If you’re a fan of chicken salad, this smoked chicken salad with pecans and cranberries may quickly become your new favorite. This chicken salad recipe is made with simple ingredients, bold flavor, and tender, smoky chicken that does all the work for you. Using Beer Can Smoked Chicken and means no extra seasoning is needed, making this an easy recipe that delivers the best taste every time.

Creamy, crunchy, and lightly sweet, this is the ultimate chicken salad recipe for easy lunches, quick dinners, and stress-free meal prep at the beginning of the week.

Why You’ll Love This Chicken Salad with Pecans & Cranberries

Big flavor with minimal effort
Using beer can smoked chicken means the chicken is already packed with smoky, savory flavor—no extra seasoning needed. It’s the perfect shortcut to a great-tasting chicken salad that feels special but comes together fast.

The perfect balance of creamy, crunchy, and sweet
The creamy mayo base, crunchy pecans, crisp diced celery, and tart cranberries create a flavor and texture combination that keeps every bite interesting. It’s not just good chicken salad—it’s the kind you keep going back for.

Versatile and great for meal prep
This recipe works for easy lunches, quick dinners, and make-ahead meals. Enjoy it with crackers, on sandwiches, in lettuce wraps, or with fruit—and it tastes even better the next day, making it ideal for busy weeks.

Ingredients for Smoked Chicken Salad

This smoked chicken salad starts with smoked chicken. We like to use leftover Easy Smoked Beer Can Chicken You can use Smoked chicken breasts, skinless chicken breast, or even smoked chicken thighs-they all work beautifully. The naturally smoky, savory flavor is the secret ingredient that sets this recipe apart from versions made with leftover rotisserie chicken.

Next comes diced celery, which adds a crisp, fresh crunch and keeps the salad from feeling too heavy. It also holds up well for meal prep and still tastes great the next day.

Roasted pecans bring irresistible crunch, depth, and texture, along with healthy fats that pair perfectly with the smoky chicken.

A handful of dried cranberries adds tart sweetness, balancing the richness of the creamy base and enhancing every bite.

Mayonnaise creates the rich, creamy base that holds the salad together and delivers that classic chicken salad texture everyone loves.

Finally, sour cream blends with the mayo to add a slightly tangy flavor that brightens the entire dish. If you prefer, you can easily substitute Greek yogurt for a lighter option.

ingredients for chicken salad: chicken, pecans, celery and cranberries

Optional Add-Ins

If you love layering flavors, try adding fresh dill, fresh parsley, green onions, or a splash of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar.

If using leftover rotisserie chicken instead of smoked chicken, season with:

½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon blackened seasoning

Instructions for making Smoked Chicken Salad:

To make this smoked chicken salad, begin by roasting the pecans so they have time to cool. Spread the pecans in an even layer on a sheet pan. Roast them in a convection oven or air fryer at 325°F, or in a regular oven at 350°F, for 8–10 minutes, watching closely so they don’t burn. Once fragrant and lightly toasted, remove them from the oven and let them cool completely. After cooling, roughly chop the pecans and set them aside.

Next, prep the remaining ingredients. Chop or shred the smoked chicken into bite-sized pieces. Finely chop the celery so it adds a crisp crunch without overpowering the salad, then roughly chop the dried cranberries so they distribute evenly throughout the chicken salad.

Add the chopped or shredded chicken, diced celery, chopped cranberries, and roasted pecans to a large mixing bowl. Gently toss everything together so the ingredients are evenly combined before adding the creamy base.

Spoon the mayonnaise and sour cream over the mixture. Using a spatula, gently fold everything together until the chicken salad is well coated and creamy. Taste and adjust as needed—add a little more mayo if you want it creamier, or fold in additional pecans if you prefer extra crunch.

For the best flavor, cover and refrigerate the chicken salad for 15–30 minutes to let the flavors come together. Give it one final stir before serving and enjoy.

How to Store It

Transfer the chicken salad to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3–4 days. The flavors actually improve overnight, making this an excellent meal prep option for busy weeks.

Ways to Enjoy It

This is one of those great options that works in so many ways:

Serve with crackers for an easy lunch
Pile it onto toasted bread or croissants for a satisfying sandwich
Spoon it alongside celery sticks for extra crunch
Pair it with fresh fruit like crisp apples, grapes, or berries
Scoop it onto a bed of lettuce or into lettuce wraps for a lighter option

It’s also perfect for gatherings like a baby shower, brunch, or casual entertaining.

smoked chicken salad on a plate with pecans, celery and crackers and a glass of water with lemons

This cranberry pecan chicken salad is proof that starting with great chicken makes all the difference. Whether you’re using leftover chicken from a smoked whole chicken or planning ahead for the week, this is one of those favorite chicken salad recipes you’ll come back to again and again.

Be sure to check out the recipe card below, and keep an eye out for a future post with even more ways to use smoked chicken in everyday meals.