Cranberry Chicken Sandwich
Looking for a great way to use leftover chicken and cranberries? Look no further than this cranberry chicken salad recipe! With its mouthwatering blend of flavors, you can create a quick and easy meal that’s sure to please everyone. Plus, if you have any leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, you can easily substitute it in for the chicken and enjoy a whole new twist on this delicious dish. So why not give it a try today?
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I don’t know what it is about chicken (or any poultry really) and cranberries, but it’s one of my favorite combinations. I’ve seen a few versions of this type of chicken salad sandwich recipe floating around. Many of them have nuts, some have apples, and many use fresh versus dried cranberries. I wanted my recipe for this sandwich to be something you could make all year round, even when it’s not cranberry season and all that is available are those fabulous craisins (dried cranberries if you are not from Wisconsin).
What Goes in a Chicken Salad Sandwich?
The chicken salad is so versatile, using what you have on hand. I always make mine with a few basics… chicken, mayo, and some seasonings (usually garlic and onion powder). To keep with the “on hand” I wanted to make this recipe easy to use pantry staples that most will likely have.
- Chicken: Seasoned baked chicken breast or rotisserie chicken that’s completely cooled and chopped/shredded. (If you don’t want to grab an entire chicken, use Canned Chicken, it still tastes delicious).
- Dressing: Mayonnaise and Dijon mustard
- Seasonings: Onion and garlic powder, smoked paprika, kosher salt, and pepper.
- Mix-ins: Dried cranberries (add a great sweet & tart taste you can not replicate).
- Salad: I like to use a spring mix for this because it has a lot of nice colors and nutrition. But you could also use watercress or bib lettuce.
- Soft Bread: I prefer potato or brioche bread, but a nice buttery croissant is also an excellent choice.
Recipe Variations
There are a ton of variations in this salad/sandwich recipe. Feel free to experiment!
- Chicken: Leftover turkey from Thanksgiving is PERFECT as well in this recipe
- Mayonaise: Plain Greek yogurt is a great healthy replacement. Smashed avocados work too, but will change color and avocados do brown, so I would eat it right away if you use Avocado.
- Dried Cranberries: Chicken salad with grapes is also so good! Halve them and sub in for the dried cranberries.
- Add nuts: Try sliced almonds, chopped pecans, or walnuts.
- Add a little more flavor with this spice: 1/8 teaspoon of Tumeric powder gives it a nice yellow color and adds a nice earthy flavor to it.
- Celery: Toss in a little diced-up celery for added crunch.
Making the chicken salad is so easy and quick. Here is the jist. to get the entire recipe with measurements jump to the recipe.
- Make the dressing in a large enough bowl to fit the salad, and whisk together all the dressing ingredients.
- Prep the chicken by chopping cooked and cooled chicken and placing it into the bowl with the dressing (If you’re using canned, drain it first).
- Add the cranberries and any other ingredients you decide to use.
- Serve with the bread of your choice, eat it straight from the bowl, or serve on top of crackers, apple slices, or baguette slices.
Cooking with Kids
DISCLOSURE: These tips are generalized, and meant to be suggestive. Everything I’m sharing I do with my kids, and they are all different even within my own five. So please take these as suggestions or ideas and if you think your child needs more or less help, then go with what you and your child are comfortable with. Ultimately, you know your kids, do what YOU think is best.
Storage Details
This chicken salad is a great make-ahead so you have it ready for lunch or dinner.
- Chicken salad should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and will keep well up to 3 days. You might need to give it a gentle stir to reincorporate the dressing and ingredients.
- Chicken salad does not freeze well because of the mayonnaise For meal prep, just make the chicken ahead of time, and then you’ve got lunch/dinner in minutes.
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Cranberry Chicken Sandwich
This cranberry chicken salad recipe is the perfect solution for using up leftover chicken and cranberries. With its delicious blend of flavors, you’ll be able to confidently whip up a quick and easy meal that everyone will love. You can even use your leftover turkey to change it up and use some of your Thanksgiving leftovers! Give it a try!
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 sandwiches 1x
Ingredients
- 3 boneless shredded cooked chicken (you could also use turkey or 2 [12.5 oz] cans of drained canned chicken)
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 oz Dried Cranberries (or more )
- 2 teaspoons dijon
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 1 Container/bag spring mix salad
- 6 slices bread of your choice (or use a wrap)
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together mayonnaise, dijon mustard, thyme, onion and aril powder, paprika, salt, and celery seed.
- Add dried cranberries and chicken to the dressing and fold until everything is incorporated.
- Speed on to the bread and a good amount of the chicken salad mixture (I try to make it about ½ inch in thickness, but it’s totally up to you) add a layer of spring mix salad, and enjoy!
Equipment
Global 7-piece Ikasu Knife Block Set
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Mora Ceramics Large Mixing Bowls Set of 2 – 5.5 & 3.6 Qt – Earl Grey
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Buy Now → Notes
This chicken salad is a great make-ahead so you have it ready for lunch or dinner.
Storage Details
- Chicken salad should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and will keep up to 3 days. Give it a gentle stir to reincorporate the dressing and ingredients.
- Chicken salad does not freeze well because of the mayonnaise For meal prep, just make the chicken ahead of time, and then you’ve got lunch/dinner in minutes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner, lunch
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 1672
- Sugar: 9
- Sodium: 932
- Fat: 116
- Saturated Fat: 31
- Carbohydrates: 22
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 128
- Cholesterol: 509
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