Cranberry Chicken Salad Recipe, It seems as though there is nothing that cranberries don’t complement.
This recipe for Cranberry Chicken Salad might be the only one you’ll ever need again (or at least until you have a craving for something different). It’s perfect for lunch, dinner, or even a light summer meal.
How to make Cranberry Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries (if using fresh, measure and add to salad dressing)
- Cranberry Dressing:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons honey (or another sweetener of choice)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
Directions:
Step 1: In a small bowl, stir together the cranberries, olive oil, vinegar, and honey or another sweetener of choice.
Step 2: Place in the refrigerator to let it set up while preparing the rest of your ingredients.
Step 3: Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces.
Step 4: Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat with olive oil.
Step 5: Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 5 minutes on each side or until done. Toss with juice from your cranberries while cooking, if desired.
Step 6: Place in a dish and pour the dressing over it. Stir to coat completely.
Step 7: Enjoy!
Nutrition facts of Cranberry Chicken Salad Recipe
| Nutrition | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 190 |
| Fat | 10.5g |
| Cholesterol | 33mg |
| Sodium | 122mg |
| Carbohydrate | 15.3g |
Health Benefits of Cranberry Chicken Salad Recipe
With the ingredients in this recipe, you get a good serving of Vitamin C, A, iron, and protein. You’ll need less energy to digest it than you will a traditional chicken salad recipe, as dried cranberries are very soft and sweet.
The seeds can be chewed easily by children, and babies can eat the whole fruit as young as 6 months old. The fiber from the fruit is great for helping your digestive system move smoothly, and it also helps regulate cholesterol levels.
5 Best Variations of Cranberry Chicken Salad Recipe
1. This Chicken Cranberry Salad recipe is hearty enough to be enjoyed as a dinner meal. If you are looking for the best variation of this recipe, try doubling the chicken and putting it on crusty bread or top of rice.
2. If you prefer a spicy chicken salad, add some cayenne pepper or hot sauce to the dressing ingredients and throw in some celery seeds. This will give it more of a kick than traditional cranberry chicken salads.
3. In the fall, you can substitute dried apples for the cranberries and instead of chicken, add in some cooked chopped turkey. You can also use a pound of bacon if you aren’t watching your weight.
4. For a light summer meal, add in some cold shrimp with the chicken to make it a little lighter and fresher tasting.
5. If you want to make this a more hearty meal, omit the cranberry sauce and use mayonnaise instead of olive oil as your base ingredient.
How to store?
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. It is best to eat on the day you make it, but you can store it in your refrigerator and reheat it before eating if desired.
How Long Will It Take To Prepare?
If you have all of your ingredients prepared in advance and make the dressing right before you are ready to eat, it will only take about 10 minutes to prepare.
How To Make More Delicious?
The best way to make this delicious recipe even more delicious is to get several different kinds of berries. Try to get blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and cranberries.
They will complement each other perfectly. If you don’t want to buy a box of each one individually, they are often sold together in a pack rather than individually packaged.
Cranberry chicken salad with canned chicken
Cranberry Chicken Salad Recipe is a variation of the one above, but it requires canned chicken. Some people prefer the taste of canned chicken rather than freshly cooked, which is fine and if you are looking for an easy variation to the above recipe, use canned chicken instead.
It’s still a great way to get your kids to eat cranberries, and it makes enough for 2-3 meals if you aren’t feeding a big family.
Healthy cranberry chicken salad recipe
Cranberry Chicken Salad Recipe is a great recipe for Christmas, but it can be enjoyed all year long. This is another variation on the one above, with the addition of some canned chicken.
I don’t recommend using canned chicken made with broth as this will give it an unappetizing color, but if you prefer it, go ahead.
You can also add some cooked turkey or tuna to give it some more protein instead and make this recipe a little quicker to prepare if you don’t want to cook your chicken in advance.
Cranberry chicken salad with pecans
Cranberry Chicken Salad Recipe is another variation that uses canned chicken. It also utilizes chopped pecans for a tasty twist on the classic chicken salad recipe.
This makes 2 servings, so you can also prepare it in advance and put it in your refrigerator until you are ready to enjoy it.
Is It Suitable For Pregnant Women?
Cranberry Chicken Salad Recipe is a great source of protein, and if you are pregnant, you will want to include more protein in your diet.
Chicken is easy to digest and can help supply your body with the proteins it needs to grow a baby inside you.
Is It Good For Diabetic Patients?
Cranberry Chicken Salad Recipe is also a great source of other nutrients as well. If you are trying to watch your blood sugar levels, it is helpful to get plenty of fiber in your diet, and chicken has plenty of fiber.
Chicken also has very little fat, and unless you add mayonnaise or some heavy dressing, the fat content is pretty low.
Is It Suitable For Heart Patients?
Cranberry Chicken Salad Recipe is also very low-fat meat, and you won’t have to worry about excess fat clogging up your arteries.
Chicken is also a very lean meat and contains little to no cholesterol. If you are on a heart-healthy diet, the chicken will be one of the most beneficial meats you can find.
Conclusion
A healthy chicken salad recipe is an ideal lunch or dinner option if you are looking for something easy to make and requires little to no effort.
Your family will enjoy this recipe, and it won’t be hard to get everyone to eat their greens as long as you make it delicious. Try a new chicken salad recipe this weekend, and your whole family will only want more.
