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    Home » Seasonal Salads » Apple Cranberry Salad with Chicken

    Apple Cranberry Salad with Chicken

    Jan 5, 2024 · by Valentina · 10 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    This Apple Cranberry Salad with Chicken holds its own as a main course. Loaded with sweet and savory flavors, plus a touch of heat, it'll keep your guests clamoring for more.

    Brown ceramic bowl with cranberry apple salad with spiced pecans and chicken filled to the rim.

    Sometimes all I crave for an entire meal is a hearty salad.

    Tossed in a tangy Jalapeño dressing, my Apple Cranberry Salad with Chicken checks all the boxes. It's a super satisfying main course salad with protein, fruit and greens -- all with delicious flavors and varying textures.

    Many of the components can easily be made ahead of time, so it's just a matter of tossing when you're ready to serve.

    The Ingredients

    Half a head of iceberg lettuce, apple, wedge of cheese, pecans, dried cranberries, scallions and a tiny jar of green salad dressing, all on a wood surface.
    • Iceberg lettuce - Look for tight heads of lettuce without any dark spots. They should be heavy for their size. Iceberg has a very mild flavor, and is perfect for cranberry apple salad because of the super crispy and sturdy leaves.
    • extra virgin olive oil
    • chicken - Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders.
    • dried cranberries
    • Granny Smith apples - Choose firm apples without bruising. Granny Smith apples are slightly tart and very crisp. (Other variety suggestions are listed below.)
    • Gouda cheese - Gouda is a firm cow's milk cheese with a wonderful creamy and smooth texture. It's subtly sweet with a nutty-caramel-like flavor.
    • scallions (green onions) - Choose scallions with white to very light green bottoms  and bright green crisp tops.  (Use both the tops and bottoms.)
    • Caramelized Spiced Pecans - These are easy to make and they add a delicious sweet-spicy crunch to the salad.
    • Jalapeño Vinaigrette - This is a creamy vinaigrette that you can make as hot or mild as you'd like.
    • salt
    • black pepper - Preferably freshly ground.

    (See recipe card below for quantities.)

    Substitutions and Variations

    • Iceberg lettuce. Iceberg is my favorite lettuce for this particular salad because of how crispy it is. If you're not a fan, or have another variety on hand, most lettuces will work. Romaine is my second choice.
    • Granny Smith apples. Of course you can use any apple variety you love, but I strongly recommend using crisp apples for salads. Granny Smiths can be substituted with Fuji, Braeburn, Honeycrisp or Pink Ladies.
    • Gouda cheese. Gruyère, Provolone and Havarti are all good substitutes for Gouda.
    • Scallions. You can substitute the scallions with thinly sliced shallots or red onions.
    • Caramelized Spiced Pecans. To save time, you can purchase sweet and spicy pecans, or -- for a more subtle flavor -- just use roasted, salted pecan halves. Pistachios would also be great (and pretty!) in this recipe.
    • Vegetarian version. For a vegetarian version, you can substitute the chicken with sautéed tofu or crispy quinoa. Or you can simply skip it.
    • Vegan version. Omit the cheese and chicken and substitute with tofu, lentils or quinoa. Or you can skip both.

    Recipe Tips

    • It's helpful to make the chicken at least an hour ahead so it has time to cool.
    • You should make the vinaigrette first. This way when you slice the apples they can immediately be coated with it, so they don't brown.
    • The thinner the apples are sliced, the more flavor they'll pick up from the vinaigrette.

    How to Make it

    - Make the pecans. The instructions are linked in the recipe card below. Set aside to cool. (You should have a small amount leftover to snack on.)

    pecans with wet spice mix on them on parchment paper

    - Make the vinaigrette. The instructions are linked in the recipe card below. Pour about ⅓ cup of it into a small to medium-sized bowl and set it aside. (You should have some leftover to save for another use.)

    Small glass jar with hinged lid open, filled with green jalapeno dressing.

    - Coat the bottom of a medium-sized sauté pan with olive oil and place it over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper and add them to the pan.

    - Sauté just until they’re cooked through, about 7 minutes, depending on their thickness. Flip them at the halfway point. Once they’re cool, cut them into bite-sized pieces and set aside.

    - Wash and dry the apple. Cut it in half lengthwise, and use a melon baller to remove the seeds. Place the halves on a cutting board, round side up and thinly slice them.

    Half of an apple, flesh side up, with a melon baller taking out seeds.
    Half of a green apple thinly sliced on a cutting board.

    - Add the apple slices to the vinaigrette as you go, gently mix to coat them and set aside. (There should be about 2 cups.) Adding them to vinaigrette will add flavor to them and at the same time, it'll prevent them from turning brown.

    Small white bowl with thin green apple slices, marinating in a greenish vinaigrette.

    - In a very large mixing or serving bowl, toss the lettuce with the vinaigrette-coated apples with any excess vinaigrette, scallions, cranberries, Gouda, chicken and pecans.

    Serving Suggestions

    While easy enough for a busy weeknight dinner, this cranberry apple salad is impressive enough to serve to guests for a casual lunch or dinner.

    I love that this salad can stand alone as a meal -- however, you can of course add to it if you'd like. It's excellent with a toasted crusty bread or a simple potato dish.

    More Scrumptious Main Course Salad Recipes

    • Shredded Chicken Cobb Salad
    • Chopped Mexican Salad with Pepitas
    • Cannellini Bean Tuna Salad
    • Parmesan Asparagus Salad
    Apple cranberry salad in a pretty brown ceramic bowl.

    Can you make it ahead?

    Mostly yes! Let's break it down . . .

