Wild Rice Chicken Salad

Rotisserie chicken, wild rice, cranberry, and almond salad in lettuce cups.

5 from 3 votes

This easy Wild Rice Chicken Salad recipe uses rotisserie chicken! It's made with cranberries, almonds, and a light creamy Dijon dressing.

Cook Time45

Total Time45

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: wild rice salad, chicken salad, cranberry chicken salad, rotisserie chicken salad

Servings:

Calories: 456kcal

Author: Christine Rooney

Ingredients

For The Salad:

2 lbs. rotisserie chicken yields 3-4 cups
1 cup wild rice yields 3-4 cups cooked
2-3 cups water
2 cloves garlic
2 shallots
1 cup dried cranberries or dried fruit of choice
1 cups sliced almonds or unsalted nut of choice

For The Dressing:

⅓ cup mayo
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
¼ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For The Salad:

Prepare 1 cup of wild rice according to package instructions (can also use an unseasoned gluten free wild rice blend). Wild rice usually requires a water ratio of 3:1 but each brand may differ slightly.
You can also use leftover wild rice if you have some on hand.
Drain any excess water from the wild rice, set aside, and allow to cool.
Once the chicken is cool enough to handle remove it from the package, remove the skin, and discard.
Carefully pull all of the white and dark meat from the bones and place it on a cutting board. Cut the pieces of rotisserie chicken into cubes or shred it. You can cut the pieces as large or small as you like.
Mince 2 cloves of garlic and 2 shallots (use sub onion if you prefer but use ¼ of the onion).

For The Dressing:

Combine ⅓ cup mayo, 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar, and ¼ tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper in a small bowl.
Stir all of these ingredients together using a small whisk or a fork until completely combined.

Assemble The Salad:

Place the diced rotisserie chicken, 3 cups cooked wild rice, and minced garlic and shallots in a large bowl. Drizzle with desired amount of the dressing. Stir until completely combined.
Add 1 cup of dried cranberries and 1 cup sliced unsalted almonds to the salad. Stir until combined.
Garnish with fresh herbs such as chives or parsley (optional).

Notes

The rotisserie chicken, dressing, garlic and shallots may be prepared while the wild rice is cooking which will help cut down on prep time.

If you prefer to cook wild rice in an Instant Pot check out this recipe.

Any leftover wild rice may be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or frozen up to 3 months.

Feel free to use as much or as little of the dressing as you like. Any leftover dressing may be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days in an airtight container.

This recipe may be cut in half if you prefer a smaller amount.

Nutrition