Chicken Salad with Apples and Cranberries Recipe
This Chicken Salad with Apples is a fresh and flavorful mix of shredded cooked chicken, crisp apples, tart dried cranberries, crunchy celery, and toasted nuts, all tossed in a creamy, tangy dressing made with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and apple cider vinegar. It’s a quick and easy recipe perfect for a light lunch, satisfying snack, or picnic dish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 3 cups (about 12 oz.) cooked chicken, shredded (rotisserie works great)
- 1 medium crisp apple (like Honeycrisp or Fuji), cored and diced small
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup celery, finely diced
- ¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
- ¼ cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Dressing Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, salt, and freshly ground black pepper until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Combine salad ingredients: Add the shredded cooked chicken, diced apple, dried cranberries, diced celery, chopped red onion, toasted and chopped nuts, and chopped fresh parsley to the bowl with the dressing. Gently fold all the ingredients together until everything is evenly coated with the dressing.
- Adjust seasoning and chill: Taste the salad and adjust seasoning as needed by adding extra apple cider vinegar for brightness or more salt and pepper for enhanced flavor. Cover and chill the salad in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving to let the flavors meld.
Notes
- Use rotisserie chicken for convenience and added flavor.
- To toast nuts, dry roast them in a skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, shaking frequently, until fragrant and lightly browned.
- For a lighter version, substitute mayonnaise with Greek yogurt.
- Apples like Honeycrisp or Fuji provide the best crisp sweetness to the salad.
- Make sure to chill the salad for at least 30 minutes for the best flavor integration.
