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This Cape Cod chicken salad is made with chicken, crunchy celery and pecans, tart cranberries and tossed in a creamy Greek yogurt dressing. Serve it with sandwiches, on crackers, or on top of salad!
Why You’ll Love Cape Cod Chicken Salad
Cape Cod chicken salad is usually made with a combination of tangy and sweet flavors like cranberries, pecans and a creamy dressing. This version is just as good and healthier too!
Chicken salad is one of my favorite things to make because it’s so versatile in sandwiches, wraps or lunch plates with crackers. Some of my other favorites are my Buffalo Chicken Salad and my BLT Chicken Salad. Here’s why I love this one:
- Easy: It’s SO super simple to throw together. You can even use my Air Fryer Shredded Chicken for the chicken breast or grab a rotisserie chicken.
- Versatile: Serve this as a classic sandwich of course, but you can also serve this with crackers and veggies Adult Lunchables style!
- Packed with protein: Each serving of this chicken salad is a good source of protein with 18 grams per ~3/4 cup! For an even higher protein chicken salad, try my Cottage Cheese Chicken salad.
- Meal prep-friendly: As a dietitian I think chicken salad is one of the best things to prep for the week for easy lunches and snacks- it’s one of my favorite quick meal ideas.
Ingredients
This homemade chicken salad comes together so easily with simple fresh ingredients. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for full ingredients and instructions.
- Shredded chicken breast: The base is shredded chicken breasts and you can make your life even easier by grabbing a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store or making my easy Air Fryer Shredded Chicken!
- Spices: You’ll need simple spices like salt, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika. You can also add black pepper to taste.
- Dried cranberries: Cranberries are the signature ingredient here and add the perfect amount of tartness and sweetness to balance the flavors of this chicken salad.
- Celery and sweet onion: You could also use green onions or red onions.
- Pecans: Pecans add nutty flavor, crunch and healthy fats.
- Creamy dressing: The sweet and tangy dressing gives this chicken salad the best flavor and is made from plain Greek yogurt, just a tiny amount of mayo for that classic flavor, a touch of honey, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Don’t forget to scroll down to the recipe card for full ingredient amounts + instructions.
Variations
- Swap the nuts: Instead of pecans, use any other nut that you have on hand- walnuts, almonds, or even peanuts would work.
- Use seeds instead: For a nut-free version, use sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds. The classic version also uses poppy seeds, so you can add those too!
- Change up the fruit: Instead of dried cranberries, try fresh fruit like chopped green apples, quartered grapes, or even mandarin orange segments.
- Add more veggies: You can bump up the veggies in this chicken salad by adding diced bell peppers.
How To Make Cape Cod Chicken Salad
1. Start the dressing: In a large bowl, add your dressing ingredients.
2. Mix the dressing: Mix dressing ingredients together until smooth and fully combined.
3. Add salad ingredients: Add all salad ingredients on top of the dressing in the large bowl.
4. Combine: Combine the dressing with the chicken mixture until fully incorporated.
My Pro Tip
Recipe Tip
Save time by grabbing a rotisserie chicken and shredded the meat off the bones. You can also grab pre-chopped celery and onions if your store has it.
How to store
Store this chicken salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
How to serve it
- Sandwich: Between two slices of whole grain bread (my favorite is Dave’s Killer Bread) classic sandwich-style. Or serve in a flour wrap or pita pockets!
- Snack or Lunch Plate: Serve it with crackers, sliced veggies and my 2-Ingredient Cottage Cheese Ranch Dip or High Protein Hummus!
- Lettuce wraps: Serve it lettuce wrap-style and wrap in romaine lettuce or butter lettuce.
More You’ll Love
If you’ve made and loved this Cape Cod Chicken Salad or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and comments below!
Cape Cod Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups chicken breast, cooked and shredded
- 1/2 cup celery, diced small
- 1/4 cup sweet onion, diced small
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup pecans, chopped
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tsp honey
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp paprika
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix plain Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, honey, lemon juice, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Combine well.
- Add chicken, celery, onion, cranberries and pecans to the bowl and combine until thoroughly mixed.
- Serve in a sandwich or wrap or enjoy with crackers.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an estimate.
So good and easy! I love the cranberry walnut combo. Tastes just like the one from the store.