This zesty cranberry walnut chicken salad recipe has 44 grams of protein per serving! It's the perfect easy lunch recipe for fall.

Let's talk about the recipe!

Ingredients

• Chicken breasts
• Mayonnaise
• Greek yogurt
• Walnuts
• Dried cranberries
• Fresh orange zest

Prepare the Chicken

Preheat the oven to 425f. Butterfly the chicken breasts, pat dry, and season with salt and pepper. Place on a lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until the breasts reach a temperature of 165f internally. Allow to cool.

I've said it before in my blueberry chicken salad recipe, but butterflying the chicken breasts is so important for even cooking and juicy chicken! You need the chicken to be uniformly 165f, meaning you don't want the edges to be 185f by the time the middle is a safe temperature, and you don't want a raw middle when the edges are fully cooked. Butterflying or pounding the chicken flat drastically reduces the risk of this happening, so don't skip this important step!

To butterfly a chicken breast, you're going to lay it down flat and slice from the edge, through the middle, almost to the other edge. You should then be able to open it up like a book! Here's a quick and simple tutorial from Martha Stewart, where the chicken breast is even pounded at the end (you don't have to do that for this recipe, but it would make it cook even more quickly and evenly).

Also make sure to dry the chicken, as this helps create an outer crust and seal in those juices.

Mix the Chicken Salad

Chop chicken breasts into very small cubes, and mix in the rest of the ingredients in a bowl or container until everything is combined. Serve as a sandwich, on lettuce wraps, or on croissants!

I don't really have any tips on this step, just mix everything and prepare your mind for a delicious cranberry walnut chicken salad, I guess? This has 44 grams of protein a serving, but if you want to bump up the fiber you can serve it on a hearty multigrain bread!

Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad Recipe

Download the recipe here

Servings: 4

Active time: 5 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 Tbsp fresh orange zest

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 425f. Butterfly the chicken breasts, pat dry, and season with salt and pepper. Place on a lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until the breasts reach a temperature of 165f internally. Allow to cool.
2. Chop chicken breasts into very small cubes, and mix in the rest of the ingredients in a bowl or container until everything is combined.
3. Serve as a sandwich, on lettuce wraps, or on croissants!

See Nutrition Info

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	404
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19.3g	25%
Saturated Fat 3.7g	18%
Cholesterol 90mg	30%
Sodium 204mg	9%
Total Carbohydrate 13.3g	5%
Dietary Fiber 1.3g	5%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 44.4g
Vitamin D 0mcg	0%
Calcium 126mg	10%
Iron 1mg	8%
Potassium 420mg	9%

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About the Author

Hi! I'm Alexandra Massengale, and I've been cooking and baking for over 12 years. My passion is making cheap, convenient, nutrient-dense food that still tastes amazing, and helping to perpetuate healthy eating habits without perpetuating diet culture. I want you to find recipes that make your body and heart happy, without putting any food off limits or making you feel guilty for loving delicious things.

By Alexandra Massengale