Cranberry Chicken Salad on Apple Slices
Light, refreshing chicken salad served atop crisp apple slices—perfect for a healthy lunch, snack, or elegant appetizer.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken rotisserie or poached, diced or shredded
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt for lighter option
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt optional, for creaminess
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 2 tbsp chopped green onions or red onion
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 large apple Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Fuji, thinly sliced
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley or walnuts
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise (and Greek yogurt, if using), Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- Fold in the cooked chicken, dried cranberries, celery, and green onion until evenly coated.
- Taste and adjust seasoning—add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice as desired.
- Arrange the apple slices on a platter or individual plates, overlapping slightly.
- Top each slice (or clusters of slices) with spoonfuls of the cranberry chicken salad.
- Garnish with chopped parsley or walnuts, if using.
- Serve immediately for best texture—if prepping ahead, toss apple slices with a bit of lemon juice to prevent browning and store chicken salad separately until ready to assemble.
Notes
- Use Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise to reduce fat and calories.
- Customize with add-ins like chopped pecans, sliced grapes, or sunflower seeds.
- Choose your favorite apple variety for sweetness or tartness balance.
- Leftover chicken salad keeps for up to 3 days refrigerated (store apples separately).