cranberry almond chicken salad
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
- Category: Salad Main Dish
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- About 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cooked and shredded (about 4 cups shredded) *
- 2 celery ribs, very finely diced
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup slivered or sliced almonds
- a heaping 1/2 cup mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, or a mixture
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Honey or sugar, to taste, about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons or more
Chicken breasts and thighs vary in size; don’t stress it but get in the ballpark. See how to poach chicken in the instructions, below.
Instructions
Add shredded chicken, celery, green onion, cranberries, and almonds to a large bowl and toss together. In another bowl, mix the dressing ingredients: the mayonnaise and/or Greek yogurt, vinegar, onion powder, salt, pepper, and honey or sugar if using. Taste and adjust seasoning. It should be a tart/sweet mixture and a little intense is fine. It’s going to season all that chicken mixture.
Pour the dressing over the chicken. Toss to combine and evenly coat. For best flavor, make an hour ahead and refrigerate. The salad should be a little “fluffy” but coated, not wet.
Be aware that some nuts may become soggy; slivered almonds seem to hold up better than sliced. Any mixture with mayonnaise can weep a little when stored; just stir it back together. If the salad seems a little dry after storing, add a touch more mayo.
Serve over greens or in wraps it sandwiches.
For the Chicken:
To cook chicken, poach in water seasoned with 1/2 teaspoon salt, several black peppercorns, and a bay leaf. (The peppercorns and bay leaf are optional, but peppercorns are highly recommended.)