I was really craving some chicken salad this week, so I set out to find a new twist on the old classic. I knew I wanted cranberries, so I took quick inventory of my fridge and pantry and came up with this honey-dijon mustard dressing and added celery to bulk the whole thing out and stretch the cost.
Chicken salad is always going to be on the expensive side and the total cost will depend heavily on the price of your chicken. Even if chicken is fairly expensive in your area, I’m willing to bet that making chicken salad yourself will be far less expensive than buying it pre-made from the deli, where it can sometimes top $10/lb.
You can eat this salad on a sandwich, piled onto some spinach leaves, with yummy crackers, or by itself with a fork (like I did once I realized that I had no bread, no pita, no crackers, and no spinach – ha!). However you eat it, it’s quick, delicious, and filling!
Honey Mustard Chicken Salad
Honey Mustard Chicken Salad
Servings 2 to 3Ingredients
- 1 large, about 3/4 lb. chicken breast ($1.49*)
- 2 stalks celery ($0.32)
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries ($0.28)
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise ($0.33)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp honey ($0.17)
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard ($0.06)
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar ($0.01)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1/8 tsp paprika ($0.02)
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing by combining the mayonnaise, honey, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, salt, garlic powder, and paprika. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Cut the chicken breast into 1 to 2 inch pieces. Coat a small skillet with non-stick spray and cook the chicken over medium heat until the outside is golden brown and the largest pieces are no longer pink inside (7-10 min.). Allow the chicken to cool slightly.
- While the chicken is cooling, roughly chop the cranberries and cut the celery into small pieces. Place the cranberries and celery in a large bowl. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, roughly chop it into very small pieces. Add the chopped chicken to the bowl, along with the dressing. Stir until everything is combined and coated in dressing. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!
Step By Step Photos
Make the dressing by combining the mayonnaise, honey, dijon, apple cider vinegar, salt, garlic powder, and paprika.
Stir until smooth. Refrigerate the dressing until you’re ready to add it to the salad.
Cut the chicken into small chunks so that it will cook quickly. Cook it in a skillet over medium heat until the outside is lightly golden brown and the largest chunks are cooked through (no longer pink, flesh is firm). Allow the chicken to cool slightly.
Cut the celery into very small pieces and roughly chop the cranberries. Add them both to a bowl.
Once the chicken has cooled a bit, roughly chop it into very small pieces.
Add the chopped chicken and dressing to the bowl with the celery and cranberries.
Stir everything up and enjoy! You can taste it and adjust salt or add some freshly cracked pepper, if desired.
So easy.
Looked through many recipes looking for a particular combination of ingredients and flavors, and this recipe nailed it. I didn’t have dijon and used yeller, which was totally fine, and I added walnuts.
Delicious. Thanks!!!
Easy and delicious.
I can’t believe how tasty and addictive this chicken salad is. I’m not a big chicken fan, but I’d eat this every day of the week with no complaints!!!
Super easy and so delicious!
Wonderful! Served with spinach leaves on a croissant & side cherry tomatoes & Llano Chenin Blanc wine!
Holy smokes, this was good. I licked the bowl. For this recipe, I splurged and bought Primal Kitchen’s Avocado Oil Mayo. It’s pricey, to be sure, but crazy delish and pretty much the only mayo option for me with my food sensitivities. I switched out the cranberries for sliced grapes, then added some walnuts. I omitted the salt (and I’m a salt addict) because between the mustard and the mayo, there was enough salt. This recipe is a keeper. The dressing alone is drinkable.
This is freaking amazing, an explosion of flavors. Will be making it again.
The Honey Mustard Chicken Salad is absolutely delicious. Unfortunately, I didn’t have dried cranberries available, so I left that ingredient out. I was able to stretch the chicken salad out for lunch for several days. I’m going to make this recipe again soon. Thanks, Beth!!! :-)
I LOVED this recipe. I didn’t have celery on hand so just left that out. It was still great!
This was awesome – per usual from Budget Bytes!! I sprinkled some dried tarragon on the chicken as it was cooking for a little extra seasoning and used flour tortillas to make wraps. Will definitely keep this one in the rotation and make a double batch next time, it was delicious!
One of my favorites
Absolutely LOVE your site and your recipes! This one has to be one of my favorite!
Hi Beth,
A wonderful recipe, like all the others I’ve tried. As a long time cook and follower of people like Jamie Oliver you are one of the best out there!
Best wishes from London x
Thank you MoMo!!
Budget Bytes never fails me. I came looking for ways to use up my roast chicken leftovers from Christmas dinner, and this salad was perfect! I ate it on the leftover croissants I had, so 2 leftovers used in one dinner. Delicious!
Made this yesterday and it was wonderful! I didn’t have cranberries so I used apple and carrots instead. I also love that it is seems lighter than typical chicken salad. Thank you for another great recipe.
This is fantastic! I love the tanginess of the mustard and vinegar with the slight tartness of the cranberries. And it’s not super mayonnaise-y which is good for the waist line :) So good! I’m excited to have it for lunches this week.
I had one regret with this recipe – as I was eating it, I was really sad that I had not doubled the recipe. It’s a winner!
Just made this for lunch tomorrow. Will use flour tortillas and make wraps. Super easy, and delicious!
I love this chicken salad so much, it’s such a great make-ahead lunch, and my mom always cooks extra breasts when she makes chicken for dinner so this is a good way to use those. Yum yum!
Yum! I made this exactly as is (except doubled it because I used all the chicken in my pack). All I had to buy was chicken, celery, and cranberries. I used leftover flour tortillas to make them into wraps. It’s like a splurge-y Whole Foods sandwich, but fresher and cheaper!
Yum! I made this with a lonely chicken breast in my fridge … did green apple instead of cranberries since I had none and some shaved carrots! Easy and delicious!
I love honey mustard dressing! I have nominated you for the Liebster Award. Stop by my blog, RV Life and Food, to check it out.
Do you think you could get away with making it without mayonnaise? This looks so yummy I’ve always wanted to make chicken salad but have never gotten around to it because I hate mayonnaise (with the fire of a thousand suns).
Amanda – That is hilarious… and completely awesome! :)
I made this a added a buttload of red food coloring to make Zombie guts for our Walking Dead premier party! The best guts I’ve ever had… :-)
Had this for dinner yesterday – my HUSBAND made it! Had some roast chicken leftover and was tying to figure out what to do for dinner. Suddenly, an email! Perfect timing. Since it was my turn to drive the kids to swim practice, I left a sweet note for my husband asking if he could just get the ingredients together. Oh, and maybe make it too? Well, he did. And he really loved the dressing.
Asia – Hahah, yep, Target! They’re absolutely perfect for photographing food!
I have the same bowls! Target right? I just hate that they’re not microwaveable. They weirdly absorb all the heat and the food stays cold. But they make the best cereal bowls.
Love celery and grapes in chicken salad as well. I always make my chicken salad with leftover chicken. I buy whole chickens – much cheaper than breasts, plus my husband and daughter like the dark meat. This usually gives me leftover white meat and I make chicken salad or other stuff from that. In my grocery store I can buy a package with two whole chickens for .98 lb. That can bring the cost down a lot!
I’ve never really cared for the taste of celery, but I do a chicken salad where I chop up an apple and cut up grapes with the chicken and dressing–fabulous!
I just start reading here the other day and now you post a honey mustard recipe. Forgive me if this is too forward, but I do say I think I am in love