Chicken Salad with Pumpkin Seeds and Craisins

This fun mix of ingredients was inspired by...what I had in the cabinet of course!  I have had many chicken salads with grapes and walnuts, but didn't have either of those.   Here, Craisins provide the sweet zip and toasted pumpkin seeds provide the nutty crunch.  

I also made it a bit healthier by binding it with Greek yogurt instead of pure mayo.  If you wanted to cut out the mayo all together you could double the yogurt, but I found combining the two gave me the perfect combination of tangy and creamy.   

Chicken Salad with Pumpkin Seeds and Craisins

4 large chicken breasts, skin on, on the bone

2-3 stalks celery, medium dice

1/2 large red onion, small dice

1/3 c dried, sweetened cranberries (Craisins)

1/3 c pumpkin seeds, toasted

1/2 c mayonnaise

1/2 c greek yogurt

Olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

Rub chicken with olive oil to coat and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until the thickest part of the meat registers 165 degrees.  Remove from oven and let cool.  

Although you discard the skin, roasting the breasts skin-on keeps the meat extremely moist.

You can toast the pumpkin seeds at the same time you roast the chicken if you like.  Just keep an eye on them…they can burn quickly.  Usually when you first start smelling them, it's time to take them out.  

Roast the seeds to bring out their flavor. 

 Combine the celery, onion, craisins and pumpkin seeds in a large bowl.  When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin (my dog loves to assist in this step!) and peel the chicken off the bone.  You can cut the chicken into bite sized cubes.  Personally, I like to get it started with a few cuts then shred it by hand.  I love the rustic feel this provides.  

Crunchy, sweet and nutty...ready for the chicken!

Add the chicken to the other ingredients and bind together with the mayo and greek yogurt.  If possible, do this while the chicken is still warm so it really soaks up all the flavors.  You may need more or less binding depending on how moist your chicken is.  

Adjust seasonings to taste with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.  

This is a great dish to make in advance, as the flavors just meld together.  You can serve immediately, but it will be even tastier the second day!

Serve with large pieces of lettuce for wraps, on bread, on a bed of greens, or alone!  Enjoy!

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