This easy chicken salad is the perfect way to use up leftover chicken! Packed with pecans, dried cranberries, crispy bacon and a creamy dressing, salads don’t come more delicious than this.
Leftover Chicken Salad
I know, the word ‘salad’ is a rarity on this blog. But we’re going to get through this together, I promise. Because when I say salad all I really mean is leftover chicken wrapped in a creamy dressing with a tonne of goodies packed in too. No wet soggy leaves, only the stuff we truly love 😏
Leftover Roast Chicken
This is usually the salad I’ll make with leftover roast chicken 1. Because there’s always leftovers (only 2 of us in this house!) and 2. Because I know the chicken is already seasoned well. If you’ve got the option, use as much breast as possible, it’ll soak up the sauce easier!
How to make Leftover Chicken Salad (quick summary)
- Combine Greek Yogurt, Mayo, Dijon Mustard, Lemon Juice and Seasoning.
- Shred your chicken into a bowl.
- Add Red Onion, Dried Cranberries, Bacon, Celery and Pecans.
- Pour in sauce and stir to combine.
Shredded Chicken Salad
If you want to make this salad with fresh chicken breasts you totally can! Here’s what I recommend:
How to make Shredded Chicken
- Season both sides of two chicken breasts and fry each side in a large pot (just to get some colour).
- Pour in water or chicken stock, pop the lid on and simmer/poach until cooked through (approx 8-12mins depending on size).
- Take out, place in a bowl and shred with two forks.
Chicken Salad Sandwich
One of my favourite ways to use this salad is in a sandwich (or a wrap). Grab yourself some nice thick white bread, some crisps and you’ll be well on your way 😁
And there we have it! A quick, easy and most importantly DELICIOUS leftover chicken salad. Works great in a sandwich (above), as part of a leafy salad (below) or even just straight out the bowl!
Hey, whilst you’re here why not check out my other recipes?
Leftover Recipes
- Turkey: Leftover Turkey Thai Green Curry
- Chilli: Leftover Chilli Stuffed Garlic Dough Balls
- Chicken: Leftover Chicken and Bacon Pasta
- Cranberry Sauce: Cranberry Bacon Brie Grilled Cheese
- Bread: Bread Sauce
Shredded Chicken Recipes
- Chicken Pesto Grilled Cheese
- Chicken Waldorf Salad Bites
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
- Buffalo Chicken Wraps
Alrighty, let’s tuck into this leftover chicken salad recipe shall we?!
How to make Leftover Chicken Salad (Full Recipe & Video)
Leftover Chicken Salad
Equipment:
- Large Bowl
- Medium Bowl
- Spatula
Ingredients (check list):
Chicken Salad
- 2 tightly packed cups Cooked Shredded Chicken (see notes)
- 4 rashers of Bacon (cooked, cooled & chopped)
- 1 rib of Celery, finely diced
- 1/4 cup / 40g Dried Cranberries, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup / 35g Pecans, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup Red Onion, finely diced (approx 1/2 small red onion)
Dressing
- 1/2 cup / 125g Full Fat Mayo
- 1/2 cup / 125g Greek Yogurt
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1/2 Lemon (juice only)
- Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
Instructions:
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together your dressing. Test for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
- In a larger bowl combine your salad ingredients. Pour in your dressing and stir to combine. It may seems like an excess of dressing, but it will get soaked up.
- Pop in the fridge overnight to develop the flavours, or eat right away in a sandwich/wrap, as part of a leafy salad or just by itself!
Quick 1 min demo!
Notes:
Nutrition:
If you loved this Leftover Chicken recipe be sure to pin it for later! Already made it or got a question? Give me a shout in the comments and pick up your free ecookbook along the way!
