The Best Chicken Salad with Apples and Cranberries

chicken salad with apples and cranberries in a white salad bowl with fresh parsley and apple on the side.

5 from 2 votes

The Best Chicken Salad with Apples and Cranberries

This really is the Best Chicken Salad with Apples and Cranberries! It's a perfect balance of savory, sweet, tangy, crunchy, and creamy, all in one salad, and in one bite. Using chicken thighs and adding sauteed onion and carrots makes the salad even more moist and flavorful.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 378kcal

Author: Irina

Ingredients

6 chicken thighs boneless, skinless pieces (see note 1 in notes section below)
1 tablespoon cooking oil canola, vegetable
½ onion medium, chopped
½ carrot medium, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon salt divided, ½ teaspoon to cook chicken and ½ teaspoon to season onion and carrot
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
2-3 celery ribs sliced, see note 2 in notes section below for cutting size recommendation
10-12 prunes finely diced
¼ cup dried cranberries
1 apple any variety you like
2 tablespoon mayonnaise see note 3 in notes section below for variations

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Instructions

If you are not using leftover chicken, poach the chicken thighs:
Add water to a pot large enough to fit the chicken thighs and season it with a pinch of salt Heat the water over medium heat until it reaches a gentle simmer. The liquid should be hot but not boiling. Carefully place the chicken thighs into the pot, ensuring they are fully submerged. Cover the pot and let the chicken thighs poach gently for about 15 minutes. The thighs are done when they reach an internal temperature of 165°F and are no longer pink in the center. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove the poached chicken thighs from the liquid. Place them on a cutting board to rest and cool for a few minutes.
Sauté the onions and carrot (optional): heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in a non-stick skillet, over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and grated carrot and saute for 2-3 minutes. Season with ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper. Continue to sauté, stirring occasionally, for an additional 2-3 minutes, until the carrots become tender and the onions are translucent. Allow to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the apple, cranberries, prunes, parsley, and celery, then add the cooled and chopped chicken and the cooled onion/carrot mixture. Add the mayo and stir well to combine. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Notes

1. Cutting the chicken into smaller pieces before poaching reduces cooking time. You can also use rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken or turkey.
2. To achieve smaller celery pieces evenly distributed throughout the salad for extra crunch, begin by halving each celery rib lengthwise before finely chopping it.
3. Mayo substitute: try Greek yogurt, or ranch dressing. You can also try making an avocado dressing by blending together avocado, water, and a little bit of salt, to taste.
4. Use the freshest celery and parsley available, so the celery is super crunchy and the parsley is not wilted.

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