Description
This Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing is a delightful blend of tender chicken breast, sweet grapes, tart cranberries, crunchy pecans, and crisp celery, all tossed in a creamy, slightly tangy poppy seed dressing. Perfect as a refreshing salad or a hearty sandwich filling, this recipe is easy to prepare, can be made ahead, and offers a well-balanced combination of flavors and textures ideal for lunch, picnics, or holiday gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chicken breast, diced
- 1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup celery, finely chopped
- ½ cup pecans, toasted and chopped
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
Dressing Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons poppy seed dressing
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Serving
- Lettuce leaves or croissants for serving
Instructions
- Combine Salad Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the diced cooked chicken breast, halved seedless red grapes, dried cranberries, finely chopped celery, toasted and chopped pecans, and thinly sliced green onions. Mix gently to distribute the ingredients evenly.
- Prepare Dressing: In a separate small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, plain Greek yogurt, poppy seed dressing, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper until the mixture is smooth and well blended.
- Toss Salad with Dressing: Pour the prepared dressing over the chicken and fruit mixture. Toss gently but thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly coated with the creamy dressing.
- Chill Salad: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld together and the salad to chill for optimal taste.
- Serve: Serve the cranberry pecan chicken salad on crisp lettuce leaves for a light meal or spread it on croissants for a more substantial sandwich option. Enjoy!
Notes
- This salad can be prepared a day in advance for the flavors to fully develop.
- For a lighter version, substitute mayonnaise with additional Greek yogurt.
- Apples or pears can be used as a substitute for grapes if preferred.
- To keep the dish gluten-free, serve the salad on lettuce leaves instead of bread or croissants.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad, Main Course
- Method: No-Cook, Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 380 mg
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
