Cranberry and Pecan Chicken Salad (Paleo, Whole30)

Pecan cranberry chicken salad in lettuce cups on a plate.

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Cranberry and Pecan Chicken Salad (Paleo, Whole30)

This Cranberry and Pecan Chicken Salad is a fast and easy lunch or dinner. You just need 5 ingredients (plus salt and pepper) and a few minutes to whip it up. Serve it on bread, toast or lettuce cups. And the recipe is naturally gluten-free, low carb and keto and can be Paleo and Whole30 friendly!

Prep Time10

Cook Time0

Total Time10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 631kcal

Author: Don Baiocchi

Ingredients

½ cup pecan halves
4 (4-6 oz.) cans chicken, no salt added
¼ cup dried cranberries (for Paleo/Whole30: use unsweetened or fruit juice-sweetened)
2-3 green onions, thinly sliced (the white part and as much of the green part if it looks fresh and firm)
scant 1 cup mayonnaise (for Paleo/Whole30: use a compatible mayo)
½ teaspoon fine sea salt plus more as necessary
¼ teaspoon black pepper plus more as necessary
for serving: bread or toast (gluten-free, if necessary), lettuce cups

Instructions

Optional but recommended step: toasting the pecans to bring out their flavor. Add the pecans to a cold, dry small skillet and place over medium heat. Cook, tossing occasionally, until darkened in spots and smelling toasty, about 5-8 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board.
Roughly chop the pecans.
Drain the canned chicken and add the chicken to a large bowl. Add the chopped pecans, dried cranberries, sliced green onions, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Use a fork to stir everything together, breaking up the chunks of chicken.
Taste and add more salt or pepper, if necessary. Serve on bread, toast or lettuce cups.

Notes

Substitutions

You can use cooked chicken breast instead of canned chicken. Cut it into small pieces or shred it. You'll need about 2 cups (from about 10-12 oz. of breasts).

You can use other nuts, such as almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts.

You can use other dried fruit, such as dates, dried cherries or dried blueberries.

You can use diced red onion instead of the green onions. You'll need about 2-3 tablespoons.

You can use plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt in place of the mayonnaise.

If you can only find canned chicken with salt added, omit the 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Taste the chicken salad after mixing everything together and add salt if necessary.

Make ahead

Store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. Give it a good stir before serving.

Freezing info

I do not recommend freezing it.

Nutrition