Description
Creamy cranberry pecan chicken salad blends tangy dried cranberries with crunchy pecans and tender chicken. Rich flavors mingle over crisp greens, offering a delightful balance of sweet and savory notes you’ll eagerly savor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups (710 ml) shredded chicken
- 1 ½ cups (360 ml) mayonnaise
- ½ cup (75 g) dried cranberries
- ½ cup (60 g) chopped pecans
- ½ cup (75 g) chopped celery
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) lemon juice
- 2 tbsps (25 g) sugar
- ½ tsp (2.5 g) salt
- ¼ tsp (1.25 g) black pepper
Instructions
- Chicken Preparation: Meticulously shred cooked chicken into uniform, bite-sized fragments using two forks for consistent texture.
- Vegetable and Nut Processing: Finely dice celery and roughly chop pecans to create a delightful textural contrast within the salad.
- Initial Mixture: In a spacious mixing bowl, gently combine shredded chicken, dried cranberries, chopped celery, and pecan pieces, ensuring even distribution of ingredients.
- Dressing Creation: Whisk mayonnaise with fresh lemon juice, incorporating a hint of sugar, salt, and black pepper to craft a smooth, harmonious dressing that balances tangy and sweet notes.
- Flavor Infusion: Carefully fold the creamy dressing into the chicken mixture, ensuring each ingredient is thoroughly coated and flavors are seamlessly integrated.
- Chilling and Marinating: Envelop the salad with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours, allowing the ingredients to meld and intensify their collective flavor profile.
- Serving Preparation: Gently stir the chilled salad to redistribute dressing and ingredients, then elegantly present on croissants, whole grain bread, or alongside crisp crackers for a versatile culinary experience.
Notes
- Chill for Flavor Fusion: Refrigerate the salad for 1-2 hours to allow ingredients to mingle and develop a more complex, harmonious taste profile.
- Chop with Precision: Cut pecans and celery into consistent, small pieces to ensure balanced texture and even distribution in every bite.
- Moisture Management: Avoid over-mixing the dressing to prevent a soggy salad; fold gently to maintain the ingredients’ distinct textures.
- Storage Strategy: Keep leftover salad in an airtight container and consume within 2-3 days to preserve freshness and prevent bacterial growth.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 43 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 36 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 34 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg