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Cranberry Chicken Salad (High-Protein, Low-Carb)

4.99 from 167 votes
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This recipe may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This Cranberry Chicken Salad is an easy low-carb chicken salad perfect as a light lunch or to fill sandwiches or wraps. Plus, this chicken salad contains only 3.3 grams of net carbs, and it’s packed with 25 grams of fulfilling proteins.

Cranberry Chicken Salad

I love chicken salad recipes, and this cranberry chicken salad is an excellent alternative to my keto chicken salad with avocado.

Plus, this is a great lunch recipe ready in less than 20 minutes and rich in protein.

How To Make Cranberry Chicken Salad

Let me share how to make this healthy chicken salad with cranberries.

Ingredients

All you need are:

  • Chicken Breast – Skinless and cut into small 1-inch chunks.
  • Celery Ribs
  • Tomato
  • Green Olives
  • Red Onion
  • Dried Cranberries – You can use unsweetened dried cranberries or low-sugar dried cranberries. I am using unsweetened cranberries. They are not sweet but add a lovely cranberry flavor to the salad.
  • Lettuce – Finely chopped.

Salad Dressing

A classic chicken salad is always served with a mayonnaise-based dressing.

Of course, feel free to use one of my creamy dressing recipes below if you prefer something different.

Or, simply combine the ingredients below for a quick chicken salad dressing.

  • Mayonnaise – Feel free to use any kind, including egg-free mayonnaise if you have egg allergies.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar or vinegar of choice.
  • Dijon Mustard
  • Garlic Powder
  • Cranberry Jam – I am using a sugar-free cranberry sauce. Feel free to use the jam that matches your dietary requirements.
  • Salt and Pepper
Cranberry Chicken Salad

Cooking The Chicken

You can use precooked rotisserie chicken or fresh skinless, boneless chicken breast for this recipe.

Cut the breast into chunks of about 1 inch.

Fill a non-stick saucepan with water, cover it with a lid, and place it over medium-high heat until the water boils.

Reduce to a simmer, add the chicken and cover the pan with a lid.

Stop the heat and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until the chicken is poached and tender.

Drain over a sieve, and cool down while preparing the remaining salad ingredients.

Chicken Salad Preparation

First, chop and mince all the vegetables and place them in a salad bowl.

Next, stir all the salad dressing ingredients in a small mason jar or mixing bowl.

Finally, add the cooled chicken in the bowl with the vegetables, pour the salad dressing and toss the salad to combine its flavors. Season with more salt and pepper if desired.

How to make Cranberry Chicken Salad

Toppings

This cranberry chicken salad is a delicious light lunch on its own but it’s even more delicious with some of the toppings below:

  • Chopped Parsley
  • Chopped Green Onions
  • Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • Chili Flakes

Serving Cranberry Chicken Salad

You can serve the salad in a bowl, as a light meal, or make a sandwich using two slices of bread.

Pick some of my best low carb bread recipes to make a delicious low-carb chicken salad sandwich:

You can also make great chicken salad wraps using this salad filling into lettuce leaves to make a chicken lettuce wraps:

Finally, this salad is perfect served as a side dish to a perfectly cooked meat.

Boosting Flavors And Texture

You can add so many ingredients to this salad to boost its flavors, including:

  • Diced Cheese – like Emmental or cheddar in cubes.
  • Sweetener – Add 1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar-free maple syrup to the dressing to boost the sweet flavor of the salad.
  • Diced Avocado – To add a touch of creamy texture and healthy fats.
  • Lemon Juice for a tangy flavor.
  • Nuts – Add dry-roasted pecans or walnuts for more crunch and healthy fats.
Cranberry Chicken Salad

Allergy Swaps

Below are some allergy swaps ideas if you need:

  • Egg-Free – Use an egg-free mayonnaise.
  • Vinegar – Swap for lemon juice or lime juice.
  • Mayonnaise-Free – You can use Greek yogurt or my Italian salad dressing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Use Rotisserie Chicken?

Yes, absolutely you can shred some cooked chicken in the recipe for a quick chicken salad.

Can I Skip The Cranberries?

You can make the salad without cranberries and swap for walnuts, and pecans for a low-sugar option.

Are Dried Cranberries Keto?

No, regular dried cranberries contain a lot of added sugar.

However, you can use unsweetened dried cranberries. These are keto-friendly options as they don’t contain added sugar, only natural sugar from the cranberries.

As a result, their flavor is a bit bitter, but you can boost their sweetness by adding sugar-free maple syrup to the cranberries or their dressing.

Cranberry Chicken Salad

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Cranberry Chicken Salad

Cranberry Chicken Salad

3.3gNet Carbs
This Cranberry Chicken Salad is an easy low-carb chicken salad perfect as a light lunch or to fill sandwiches or wraps.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Serving Size: 1 serving
4.99 from 167 votes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Chicken Breast skinless, cut into 1 inch chunks
  • 2 Celery Ribs
  • 1 small Tomato diced
  • 6 Green Olives pitted, minced
  • ¼ cup Red Onion chopped
  • ½ cup Dried Cranberries I used unsweetened dried cranberries
  • ¼ cup Pecan Nuts chopped, dry roasted
  • 1 ½ cups Lettuce chopped

Salad Dressing

  • cup Mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
  • ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt
  • 1 tablespoon Cranberry Jam no sugar added
This recipe may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Instructions

  • In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil with one teaspoon of salt.
  • Reduce to simmer, add the pieces of chicken, cover the saucepan with a lid, and stop the heat.
  • Keep the chicken in the water for 15 minutes.
  • After that time, drain the chicken over a sieve and set aside while preparing the remaining ingredients for the salad.
  • In a salad bowl, add the prepared vegetables: chopped tomato, chopped celery, minced olives, chopped onion, dried cranberries, chopped pecans, and chopped lettuce. Set aside.
  • In another bowl, prepare the salad dressing: stir mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, salt, garlic powder, Dijon mustard, and no-sugar-added cranberry jam.

Assemble the Salad

  • Chop the poached chicken into smaller pieces and add to the bowl with the vegetables.
  • Pour the salad dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
  • Serve with fresh chopped parsley on top as a side or main dish.
Tried this recipe?Mention @sweetashoneyrecipes
Serving Size: 1 serving
Yield: 4 servings
Serving: 1servingCalories: 286.1kcal (14%)Carbohydrates: 4.9g (2%)Fiber: 1.6g (7%)Net Carbs: 3.3gProtein: 25.1g (50%)Fat: 18g (28%)Saturated Fat: 3g (19%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 4.8gTrans Fat: 0.05gCholesterol: 80.4mg (27%)Sodium: 523mg (23%)Potassium: 557.7mg (16%)Sugar: 2.3g (3%)Vitamin A: 413.2IU (8%)Vitamin B12: 0.3µg (5%)Vitamin C: 7.8mg (9%)Vitamin D: 0.1µg (1%)Calcium: 23.7mg (2%)Iron: 0.8mg (4%)Magnesium: 38.3mg (10%)Zinc: 0.8mg (5%)
Carine Claudepierre

About The Author

Carine Claudepierre

Hi, I'm Carine, the food blogger, author, recipe developer, published author of a cookbook and many ebooks, and founder of Sweet As Honey.

I have an Accredited Certificate in Nutrition and Wellness obtained in 2014 from Well College Global (formerly Cadence Health). I'm passionate about sharing all my easy and tasty recipes that are both delicious and healthy. My expertise in the field comes from my background in chemistry and years of following a keto low-carb diet. But I'm also well versed in vegetarian and vegan cooking since my husband is vegan.

I now eat a more balanced diet where I alternate between keto and a Mediterranean Diet

Cooking and Baking is my true passion. In fact, I only share a small portion of my recipes on Sweet As Honey. Most of them are eaten by my husband and my two kids before I have time to take any pictures!

All my recipes are at least triple tested to make sure they work and I take pride in keeping them as accurate as possible.

Browse all my recipes with my Recipe Index.

I hope that you too find the recipes you love on Sweet As Honey!

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The recipes, instructions, and articles on this website should not be taken or used as medical advice. You must consult with your doctor before starting on a keto or low-carb diet. The nutritional data provided on Sweetashoney is to be used as indicative only.

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