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Modified: Mar 7, 2025 Published: Nov 17, 2020· Cathy Brak · This post may contain affiliate links ·

Home » Recipes by Type » Recipes

Chicken Cranberry Salad Recipe

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Chicken Cranberry Salad is a beautifully simple, fresh green salad to toss together for a light lunch. Make it with either cooked chicken or leftover turkey. It's one of those things that you can look forward to as a treat the day after a big holiday meal!

sliced, cooked turkey, dried cranberries, and pecans on a bed of fresh lettuce in black bowl

I love that this salad is a healthy way to use leftover turkey. The recipe is free from gluten and dairy and uses only a little of the natural sweeteners.

What Goes into This Recipe

looking down on lettuce, chicken, salad dressing, dried cranberries, and pecans in separate dishes
  • Cooked Poultry - Use either chicken or turkey. This might be leftover from a grocery store rotisserie chicken or Roast Chicken or Turkey you have cooked for a previous meal. Maybe you cook some boneless, skinless chicken specifically for adding to salads.
  • Poppy Seed Dressing - Use either store-bought salad dressing or make you own Poppy Seed Dressing.
  • Dried Cranberries - I prefer to use pure dried cranberries that haven't had any sugar added to them.

How to Make Chicken Cranberry Salad

Toss pecans with some maple syrup and salt. Then toast them in the oven for a few minutes.

closeup of random pecan halves glistening with maple syrup

Slice up some cooked chicken or turkey.

sliced, cooked chicken breast on cutting board

Arrange lettuce in a bowl. Top it with chicken, cranberries, and pecans. Drizzle some salad dressing over it, and it's ready to serve.

sliced chicken on leafy greens with dried cranberries and pecans in black bowl

Recipe FAQ's and Tips

How long is leftover turkey good for in the fridge?

Leftover turkey will keep in the fridge for 3 or 4 days, if it hasn't been left sitting out too long after serving.

Can I make Chicken Cranberry Salad ahead of time?

You can prepare the pecans, slice the meat, and have washed lettuce, dried cranberries, and salad dressing ready to go. I don't recommend actually assembling the salad early, because lettuce with salad dressing on it doesn't keep well.

What can I do with turkey leftovers?

Leftover turkey is great in salads like this one. You can make Chicken Salad and serve it in a sandwich, or you can reheat sliced turkey in gravy and serve it on leftover mashed potatoes that have been fried in butter or oil

sliced chicken on lettuce with cranberries, candied pecans, and poppyseed dressing

If you have more leftover turkey, you might also like...

  • Chicken Salad with Mango, Red Pepper, and Green Onions
  • Mango Avocado Salad with Chicken (or turkey)
  • Chicken Waldorf Salad
  • Easy Chicken Salad

This Chicken Cranberry Salad recipe is for two servings. Feel free to half, double, or triple it according to your needs. 

It's easy to recalculate my recipes for different numbers of servings! Click on the number of servings, change it, and the ingredient measurements (but not the metric ones 🙁 ) will adjust accordingly! 🙂

Recipe

Cranberry Salad with Chicken and Pecans

Chicken Cranberry Salad

Dried cranberries and candied pecans make leftovers special in this fresh salad!
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American, Canadian
Diet: Gluten Free
Keyword: candied pecans, chicken, cranberry, leftover turkey
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes minutes
Additional Time: 2 minutes minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 425kcal
Author: Cathy

Equipment

  • Chef Knife
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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons (14 g) pecan pieces
  • ½ teaspoon (3 ml) maple syrup
  • dash sea salt
  • 8 ounces (227 g) cooked chicken or turkey
  • 6 cups (150 g) fresh spring greens mix
  • 4 tablespoons (32 g) dried cranberries
  • 2 tablespoons (60 ml) Poppy Seed Salad Dressing

Instructions

  • Toss pecans with maple syrup and salt. Spread onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast in a preheated 350°F (177°C) oven for about 8 minutes, watching them closely. Remove them from the pan to cool.
  • Meanwhile, slice the cooked chicken.
  • Arrange lettuce on plates to serve. Top it with chicken, cranberries, pecans, and salad dressing.

Video

Notes

  • Use either cooked chicken or turkey for this salad.
  • The pecans and salad dressing can be prepared up to a day or two ahead.
  • Assemble the salad just before serving to keep the lettuce fresh.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 425kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 146mg | Potassium: 326mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 24g | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 3mg

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5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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