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Fancy Chicken Salad

This Fancy Chicken Salad is extra special with a touch of crunch from pecans, sweet pickles and celery and a hint of sweetness from canned cherries.  The ingredients are surprising, and the flavor is delicious.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time0 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Entree, Main Course, Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: 3-ingredient chicken salad, chicken salad with pecans and cherries, crunchy chicken salad, fancy chicken salad, old fashioned chicken salad, pecan cherry chicken salad
Servings: 10 people
Calories: 200kcal
Author: Barbara

Ingredients

  • 3 cups diced cooked chicken Use 2.5 to 3 cups
  • 4 hard boiled eggs, diced
  • 4 sweet pickles, chopped
  • 3 celery ribs, small diced
  • 4 ounces canned baby peas (LeSueur brand)
  • 8 ounces canned cherries, drained
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Gently mix chicken, hard-boiled eggs, pickles, celery, peas, cherries and mayonnaise.
    This Fancy Chicken Salad is extra special with a touch of crunch from pecans, sweet pickles and celery and a hint of sweetness from canned cherries.  The ingredients are surprising, and the flavor is delicious. 
  • Right before serving, stir in chopped pecans, lemon juice, and salt and pepper (to taste).
    This Fancy Chicken Salad is extra special with a touch of crunch from pecans, sweet pickles and celery and a hint of sweetness from canned cherries.  The ingredients are surprising, and the flavor is delicious. 
  • Serve on a sandwich, on a bed of lettuce or with crackers.
    This Fancy Chicken Salad is extra special with a touch of crunch from pecans, sweet pickles and celery and a hint of sweetness from canned cherries.  The ingredients are surprising, and the flavor is delicious. 

Notes

  • I used a rotisserie chicken for this chicken salad with cherries and pecan recipe.  You could also use a few cans of canned chicken, or poach your own chicken.
  • This recipe easily doubles to serve a crowd. This also allows you to use the entire cans of cherries and peas.
  • Substitute dried cherries for canned, if desired.
  • This pecan cherry chicken salad calls for Royal Ann Canned cherries, but the regular canned cherries are perfectly delicious too.
  • I prefer LeSeuer very small peas for this recipe. They are dainty and cute---very fancy.
  • Use frozen peas for canned, or omit if peas aren't your thing.
  • For an extra fancy meal, serve on a croissant bun or mini Hawaiian bun. 
  • Looking for a quick and easy chicken salad? Try our 3-Ingredient Version
  • The nutritional information below is auto-calculated and can vary depending on the products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 200kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 196mg | Potassium: 263mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 361IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg