This easy copycat Chicken Salad Chick Cranberry Kelli recipe will have you feeling like you are in the popular restaurant. A simple chicken salad filled with dried cranberries and almonds, this makes a great cold lunch or light dinner. In this post I will share how to make my homemade version of this Chicken Salad Chick recipe so that you can make it at home.

 

Chicken salad is such a simple but satisfying meal and the Chicken Salad Chick restaurant is a great place to go try a variety of different chicken salads like their Fruity Fran, Buffalo Barclay, Sassy Scotty, and this Cranberry Kelli.

I used to love going to the restaurant but now don’t have one close to our house. This meant I had to figure out how to make my own copycat recipes so I wouldn’t be missing out.

This recipe is made with a base chicken salad and the addition of delicious, tangy cranberries and crunchy, slivered almonds.

Don’t forget to try this recipe with a side of broccoli salad and grape salad.

Ingredients

Make this easy recipe with just a few ingredients.

• Chicken – I like using chicken tenderloins because they cook up fast but you can substitute with chicken breast or rotisserie chicken.
• Chicken broth – If you are boiling your chicken, boiling them in chicken broth or stock helps to impart flavor to the chicken.
• Mayonnaise – Duke’s mayonnaise is recommended but you can use your favorite mayonnaise.
• Dried cranberries – Dried cranberries add a hint of sweetness to the chicken salad.
• Celery – One stalk of celery, diced into small pieces.
• Seasonings – Celery seed, garlic powder, salt, pepper

How to make copycat Chicken Salad Chick Cranberry Kelli

Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and video.

Step one: Boil the chicken in chicken broth or chicken stock. It needs to cook for about 10 minutes. If you are using chicken breasts, it might take a few minutes longer. Just make sure the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

Step two: Place the cooked chicken in a food processor or a mixer. Pulse a few times until the chicken shreds or use the mixer paddles to shred the chicken.

Step three: Stir together the mayonnaise, celery seed, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix in the celery, cranberries, almonds, and shredded chicken.

Step four: Serve the chicken salad or cover and refrigerate until ready to eat.

Heather’s recipe tips

• Chicken: Make sure to cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. You can also just use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken.
• Mayonnaise: Duke’s mayonnaise gives this recipe a similar taste to the restaurant. You can substitute with your favorite mayo or plain Greek yogurt.
• Serve: This chicken salad can be served immediately but I recommend chilling it in the refrigerator for at least an hour for the flavors to come together.

How to serve

This chicken salad can be eaten out of the bowl with a fork or a few of these suggested ways:

Lettuce: Serve a big scoop on a bed of lettuce or your favorite greens. You can also make it into a lettuce wrap.

Sandwich: This is great served on toasted bread or in pita bread.

Crackers: Use your favorite crackers to scoop up the chicken salad and enjoy.

Variations for Cranberry Kelli chicken salad

One benefit of cooking at home is you can put your own spin on recipes. This copycat Chicken Salad Chick recipe is great on it’s own but you can try adding other ingredients for a little something different.

Fruit: Try adding in extra fruit like diced apples or grapes.

Nuts: I love the slivered almonds but you can substitute with chopped pecans, pine nuts, or walnuts.

Other: Diced green onions or red onions work well in this recipe. You could also add some fresh herbs like parsley or chives.

How to store chicken salad with cranberries

Keep any leftover chicken salad covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. I like to give it a good mix before serving.

This recipe does not freeze well.

More salad recipes

• Pea with bacon salad
• Cucumber dill salad
• Old fashioned 5 cup salad