    • Up to 2 weeks ahead: Make the dressing. Keep it stored in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed jar. Bring it to room temperature before adding it to the salad.
    • Up to 3 days ahead: Make the spiced pecans. Keep them in a tightly sealed container until at room temperature before adding them to the salad.
    • Up to 1 day ahead: Sauté the chicken. Once the pieces have cooled completely, refrigerate them in a tightly sealed container. Don't cut them until you're ready to add them to the salad.
    • About 15 minutes before serving: Prepare the apples and remaining ingredients and toss everything together.

    I hope you love this cranberry apple salad recipe as much as my family and I do.

    Apple cranberry salad in a pretty brown ceramic bowl.

    Apple Cranberry salad with Chicken Recipe

    Valentina K. Wein
    This Apple Cranberry Salad with Chicken holds its own as a main course. Loaded with sweet and savory flavors, plus a touch of heat, it'll keep you and your guests coming back for more.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    vinaigrette and pecans (can be made ahead) 35 minutes mins
    Total Time 50 minutes mins
    Course Main Course, Salad
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4
    Calories 435 kcal

    Equipment

    • melon baller

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders
    • olive oil for the pan
    • ¾ cup caramelized spiced pecans
    • about ⅓ cup Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette*
    • 1 large Granny Smith apple (or other crisp apple variety)
    • 4 cups roughly chopped iceberg lettuce (about ½ large head) washed and dried
    • 1 cup finely chopped scallions (green onions)
    • ¾ cup dried cranberries
    • 4 ounces diced Gouda cheese (about ¾ cup)
    • salt and fresh ground black pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Make the vinaigrette. Here's the recipe. Pour about ⅓ cup of the vinaigrette into a small to medium-sized bowl and set it aside.
    • Make the pecans. Here's the recipe.
    • Sauté chicken. Coat the bottom of a medium-sized sauté pan with olive oil and place it over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper and then place them in the pan. Sauté just until they’re cooked through, about 7 minutes, depending on the thickness. (Less time for tenders.) Flip them halfway through the cooking process. Once they're completely cool, cut them into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
    • Prepare the apples. Wash and dry the apple. Cut it in half lengthwise, and use a melon baler to remove the seeds. Place the halves on a cutting board, round side up and thinly slice them. Add the slices to the vinaigrette as you go, gently mix to coat them and set aside. (There should be about 2 cups.)
    • Combine ingredients. In a very large mixing or serving bowl, toss the lettuce with the apples and vinaigrette, scallions, cranberries, Gouda chicken and pecans.

    NOTES

    Nutritional information is only an estimate.
    * You might want more or less of the vinaigrette, that's your call.

    NUTRITION

    Calories: 435kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 310mg | Potassium: 719mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 1644IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 282mg | Iron: 2mg
    Keywords salad for party, main course salads
    Have you tried this recipe?I'd love to see it on Instagram! Tag me at @cookingontheweekends or leave a comment & rating below.

    Cooking On The Weekends is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jeff the Chef @ Make It Like a Man!

      January 06, 2024 at 9:08 am

      I'm right with you on the salad-as-a-meal thing. I liked this salad from the get-go, but when I got to the part where you put a jalapeno lime dessing on it, then I was all-in. What a great way to start out the new year!

      Reply
      • Valentina

        January 10, 2024 at 1:46 pm

        Hey Jeff, thanks so much! Love that the jalapeño dressing lured you in. 🙂 ~Valentina

        Reply
    2. David Scott Allen

      January 08, 2024 at 7:43 am

      We love a salad as a meal… when it’s warm. Right now, we are freezing and by the fire! In a week, it will be warm again and this salad will be on the table! By the way, have you noticed recently that many newly purchased bags of nuts (with far off expiry dates) seem to have a lot of rancid nuts in each bag. Especially hazelnuts and pecans — it’s so disappointing!

      Reply
      • Valentina

        January 10, 2024 at 1:50 pm

        Hi David. That IS disappointing. Especially because nuts are not exactly inexpensive. I'm sort of enjoying this cooler/fireplace weather. Hope you like the salad. 🙂 ~Valentina

        Reply
    3. sherry

      January 10, 2024 at 2:09 pm

      yum this sounds so delicious. Perfect salad weather here in QLD at the moment as it is hot and humid and rainy and stormy ...
      https://sherryspickings.blogspot.com/

      Reply
      • Valentina

        January 18, 2024 at 12:41 pm

        Hi Sherry. Wow, that's a lot of weather at once! Thanks for checking out my salad, and I hope you love it. 🙂 ~Valentina

        Reply
    4. Marissa

      January 11, 2024 at 11:49 am

      5 stars
      After the holiday indulgence, all I want right now are salads! And this beauty is ideal - light, but so complex and satisfying. Thank you for the inspiration, Valentina! And Happy New Year!

      Reply
      • Valentina

        January 18, 2024 at 12:42 pm

        Thank you, Marissa. And a happy new year to you too! Enjoy. 🙂 ~Valentina

        Reply
    5. Dawn

      January 12, 2024 at 11:44 am

      5 stars
      I love how you used Iceberg lettuce here! I really enjoy the crispiness and freshness it provides. I regularly make salads (especially for lunch) and this one looks like it would just hit the spot. Lots of flavour and texture. Just what I crave! 🙂

      Reply
      • Valentina

        January 18, 2024 at 12:43 pm

        Thanks, Dawn. I love how crisp iceberg lettuce is too, even though other lettuces offer up more flavor. Enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Valentina, certified chef, owner, recipe developer and photographer at Cooking on the Weekends. I'm also a mom of two boys and a Los Angeleno. I use seasonal whole foods to create unique and comforting recipes for casual entertaining.

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