Description
This Cranberry Chicken Salad with Walnuts is a creamy, flavorful dish combining tender cooked chicken, crunchy walnuts, tart dried cranberries, and fresh dill accented with orange zest. Perfect for sandwiches, wraps, or as a refreshing salad, it’s an easy no-cook recipe ideal for potlucks or quick meals.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 6 cups chopped cooked chicken
- 1 cup chopped scallions (green and white ends)
- 3/4 cup sliced celery
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the chopped cooked chicken, chopped scallions, sliced celery, dried cranberries, chopped walnuts or pecans, fresh chopped dill, and orange zest. Mix thoroughly to evenly distribute the dill and orange zest.
- Add Mayonnaise: Stir in the mayonnaise and mix well until all ingredients are fully coated with the dressing.
- Season and Chill: Taste the salad and season with salt and pepper as needed. Cover the bowl and chill the chicken salad until ready to serve, allowing flavors to meld.
Notes
- This chicken salad works great made with leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken.
- Substitute pecans for walnuts for a different nutty flavor.
- Fresh dill adds a bright herbal note, but you can use dried dill in a pinch—reduce quantity by half.
- Serve on sandwich bread, wraps, or atop a bed of greens for a light meal.
- Chilling helps the flavors meld and improves the salad's texture.
- For a lighter version, substitute some or all mayonnaise with Greek yogurt.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 oz
- Calories: 339 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 195 mg
- Fat: 29 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 23 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 52 mg
