Cranberry Feta Chicken Salad with Chutney Dressing
A unique and flavorful chicken salad that makes a quick main dish wrapped in lettuce or tortillas, as appetizers spooned on crackers, and as a savory sandwich filling.
I just love being able to use cooked chicken meat from a rotisserie chicken or slow cooked whole chicken for quick and delicious meals.
Whether it’s Chicken Caesar Wraps, Chef’s Salads, Chicken-Spinach Frittata, or Chicken-Lime Lettuce wraps, our family pretty much loves everything I make with cooked chicken.
So it’s no surprise that this recipe also uses cooked chicken along with one of our other favorite combos: cranberries & feta cheese (as seen in this Broccoli Slaw, and pretty much every other green salad we eat…).
Plus uses our garden preserves in the form of canned chutney. Double the love!
Or should I say “triple love” since this cranberry feta chicken salad tastes fantastic! Seriously, it’s so good that we found lots of ways to use it for meals – lunches, dinners and appetizers.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Cooked Chicken – use any cooked chicken you have, including canned, or slow-cook this easy chicken the day before.
- Dried Cranberries – you can leave them whole or chop them to be less noticeable.
- Onion – I prefer sweet onion here since it’s not cooked, but any onion will do, including green onion.
- Feta Cheese – if you can find brined feta, it’s superior to already crumbled, with a moister texture. You can also use other cheeses like parmesan, romano, or even cojita.
- Walnuts – this is optional of you’d prefer a nut-free version, but they do add a nice crunch and flavor. Pecans also work well here.
- Chives or Parsley – for serving if you have any on hand.
- Chutney – try rhubarb, cherry, blueberry, or even tomato chutney – or purchase a chutney like Major Grey’s. While I do give an option for a balsamic vinaigrette, I think the chutney dressing sets this apart.
- Olive Oil – avocado oil will also work in the dressing.
- Garlic, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, and optional sriracha – small amounts of these round out the dressing.
I started this recipe with rhubarb chutney salad dressing to bind the chicken salad together and found it added a great sweet-savory flavor that’s complimented by the sweet cranberries and salty feta.
I think it would also be fabulous made with our addictive tomato chutney for a different flavor profile.
What is Chutney?
Chutney is one of those preserves that I often get blank looks from when I mention it to people – and the number one question I get is, “What do you use that on/for?”
If we’re talking addictive tomato chutney the answer is “everything!” – think ketchup for adults.
Most other chutneys are wonderful on any grilled or roasted meat, frittatas, and of course with Indian-style curries.
And now I’m happy to add another way to use flavorful, garlicky, slightly spicy chutney – this yummy chicken salad.
Chicken Salad Serving Ideas
There are so many ways to eat this chicken salad – including straight from a spoon! Try one or more of these ways to serve it:
- Wrapped in lettuce leaves.
- As a soft ‘taco’ filling for flour tortillas with chopped lettuce.
- Spooned onto crackers as an appetizer, light lunch, or part of a charcuterie board.
- And of course a classic way to eat this chicken salad would be between two pieces of Soft 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread.
More Quick & Easy No & Low Cook Recipes To Try
- Quick Chicken Caesar Wraps
- Quick and Easy Chef’s Salad
- Salmon Patties with Flax
- Mediterranean Pita Tuna Patties Board
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Cranberry Feta Chicken Salad with Chutney Dressing
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken*
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 onion diced
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or parsley
For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup chutney Spicy Rhubarb, Addictive Tomato or chutney of choice**
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon sriracha sauce to taste, optional
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Combine the salad ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
- In the bowl of a food processor or blender, mix all the dressing ingredients except the oil. Add the oil in a stream while the machine is running until all the ingredients are completely mixed.
- Pour about half the dressing over the salad ingredients and stir well (keep the remaining dressing in the fridge to use on other salads).
Notes
- Add to lettuce cups or tortillas with chopped lettuce and drizzle a bit more dressing over top.
- Serve with crackers as an appetizer.
- Use as a sandwich filling.
- Top a bowl of chopped lettuce and broccoli for a main-dish salad and use any leftover dressing to dress the whole salad.
