This is my favorite recipe for a healthier chicken salad with dried cranberries and diced apple, celery and red grapes. It’s sweet and savory, and crunchy and creamy. Plus, it’s made healthier with less mayo and plain yogurt.

Healthier Chicken Salad with Apple, Cranberry, Grapes & Celery

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb.), cooked and cubed or shredded*
• 1 apple, cored and diced (I like Fuji)
• About 1 cup of red, seedless grapes, cut in half
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries (try to find ones sweetened with apple juice if possible)
• 1 cup whole-milk plain yogurt (I love Siggi’s brand), or Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon mayo (made with olive oil)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme (or fresh, roughly chopped)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

*To bake the chicken, sprinkle it with salt & pepper and extra virgin olive oil. Place it onto a greased pan. Cover it with parchment paper and tuck it in so it surrounds the chicken. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes until it’s cooked through.

Add the cubed or shredded chicken to a large bowl with the apple, grapes, celery, walnuts and dried cranberries.

In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, mayo, thyme, lemon and salt & pepper.

Pour the yogurt dressing over the chicken salad mixture and mix until everything is coated. Taste test to see if you need any more salt & pepper.

Eat & enjoy!

Serving Ideas

• As a sandwich: On sliced bread, or inside a halved croissant.
• As a salad: Place some on a bed of lettuce and use a squeeze of lemon juice as dressing. My favorite lettuce for this is butter lettuce or mixed greens.
• Dipped in crackers: Use your favorite crackers to dip into the chicken salad.
• By itself: It’s delicious on its own too!

Let me know if you give this Healthier Chicken Salad recipe a try! Tag me on Instagram or let me know in the comment section below. 🙂 I would LOVE to hear how you like it!