Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
Cranberry pecan chicken salad with poppy seed dressing is a fresh, flavorful, and satisfying meal featuring shredded chicken, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, crisp greens, and a creamy sweet-tangy poppy seed dressing. It’s perfect for lunch or a light dinner.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast or thighs, shredded or chopped
- 6 cups mixed greens or baby spinach
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese (optional)
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp poppy seeds
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Toast chopped pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3–4 minutes until fragrant. Set aside to cool.
- In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, apple cider vinegar, honey, poppy seeds, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy.
- In a large bowl, combine mixed greens, cooked chicken, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, and red onion.
- Drizzle with poppy seed dressing and toss gently to coat evenly.
- Top with crumbled feta or goat cheese if using and serve immediately.
Notes
- Use rotisserie chicken for quick prep.
- Swap dried cranberries with apple slices or grapes for variation.
- For a dairy-free version, use dairy-free yogurt and omit the cheese.
- Store dressing and salad components separately to keep fresh.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 salad
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 380mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 60mg
