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    Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

    Published: Nov 15, 2016 / 96 Comments

    536.1K shares
    • Facebook3.4K
    Recipe Print

    Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing is an easy recipe that a whole family would love! It's a great side dish or light dinner. This salad makes a wonderful meal for the holiday menu, especially Thanksgiving or Christmas.

    Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing on a white plate

    Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing is one of the best chicken salads you'll ever taste!  The homemade, easy-to-make poppy seed dressing makes this salad quite special. Give yourself and your family a treat - scroll down to the recipe and make this salad!

    Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing (close-up)

    Great recipe for leftovers

    Not only is this salad great with chicken, it will also work great with leftover turkey meat since Thanksgiving is coming up!

    Ingredients for the salad

    The salad has only 4 simple ingredients: cooked chicken, dried cranberries, chopped pecans, and chopped green onions.

    Ingredients for Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad on a white plate

    Simple homemade dressing

    What makes this salad really special is the homemade dressing, made with mayo, sour cream, a touch of Dijon mustard, honey, and poppy seeds! It's delicious!

    Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing on a white plate

    Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad
    4.84 from 134 votes

    Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

    Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing is a wonderful recipe for the holiday season, especially for Thanksgiving or Christmas.   It's a great side dish or light dinner.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Salad
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories per serving 437 kcal
    Author: Julia

    Ingredients

    Dressing

    • ½ cup mayonnaise
    • ¼ cup sour cream
    • 2 tablespoon honey softened
    • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
    • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
    • salt to taste

    Salad

    • 4 cups chicken breast , cooked, chopped (about 2 chicken breasts)
    • 1 cup pecans , chopped
    • ½ cup dried cranberries
    • 4 green onions , chopped

    Instructions 

    • In a medium bowl, combine all dressing ingredients. Whisk until well combined. Add salt, to taste.
    • In a large bowl, combine all salad ingredients. Add salad dressing and toss to coat. Add salt, to taste.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Information
    Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    437
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    31
    g
    48
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    4
    g
    25
    %
    Cholesterol
     
    76
    mg
    25
    %
    Sodium
     
    272
    mg
    12
    %
    Potassium
     
    484
    mg
    14
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    17
    g
    6
    %
    Fiber
     
    2
    g
    8
    %
    Sugar
     
    13
    g
    14
    %
    Protein
     
    23
    g
    46
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    190
    IU
    4
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    2.9
    mg
    4
    %
    Calcium
     
    54
    mg
    5
    %
    Iron
     
    1.2
    mg
    7
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Keyword chicken salad, pecan salad
    Tried this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment and provide a Star Rating below - I love your feedback and try to respond to every comment!
    « Broccoli Bacon Cheddar Chicken
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    536.1K shares
    • Facebook3.4K

    Please share your comment and Star Rating in the comments section below.

    I appreciate your feedback!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jennifer

      October 11, 2021 at 6:00 pm

      I have made this recipe several times and love it. Not only does my family like it, but I have served it to company a few times, too, and everyone has liked it. I serve each item separately so everyone can take the ratio and ingredients they like. I also serve quinoa and sweet potatoes with it. We eat it all as grain bowls.

      Reply
      • Julia

        October 11, 2021 at 9:02 pm

        Jennifer, I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! What a great way to serve it! Quinoa and sweet potatoes sound delicious on the side!

        Reply
      • Patty

        June 01, 2022 at 9:15 pm

        I made the dressing for another salad... EXCELLENT!!! Can't wait to try the salad too!

        Reply
        • Julia

          August 22, 2022 at 9:21 pm

          Patty, I am glad you loved the dressing!

          Reply
    2. K

      September 22, 2021 at 2:54 pm

      Just saw this on Facebook. Can’t wait to make this. It’s one of my all-time favorites!

      Reply
      • Julia

        September 22, 2021 at 9:00 pm

        Hope you like it!

        Reply
    3. Kathleen

      September 20, 2021 at 2:18 pm

      This is so good and a great way to use up leftover chicken or turkey. I’ve also made it using fresh sliced strawberries.

      Reply
      • Julia

        September 22, 2021 at 3:42 pm

        Kathleen, so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Strawberries sound delicious in this salad!

        Reply
    4. Maria

      September 12, 2021 at 10:45 pm

      This has become our favorite chicken salad recipe. I agree that adding grapes,bell peppers and celery would also be great favor and crunch.

      Reply
      • Julia

        September 22, 2021 at 4:19 pm

        I am so glad to hear that! Thank you for the comment and the 5-star review! I really appreciate it! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Pam

      August 29, 2021 at 8:15 pm

      I love this recipe. I have made it about 5 times
      & its delicious.

      Reply
      • Julia

        August 30, 2021 at 4:47 pm

        Pam, I am so happy to hear that! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Eva

      August 23, 2021 at 12:38 am

      I absolutely love this chicken salad recipe. It’s so delicious. I only made two small changes. I add finely chopped celery and instead of green onions I use cilantro as I’m not much of a fan of the onion flavor with the rest of the ingredients. I love eating this on its own or in a croissant with some lettuce and it looks beautiful to serve. Always a crowd pleaser. I’m salivating just thinking of this recipe.

      Reply
      • Julia

        August 30, 2021 at 6:25 pm

        I am so happy you've enjoyed this recipe! Love your addition of chopped celery and cilantro - sounds delish!

        Reply
    7. Arianna

      July 19, 2021 at 10:37 pm

      Hi, Julia.
      What do you mean by softened honey?

      Thank you,

      Arianna

      Reply
      • Julia

        August 13, 2021 at 9:51 pm

        I soften the honey by briefly microwaving it for 5 or 10 seconds (or longer) - when softened, the honey blends much smoother with other ingredients.

        Reply
    8. Kimberly

      July 19, 2021 at 12:08 pm

      This is a great salad, but next time I'll add halved grapes, diced celery, and diced yellow, orange, or red bell pepper for some extra flavor and crunch.

      Reply
      • Julia

        August 13, 2021 at 9:53 pm

        Kimberly, love your additions! And, thank you for 5-star review - I really appreciate it! 🙂

        Reply
    9. Brenda

      July 17, 2021 at 1:44 pm

      Note to self: Next time add Romain lettuce

      Reply
    10. Mimi

      July 16, 2021 at 9:25 pm

      Can you sub cashews for pecans? I cannot eat pecans or wallnuts?

      Reply
      • Julia

        August 13, 2021 at 10:01 pm

        Yes, cashews would taste great here!

        Reply
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