Try this delicious recipe for cranberry chicken salad dip this holiday season. It incorporates dried cranberries and cranberry sauce.
Chicken salad is a classic dish that combines chicken with tangy mayonnaise, crunchy celery, and sweet raisins. It’s one of my favorite lunch foods. So I decided to turn the classic dish into a holiday dip!
This cranberry chicken salad dip combines all of the classic elements of chicken salad with tart cranberries. It’s the perfect dip to serve with pretzel chips or crostini at a holiday party!
What’s In Cranberry Chicken Salad Dip
This dip has all of the key components of chicken salad, plus a few additional holiday flavors.
- Chicken (diced tiny for ideal dipping)
- Celery
- Cucumber
- Mayonaisse
- Mustard
- Cranberry sauce
- Dried cranberries
- Dill
- Paprika
- Salt
- Pepper
How to Make Cranberry Chicken Salad Dip
This cranberry chicken salad dip is a great dip to prepare in advance for a holiday party. It can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two days in advance. And it only takes about 20 minutes to prepare.
First, chop two cups of celery. This is about 4 large stalks. Add it to a large serving bowl. Next, dice one cucumber and add it to the bowl as well.
Then, add 2/3 cup of mayonnaise to the bowl. Along with a few teaspoons of mustard. Then add 24 oz of cooked or canned chicken.
What Type of Chicken is Best for This Dip
Any cold chicken that is easy to chop into smaller-than-bite-size pieces is perfect for this dip. That includes leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken, or canned chicken. I typically use leftover chicken for a chicken salad when making lunch. However, for this dip, I used canned chicken. It’s already chopped very small. And it doesn’t require any additional prep work on my part.
Can I Use Turkey Instead?
Short answer? Absolutely! This salad dip would be the perfect appetizer for a post-Thanksgiving gathering. Use leftover turkey and cranberry sauce. It’s the perfect way to get rid of leftovers, in a slightly less traditional way.
After the chicken, add the cranberry sauce and spices. Mix until the dip is thoroughly combined. Then add the dried cranberries and mix again.
How to Serve Cranberry Chicken Salad Dip
Serve this dip in a large serving bowl with pretzel chips, pita chips, or crostini. Cranberry chicken salad dip should be creamier than traditional chicken salad. This makes it easier to scoop! It contains all of the traditional flavors of the holidays in an easy-to-serve, easier-to-eat way.
More Chicken Dip Recipes to Try
Cranberry Chicken Salad Dip
Ingredients
- 24 oz chicken cooked or canned
- 2 cups celery chopped
- 1/2 cup cucumber diced
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 1/4 cup cranberry sauce
- 1/2 tsp dill
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Chop two cups of celery and add to a large serving bowl.
- Dice one cucumber and add it to the bowl.
- Add 2/3 cup of mayonnaise and 1 tbsp of mustard to the bowl.
- Add 24 oz cooked or canned chicken. Chopped into small pieces.
- Add 1/4 cup cranberry sauce and spices.
- Stir ingredients until thoroughly combined.
- Add 1/2 cup dried cranberries and mix again.
- Serve this dip in a large serving bowl with pretzel chips, pita chips, or crostini.
