My Cranberry Chicken Salad is studded with sweet tart dried cranberries, crunchy celery and almonds, and dressed with a subtle creamy honey dijon sauce. Packed with protein and great for meal prep, it’s perfect to serve on a sandwich or with crackers.

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a bowl of cranberry chicken salad surrounded by crackers and cucumber slices

Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe:

Protein-Packed with 25 grams of protein per serving!
Delicious with contrasting flavors and textures in a delicious subtle honey Dijon sauce.
Great for Meal Prep – I swear the flavors taste even better the next day!
Quick and Convenient – use rotisserie chicken, already cooked chicken (like my Baked Thin Sliced Chicken Breast), or even canned chicken for an accessible option.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions:

For a full ingredient list with quantities, please check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

ingredients to make cranberry chicken salad

Chicken – I prefer to use boneless, skinless chicken breast for the leanest option. My go-to easy chicken is either my baked thin sliced chicken (juicy meal prep perfection!) or a rotisserie chicken for ultimate convenience.
Dried Cranberries – sweetened dried cranberries provide the perfect sweet-tart chew. Feel free to use a reduced sugar option if that’s important to you.
Celery – Finely chopped celery adds a bright, fresh flavor and crunch.
Sliced Almonds – a little crunch and texture goes a long with with a little sliced almonds! You can also use chopped pecans, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds, too.
Greek Yogurt – Instead of a heavier, all mayonnaise-based sauce, I use Greek yogurt for the main base. It keeps the chicken salad lighter and adds even more protein.
Light Mayo – I like to add a little light mayo instead of all Greek yogurt, to help give a better mouthfeel more similar to traditional chicken salad.
Flavor Enhancers – Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper all enhance the flavors.

How to Make Cranberry Chicken Salad

For complete instructions, please check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

ingredients in a bowl to make cranberry chicken salad

stirring together chicken salad with dried cranberries

Start by adding all of the dressing ingredients to a large bowl and whisking together. To the dressing, add the remaining ingredients and stir until everything is evenly coated in the sauce.

Tips and Variations

Make it Nut-Free – skip the almonds entirely or swap it sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds for a nut-free crunch.
Use a Different Nut – pecans are super popular in cranberry chicken salads, so you can try swapping in chopped pecans or walnuts instead.
Use Cottage Cheese Instead of Greek Yogurt – if you don’t like the tang or flavor of Greek yogurt but still want a lighter, higher protein option, try using blended cottage cheese.
Use All Mayo – I completely understand that different things work for different folks, so if you’re looking for a higher fat option, you can also use all mayonnaise and zero Greek yogurt.

cranberry chicken salad in a meal prep glass divided container

Meal Prep and Storage

Cranberry chicken salad is perfect for meal prep – the flavors keep developing as it sits in the fridge and it just keeps getting better and better!

Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.

cranberry chicken salad with celery and almonds in a white bowl

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