If you're a fan of chicken salad then you'll love this cranberry pecan chicken salad. It's creamy and full of flavor like the traditional chicken salad but it's loaded with the fall flavors of crunchy pecans and cranberries.

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What makes this recipe so yummy

• I use a rotisserie chicken in my recipe so there's little to no cooking/preparation needed.
• It's a delicious change from the traditional chicken salad.
• It has a yummy sweet and savory thing going on, which I'm a fan of.
• It's an easy recipe with simple ingredients.
• There's some great textures in this dish - like soft and tender chicken, crunchy celery, chewy cranberries that have a tart sweetness.
• Eat it just like it is with crackers or pile onto a sandwich, or tortilla wraps, something like that.
• It's an amazing recipe for a meal prep option.
• You could make this a quick dinner. One of my favorite ways is to eat in a baked potato.

Groceries you'll need: Ingredients

• Rotisserie Chicken
• Chopped Pecans
• Dried Cranberries
• Celery
• Shallots
• Mayonnaise
• Lime Juice
• Garlic Powder
• Salt and Pepper

See recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities.

Recipe walkthrough: Instructions

This is an overview of the recipe steps. For more detailed instructions visit the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Step 1: Remove the meat from the rotisserie chicken and cut into small pieces.
• Step 2: Add to a large bowl with the remaining ingredients and mix well with a large spoon.
• Step 3: Serve either on its own with crackers or on a sandwich.

Hint: This recipe would be perfect to make using leftover turkey or if you cooked chicken and have leftover chicken!

Recipe variations and substitute ideas

• Lettuce Wrap - instead of bread.
• Chicken Breast - you could cook your own if you prefer.
• Red Onion - instead of the shallots.
• Lemon Juice - Instead of lime juice.
• Greek Yogurt - You could cut the mayonnaise with this.
• Poppy Seeds - If you like these they do work in this recipe.
• Green Onions - instead of the shallots.
• Apple Cider Vinegar - instead of the lime juice.
• Sour Cream - you could cut the mayonnaise with this.
• Olive Oil - Add a little in place of the mayonnaise.
• Sweet Apples - Adding some sweet apples would be great.
• Red Grapes - akin to a Waldorf salad.
• Chopped Walnuts - again, much like a Waldorf salad.
• Celery Seed - this would work well as a seasoning.
• Dijon Mustard - a little dijon would taste great.
• Orange Zest - to add a little citrus pop.
• Onion Powder - cut the garlic powder a little.

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Necessary gear: Equipment

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No big equipment needed for this recipe, just a mixing bowl and maybe a knife to chop ingredients.

Similar recipes I think you'll like

• Apple Cranberry Salad
• Dried Cranberry Sauce Recipe
• Cranberry Vinaigrette
• Cranberry Apple Rice Pilaf
• Cranberry Salad
• Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball Bites

How to store leftovers

This salad should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Mayonnaise doesn't freeze too well, so it's best not to be frozen.

Mel's kitchen notes

For best results you should prepare this a few hours before you are looking to serve it. Those few hours in the refrigerator will help the flavors melt together wonderfully.

If you’ve tried this Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad Recipe or any other great recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section below, how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers!

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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