Apple Cranberry Chicken Salad
Shredded cooked chicken folded into a Greek yogurt dressing with crisp apple, celery, red onion and dried cranberries, served in butter lettuce leaves. Four servings in 15 minutes.
Photograph credit: Flickr sa ku ra 10556400--Chicken salad (image of chicken salad on Wikidata Q5096323) by sakura · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Make Ahead and Storage
Keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days. The apple softens as it stands, so add it fresh if you can.
Making Apple Cranberry Chicken Salad
Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.
-
Stir the yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard and pepper together in a large bowl until smooth.
-
Add the chicken, celery, red onion and cranberries and fold to coat.
-
Dice the apple, fold it in and taste.
-
Spoon into the lettuce leaves and serve.
Worth Knowing
- Pat the celery dry after washing it so that the dressing does not thin out.
- If the salad looks dry after standing, loosen it with a spoonful of yogurt.
- Squeeze a little extra lemon over the apple if it has to wait.
Why the Method Is What It Is
No cooking is needed on the day. Shred chicken that was cooked the day before, and the salad comes together in 15 minutes. It is a good use for leftovers. Poaching a few breasts the evening before takes little effort, and the broth can be saved for soup.
Yogurt does most of the work in the dressing, with a little light mayonnaise for richness and Dijon mustard and lemon juice for sharpness. Cut the apple last, just before it goes in, so that it stays white and crisp. Celery adds crunch. Dried cranberries bring sweetness in small, concentrated hits. Taste the dressing before the chicken goes in; it should be bright enough to taste the lemon.
Spoon the salad into butter lettuce leaves. They act like a cup and add almost no sodium. Cranberries and apple are both low-potassium fruits, so they suit the plate. Keep the dressing separate until serving if the salad has to wait. Pack the leaves separately for a lunch box.
What to Put Next to It
Cucumber slices · Fresh pineapple · A slice of white bread
Apple Cranberry Chicken Salad FAQ
How long does Apple Cranberry Chicken Salad take to make?
About 15 minutes in total — 15 minutes of preparation and of cooking. The recipe serves 4.
What are the key tips for making Apple Cranberry Chicken Salad?
Pat the celery dry after washing it so that the dressing does not thin out. If the salad looks dry after standing, loosen it with a spoonful of yogurt. Squeeze a little extra lemon over the apple if it has to wait.
What should I serve with Apple Cranberry Chicken Salad?
Cucumber slices; Fresh pineapple; A slice of white bread.
How should Apple Cranberry Chicken Salad be stored?
Keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days. The apple softens as it stands, so add it fresh if you can.
Is Apple Cranberry Chicken Salad suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is gluten-free, kidney-friendly, low-carb and no added sugar. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
How many calories are in Apple Cranberry Chicken Salad?
About 226 kcal per serving, with 24 g protein, 19 g carbohydrate and 6 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.
What's in a Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
Reader Reviews
Cooked this? Leave a review
Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.
Related Recipes
More American cooking and lunch ideas from Weekly Delight.
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Brown butter, a 24-hour rest and two sizes of chocolate produce cookies with crisp edges, a chewy middle and pools…
Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes
Tall, tender pancakes with a tangy edge and a golden, even surface. The lumps in the batter are not a mistake — they…
Classic Smash Cheeseburger
A smash burger with lace-edged, deeply browned patties, American cheese melted to the edges and a soft toasted bun…
Fudgy Cocoa Brownies
Cocoa-based brownies with a paper-thin crackly top and a dense, fudgy middle. No chocolate to melt, no mixer needed…