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    Home » Salads » Apple Cranberry Salad with Chicken

    Apple Cranberry Salad with Chicken

    Sep 6, 2017 · by Valentina · 16 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    This Apple Cranberry Salad with Chicken holds its own as a main course, and is full of sweet, savory and spicy flavors that will keep you coming back for more. The Jalapeño Vinaigrette puts it over-the-top!Chicken Apple Salad Recipe with Cranberries in a wooden bowl

    Sometimes there's nothing I want more for a meal than a big, hearty, healthy salad packed with goodness.

    And by the way, a lovely salad can be just as desirable in the fall and winter as it is in the spring and summer.
    Chicken Apple Salad Recipe with Cranberries in 3 wood bowls and a jar of jalapeno lime vinaigrette
    And guess what? Salads can be comfort foods too.

    This Apple Cranberry Salad with Chicken definitely fits the bill -- especially drizzled with Creamy Roasted Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette.

    Chicken Apple Salad Recipe with Cranberries in wooden bowl with cilantro sprig

    What apple varieties can you use in this salad?

    Of course you can use any apple variety you love, but I usually suggest crisp apples for salads.

    I use Fuji in this recipe, and you can also use Granny Smith, Braeburn, Honeycrisp Pink Lady, or any combination thereof.
    Close up of Chicken Apple Salad Recipe with Cranberries in wooden bowls

    When to Serve it

    The combination of the sweet apples and dried cranberries with the creamy avocado, sautéed chicken and Manchego cheese will make you want this for lunch and dinner, and perhaps brunch, too.

    It's also a fantastic salad to bring to a potluck or a picnic.

    This chopped chicken-apple salad is impressive enough to serve to guests and casual and easy enough for a quick weeknight dinner.

    Can you make it ahead?

    Mostly yes. You can prep all of the ingredients except for the avocado the day before. You can even toss it without the dressing. Then, just before serving add the avocado and dressing.

    Enjoy!

    More delicious main course salad recipes:

    • Winter Fruit Salad with Udon and Chicken
    • Shredded Chicken Cobb Salad
    • Chopped Mexican Salad with Pepitas
    • Cannellini Bean Tuna Salad
    Apple Chicken Salad in wooden bowls

    Apple Cranberry salad with Chicken Recipe

    Valentina K. Wein
    This Apple Cranberry salad with Chicken holds its own as a main course, and is full of sweet, savory and spicy flavors that will keep you coming back for more. The Jalapeño Vinaigrette puts it over-the-top!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print
    Prep Time 23 mins
    Cook Time 7 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Main Course, Salad
    Cuisine American
    Servings 10
    Calories 358 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • olive oil for the pan
    • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, lightly pounded so they’re even
    • 3 heads (about 8 cups) Romaine lettuce, washed and dried, roughly chopped
    • 2 crisp apples (about 3 cups), washed and dried, cut into bite-sized pieces
    • 1 large avocado (about 2 ½ cups), cut into bite-sized pieces
    • 6 ounces Manchego cheese, cut into small dice
    • 1¼ cup scallions, finely chopped
    • 1 packed cup cilantro, washed and dried, roughly chopped
    • ¾ cup roasted pepitas
    • 1 cup dried cranberries
    • about ¾ recipe Creamy Roasted Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette
    • salt and fresh ground black pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Cook chicken. Coat the bottom of a large 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. Flip them halfway through the cooking process. Set aside to cool.
    • Combine ingredients. In a very large mixing or serving bowl, toss the lettuce with the apples, avocado, Manchego, scallions, cilantro, pepitas, and cranberries.
      Once the chicken has cooled to room temperature, slice it into bite-sized pieces and add it to the bowl.
    • Assemble. Gently mix the salad with the Creamy Roasted Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette.

    Notes

    Calorie count is only an estimate.
    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.

    More Salad Recipes

    • Citrus Carpaccio with Jalapeño
    • Peach Caprese Salad
    • Peach Avocado Salad with Zucchini
    • Mango Salad with Basil

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. sippitysup

      September 07, 2017 at 7:59 am

      Replace the word "vinaigrette" with wine and that's often how my cook's mind works too. Beautiful salad. GREG

      Reply
      • valentina

        September 07, 2017 at 9:18 am

        LOVE that, Greg. XO 🙂 (And thank you.)

        Reply
    2. Brandi Crawford

      September 10, 2017 at 4:35 pm

      I love that this is perfect for a quick, weeknight meal! Looks delicious.

      Reply
      • valentina

        September 10, 2017 at 4:44 pm

        Thanks so much, Brandi! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Julie

      September 10, 2017 at 4:46 pm

      I love salads and this one sounds so flavorful.

      Reply
    4. Sarah

      September 10, 2017 at 5:13 pm

      I have SO many apples right now...this salad is going to be a perfect way to put them to use!

      Reply
      • valentina

        September 10, 2017 at 6:16 pm

        Yay! I love that, Sarah! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Lauren

      September 10, 2017 at 6:21 pm

      I went apple picking this weekend and have a giant bag of apples and no clue what I want to do with them. I'm definitely going to have to give this a try!

      Reply
      • valentina

        September 10, 2017 at 10:04 pm

        Oh how perfect. How fun to go apple picking! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Allison - Celebrating Sweets

      September 10, 2017 at 6:25 pm

      What a fabulous fall salad! I love that you used manchgo - so good!

      Reply
      • valentina

        September 10, 2017 at 10:04 pm

        Thanks, Allison. Hope you try it! 🙂

        Reply
    7. David

      September 12, 2017 at 11:54 pm

      Thanks for the two-in-one garlic-free recipes! Love it!

      Reply
    8. Molly Kovash

      July 25, 2019 at 5:06 am

      Your description talks about avocado: "The sweet apples and dried cranberries with the creamy avocado..." but I don't see avocado in the actual recipe. Should there be some?

      Reply
      • valentina

        July 30, 2019 at 1:05 pm

        Hi Molly, my apologies for taking a few days to get to this -- I was on vacation an away from work. THANK YOU so much for pointing this out to me, and I'm sorry for my error. YES, the avocado should have been listed, and I've now edited it in. It's about 2 1/2 cups avocado cut into bite-sized pieces. Hope this wasn't too late if you wanted to make it. Thanks for visiting my site. 🙂 ~Valentina

        Reply
    9. Eha

      March 05, 2022 at 3:12 pm

      Australians eat salads as a main meal any season of the year . . . and this one does beckon ! Both apples and avocadoes have just come into season and I love your ;definite' use of coriander and green onions . . . . chicken perchance may be thigh meat . . . shall report back 🙂 !!

      Reply
      • valentina

        March 09, 2022 at 12:29 pm

        Thank you, Eha! Will be delicious with the thigh meat. 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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