This is one of the best chicken salad recipes that you will ever make! This cranberry almond chicken salad recipe has been my go to chicken salad recipe for years. It has all the classic flavors that chicken salad is known for but a little something extra with the sweet tangy cranberries and the crunchy almonds. Give it a try and it might just become your new go to recipe as well!
In case it wasn’t obvious from my hefty collection of chicken salad recipes I post here on the blog, I really love chicken salad! I have posted a lot of recipes over the years, but for some reason, I have never posted my go-to chicken salad recipe.
This is the recipe I make to fill croissants with when I have a baby shower. This is the chicken salad I make and serve in a pretty bread bowl when we are having a brunch for some organization or another. This is the chicken salad I make and eat on whole wheat toast and crackers when I just feel like chicken salad and I am not in the mood to experiment and create something new. This is actually the chicken salad I ate for dinner tonight on cucumber slices. Because it is good, solid, tried and true recipe. The kind of recipe that every time I make it, I think man this is good! Why do I never remember how good this stuff is?!
So I thought it was about time that I got my act together and shared it with you… I mean really?! What was I thinking holding out on you like this?
I apologize! Forgive me?
Now that all is forgiven, let’s move on to the good stuff! The FOOD!
Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad Recipe
This recipe makes quite a bit of chicken salad. It is probably about 6-6.5 cups worth once it is all done, so it will be perfect to make for an event, or more than enough to keep in the fridge and eat for lunch all week which is what I have been doing. You can cut it in half if you are just making it for yourself pretty easily, but I learned my lesson not to do that early on… it is just too addicting! I need the whole recipe!
Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad – Ingredients
- 3 cups chopped or shredded chicken (about 3 large chicken breasts)
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup Craisins
- 1 cup celery, finely chopped
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1 tbsp Cavendars Greek Seasoning
- The juice of 1 lemon, freshly squeezed
Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad- Instructions
Start by mixing the mayo and greek seasoning together. This isn’t absolutely necessary, since you can just throw it all in together, but I find that it helps the seasoning get mixed in the most evenly so I just make that my super quick first step.
Next, place the chicken, celery, Craisins, almonds, and onion in a large bowl, then stir in the mayo mixture and lemon juice, and mix until combined. I like to just squeeze the lemon right over the salad using a strainer to catch any seeds or pulp to make less bowls to clean up. For the almonds, if you want to get fancy, you can toast them before you add them to the mixture, which is absolutely delicious, but I have to admit, I usually take the lazy route of just throwing them in and it works just fine. You can sub almond slivers for the slices if you prefer as well!
After you mix it a bit, you should be able to tell that all the ingredients are pretty evenly distributed and the creamy stuff is coating everything with its deliciousness. You can eat this right away, but I think it is even better chilled a bit. When you chill it, not only do the flavors meld together more, but the cranberries plump up a bit from the moisture in the salad.
Serve the chicken salad how ever you want! You can put it on toast which is my favorite way to eat it for an everyday lunch, or do crackers, croissants which are my favorite for a special treat, a bread bowl which makes it look super elegant for a brunch or party, cucumber slices, in a tomato or whatever your own personal favorite way to eat chicken salad is!
If you try this recipe, it would absolutely make my day to hear about it! Leave me a note in the comments (I read every single one!) or tag me on Instagram with a photo @thepinningmama!
Happy eating friends!
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Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups chopped or shredded chicken about 3 large chicken breasts
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup Craisins
- 1 cup celery finely chopped
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup red onion finely diced
- 1 tbsp Cavendars Greek Seasoning
- The juice of 1 lemon freshly squeezed
Instructions
- Mix the mayo and greek seasoning together.
- Place the chicken, celery, Craisins, almonds, and onion in a large bowl, then stir in the mayo mixture and lemon juice, and mix until combined.
- Serve on toast, crackers, croissants, a bread bowl, cucumber slices, on a bed of lettuce, in a tomato or your personal favorite way to eat chicken salad!
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
Heather says
What’s your preferred chicken for the salad? Boiled/baked breasts, rotisserie, or canned?
Kimber says
I probably love rotisserie the most, then after that usually used seasoned/baked and shredded. What do you like to use?
Katie says
Sounds delish! Is the Cavendars Greek Seasoning a necessity? I’m having trouble finding it, any substitute suggestions?
Kimber says
Hi Katie- It definitely flavors the salad, although it is subtle. I am pretty sure I bought it at either Walmart or Smith’s (Kroger) so it was a pretty mainstream store. I also have a homemade version you can check out if you want here: http://www.thepinningmama.com/homemade-greek-seasoning-paleo-whole30-compliant/. If you don’t want to do any of those you could try another type of all purpose seasoning, but I have only made it with the greek. Hope that helps!
Katie says
Very cool! Thanks for the recipe! Do you use the same amount, if you’re using the homemade greek seasoning?
NANCY BOOTH says
HOW DO YOU COOK THE CHICKEN ????
Laurie says
This is my go to chicken salad recipe! I made the copy cat of the Cavenders seasoning and it does make a difference. SO EASY AND GOOD!
Deb says
My favorite chicken salad. I do not like cranberries however so I substitute dried currants. It is truest an amazing recipe. Thanks.