This Apple Chicken Salad Recipe with Cranberries 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!
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.
And guess what? Salads can be comfort foods too.
Apple Chicken Salad Recipe with Cranberries definitely fits the bill.
What’s in Apple Chicken Salad Recipe with Cranberries?
- chicken
- Romaine lettuce
- apples (I like Fuji in this recipe)
- avocado
- Manchego cheese
- scallions
- cilantro
- pepitas
- dried cranberries
- Creamy Roasted Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette
If you weren’t already hungry, I’m thinking you might be now.
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. The crunch is lovely! I used Fuji in this recipe, and you can also use Granny Smith, Braeburn, Honeycrisp Pink Lady, or any combination thereof.
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 Apple Chicken Salad Recipe with Cranberries 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!
Chicken-Apple Salad Recipe
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 1/2 cups), cut into bite-sized pieces
- 6 ounces Manchego cheese, cut into small dice
- 1 1/4 cup scallions, finely chopped
- 1 packed cup cilantro, washed and dried, roughly chopped
- 3/4 cup roasted pepitas
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- about 3/4 recipe Creamy Roasted Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette
- salt and fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- Gently mix the salad with about 1 recipe of the Creamy Roasted Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette. (You might use less than all of it — it’s up to you.)
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sippitysup says
Replace the word “vinaigrette” with wine and that’s often how my cook’s mind works too. Beautiful salad. GREG
valentina says
LOVE that, Greg. XO 🙂 (And thank you.)
Brandi Crawford says
I love that this is perfect for a quick, weeknight meal! Looks delicious.
valentina says
Thanks so much, Brandi! 🙂
Julie says
I love salads and this one sounds so flavorful.
Sarah says
I have SO many apples right now…this salad is going to be a perfect way to put them to use!
valentina says
Yay! I love that, Sarah! 🙂
Lauren says
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!
valentina says
Oh how perfect. How fun to go apple picking! 🙂
Allison - Celebrating Sweets says
What a fabulous fall salad! I love that you used manchgo – so good!
valentina says
Thanks, Allison. Hope you try it! 🙂
David says
Thanks for the two-in-one garlic-free recipes! Love it!
Molly Kovash says
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?
valentina says
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