pantry staples.
Recommended: Definitely! It can be served in so many different ways to suit a range of dietary needs. Also a great option for a brunch, party or everyday lunches.
Would I make it again? For sure! It’s the perfect meal prep recipe and a great way to use up leftover chicken!
Ingredients
- Greek yogurt and mayonnaise: I like to use a mix of yogurt and mayo for the salad dressing. It’s still really creamy, but the yogurt helps to lower the amount of fat and calories, while adding a nice tanginess. Use plain 0% or 2% plain Greek yogurt and reduced or full-fat mayo.
- Apple cider vinegar: The acid helps to cut through the richness of the mayo. Rice wine or white wine vinegar can also be used.
- Honey: To add some additional sweetness to the dressing.
- Seasonings: Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder for a little extra flavor.
- Chicken: Use cooked chicken for this recipe. You can use leftover chicken or cook and cool fresh chicken. Thighs and breasts both work great.
- Celery: Adds a fresh and crunchy texture.
- Cranberries: Dried cranberries offer a nice sweet tanginess to each bite. Look for naturally sweetened or unsweetened cranberries if possible.
- Walnuts: Chopped walnuts add a great flavor and texture, while incorporating some healthy fats.
- Green onion: I love to add green onions to this chicken salad. You can skip it if you prefer, or add diced red onion for a sharper taste.
How to Cook Chicken for Chicken Salad
If you don’t have leftover chicken to use, you can quickly cook up some chicken breasts or thighs for the salad.
I prefer to oven bake them for ease and also find that it results in more juicy and tender chicken.
Chicken breasts should be tossed in some oil, salt and pepper, then baked in a dish at 350F for around 25 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165F when a meat thermometer is inserted into the thickest part. Thighs will take about 5 minutes longer to cook through.
You can also grill or poach the chicken, or cook it in the slow cooker or pressure cooker if preferred.
How to Make Walnut Cranberry Chicken Salad – Step-by-Step
- In a small bowl, whisk the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, salt, pepper and garlic powder together until well blended.
- Add the diced chicken, celery, dried cranberries, walnuts and green onion to a large bowl.
- Add the dressing to chicken mixture and toss gently to combine.
- If you have time, cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Tips for the Best Chicken Salad
- Allow it to sit: This salad tastes best once it’s had a chance to sit for a few hours and absorb all of the flavors. It tastes even better the next day!
- Preparing chicken: You can use diced or shredded chicken for the purpose of this recipe. It’s a great way to use up that leftover chicken. If you’re really short on time, you can also use a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
- Allow chicken to cool: If cooking chicken to make this recipe, allow it to fully cool before mixing with the other ingredients.
- Store in refrigerator: Once made, the salad should be refrigerated. It shouldn’t sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Storage Guidelines
Refrigerator: Once made, store leftover chicken salad covered in the fridge or in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Do not freeze. It should be served cold.
Recipe FAQs
Not all chicken salads are created equally as some can contain high amounts of saturated fat, sodium and calories. As a Registered Dietitian, I formulated this chicken salad to be lighter than most recipes by replacing half of the mayonnaise (or sour cream) for Greek yogurt, which is lower in saturated fat and calories. It’s also a good source of protein and healthy fats, while being rich in fiber from the veggies, cranberries and walnuts. It’s a healthier alternative to lunch meats!
This chicken salad recipe is not suitable for freezing. It contains dairy which can become grainy in texture when frozen and thawed.
For best results, your chicken should be cold when you add it in with the other ingredients. If it’s still warm after cooking, it can split the mayonnaise which can cause it to become oily. Hot chicken will also steam creating more moisture.
Serving Suggestions
There are a number of ways to serve this easy chicken salad recipe:
- On a bed of romaine lettuce
- In lettuce cups
- On a croissant
- On a bun or between two slices of bread for chicken salad sandwiches
- On toast
- In pita pockets or on pita bread
- On a bagel (try these almond flour bagels or cottage cheese bagels)
- With crackers
- In a wrap
What Goes Well with Chicken Salad
This healthy cranberry walnut chicken salad is great in sandwiches, but you can also serve it alongside your favorite salads and sides for a bigger feast. It’s a great option for potlucks and gatherings!
Try serving it with:
- Tossed Green Salad
- Blueberry Walnut Salad
- Healthy Broccoli Salad
- Chickpea Pesto Pasta Salad
- Grape Quinoa Salad
Recipe Ideas & Variations
- Switch up the meat: Try subbing in diced leftover turkey instead of the chicken breast.
- Try different nuts: Use pecans or sliced or slivered almonds instead of walnuts. You can also toast the nuts for a deeper flavor.
- Add fruit: Try adding in some diced apple or halved grapes for a twist on Waldorf salad.
- Add extra veggies: Diced bell peppers, red onion, or finely diced carrot would also work well.
- Make it vegetarian: Swap out the cooked chicken for hard-boiled eggs.
- Make it dairy-free: Use a plant-based Greek yogurt and mayonnaise.
More Salad Recipes You’ll Love
- Grilled Chicken and Strawberry Salad
- Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Pecans
- Turkey Salad Wrap
- Kale Salad with Cranberries
- Mediterranean Chickpea Salad with Feta
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Healthy Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Walnuts
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
For the chicken salad:
- 2 cups diced cooked chicken
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup sliced green onion
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk the Greek yogurt,mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, salt, pepper and garlic powder until well blended.
- Add diced chicken, celery, dried cranberries, walnuts and green onion to a medium bowl. Add dressing and toss gently to combine.
- If you have time, cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Notes
- Allow it to sit: This salad tastes best once it’s had a chance to sit for a few hours to absorb all of the flavours. You can even eat it the next day!
- Preparing chicken: You can use diced or shredded chicken for the purpose of this recipe. It’s a great way to use up that leftover chicken. If you’re really short on time, you can also use a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
- Allow chicken to cool: If cooking chicken to make this recipe, allow it to fully cool before mixing with the other ingredients.
- Store in refrigerator: Once made, the salad should be refrigerated. It shouldn’t sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in June 2022 and some of the text, photos and formatting were updated in January 2025.
Featured Comment
This chicken salad is amazing!! It’s a great way to use up leftover chicken and the sweet pops of cranberries are so refreshing. Perfect for easy lunches! – Rebecca