When it comes to meal-making, I try to make the most of my ingredients. For instance, when I prepare chicken I always try to find ways to use as much of it as possible. This is why my recipe for Leftover Chicken Salad with Cranberries is one of my personal favorites. Money saving tip…sometimes it is cheaper to buy a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken than to roast your own. Plus the meat works GREAT in this recipe!

How Can I Serve Chicken Salad?
The best thing about chicken salad is that you can serve it in lots of different ways. The possibilities are endless! Some of my favorite serving ideas include:
- Using it as a topping for a healthy green salad
- Chicken salad sandwiches (especially using baguettes or croissants!)
- Using it as a dip for a veggie platter
- As a part of a BLT sandwich
- On crackers as a snack
What Ingredients Do I Need to Make Leftover Chicken Salad with Cranberries?
The ingredients for my famous leftover are the following:
- Chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken
- Celery
- Dried cranberries
- Pecans
- Honey mustard
- Apple cider vinegar
- Salt and pepper
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
I often hear of people complaining about the flavoring of their chicken salad. If you’re not careful, chicken salads can come out bland, but my recipe is the exact opposite! The combination of ingredients, including pecans, honey mustard, onion powder and garlic powder really gives it a punch. Trust me when I say: you’ve never had chicken salad quite like this!

How to Make Merry’s Famous Leftover Chicken Salad with Cranberries
Okay, time to roll up your sleeves! You have some cooking to do. Here’s the full recipe to my delicious chicken salad (using leftover chicken, of course):
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, cooked (alternatively, you may use rotisserie chicken)
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Dressing Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons honey mustard
- 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder



Instructions
Start with your chicken and celery: chop each into bite-sized pieces.
In a small bowl, add all the dressing ingredients together and mix well.
Add the chicken, cranberries and celery to a large bowl. Add dressing and mix well. Taste and adjust the spices as needed.




Cover the bowl of chicken salad with plastic wrap and chill for 45 minutes. Serve as desired.


Notes:
This recipe is best served chilled.
You can substitute grapes for the dried cranberries.
You can substitute walnuts or almonds for the pecans.
I used a full-fat mayonnaise for this recipe. However, you may also choose to use a non-full fat mayo but the results may vary, and seasonings will need to be adjusted.

Leftover Chicken Salad with Cranberries
When it comes to meal-making, I try to make the most of my ingredients. This is why my recipe for Leftover Chicken Salad is one of my personal favorites. It contains delicious ingredients that gives it a unique flavor profile!
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, cooked (alternatively, you may use rotisserie chicken)
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- ¾ cup pecans
Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons honey mustard
- 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Start with your chicken and celery: chop into bite-sized pieces.
- In a small bowl, mix together ingredients for the dressing.
- Place the chicken, celery, pecans and cranberries into a large bowl. Pour the dressing over and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
- Cover the bowl of chicken salad with plastic wrap and chill for 45 minutes. Serve as desired.
Notes
This recipe is best served chilled.
You can substitute grapes for the dried cranberries.
You can substitute walnuts or almonds for the pecans.
I used a full-fat mayonnaise for this recipe. However, you may also choose to use a non-full fat mayo but the results may vary, and seasonings will need to be adjusted.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 514Total Fat: 41gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 33gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 477mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 3gSugar: 21gProtein: 14g
Nutrition info included as a guide. No guarantees are made that the information is accurate.
Do You Want More Chicken?
Chicken is such a versatile ingredient that we use it all the time! If you love chicken too, make sure you try out our other delicious recipes such like Baked Buffalo Chicken Dip, Southern Fried Chicken, No Fry Chicken Parm Recipe or our CrockPot Chicken and Dumplings from Scratch. They are all family favorites that you’re sure to love!

Chicken salad is a great way to use up leftover chicken. It’s also a light and delicious summer meal that can be made in minutes. If you’re looking for an easy recipe to add to your rotation this summer, we’ve got you covered. Print off our recipe for a yummy and easy summer meal.
Elona
Friday 11th of August 2023
I have been looking for a recipe like this. Thank you.