Chicken and Wild Rice Salad

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This chicken and wild rice salad is hearty, bright, and full of texture – tender chicken, chewy rice, crisp apples, and crunchy pecans tossed in a creamy lemony dressing. It’s perfect for easy lunches or a no-fuss dinner.

This recipe is a great use for store bought rotisserie chicken! It turns “I have nothing for dinner” into an actual meal with almost no effort, and this chicken and wild rice salad is one of my favorite ways to put it to use. That said, it works equally well with a couple of sautéed chicken breasts.

The combination here is just so good – hearty chicken and nutty wild rice, crisp apples, chewy dried cranberries, and toasted pecans for crunch.

The quick lemon-mayo dressing pulls everything together with that perfect creamy-bright balance. It gives me the same satisfying, sweet-savory vibe as my cranberry walnut chicken salad, but with the added texture that wild rice brings.

And ever since I made my turkey and wild rice soup this year, I’ve been wanting to find more excuses to cook with wild rice – it brings such a cozy, nutty depth to even the simplest salads. In the soup I used a wild rice blend, while here I went with 100% wild rice.

It’s the kind of salad you can serve for lunch, make ahead for easy dinners, or bring to a gathering and watch it disappear.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

It’s the perfect balance of hearty and fresh. The wild rice and chicken make it satisfying, while the apples, cranberries, and scallions keep it bright and lively.

Great for make-ahead meals. The flavors actually get better as it chills, so it’s ideal for prepping lunches or an easy dinner you can pull straight from the fridge.

A no-stress way to use leftover chicken (or rotisserie!). Minimal cooking, maximum payoff – exactly the kind of recipe that earns a permanent spot in the rotation.

Texture lovers, this one’s for you. You get chewy wild rice, crunchy pecans, juicy apples, and tender chicken all in one bite.

It works for almost any occasion. Serve it at a potluck, pack it for a picnic, or keep it in the fridge for quick weekday meals – it always fits.

Ingredient Notes

Mayonnaise

This makes up the creamy base of the dressing. Full-fat mayo is my preference, but feel free to use low-fat if you prefer. Greek yogurt is another option for a tangier dressing. Anything you love in a classic chicken salad will work beautifully here.

Lemon juice

Fresh lemon juice brightens everything and balances the creaminess of the mayo. You’ll taste the difference, so I definitely recommend squeezing a lemon rather than using bottled.

Chicken

Shredded rotisserie chicken keeps things quick and adds great flavor, but any cooked shredded chicken you already have works fine.

You can also just cook up a couple of chicken breasts ahead of time and shred it to use in this salad.

Wild Rice

Pure wild rice is the star here. It adds a deep, nutty flavor and a pleasantly chewy texture that holds up incredibly well in salads – even after a day or two in the fridge. Unlike softer grains, it keeps its structure and never turns mushy, which is one of the reasons I love using it in salads.

Interestingly, wild rice isn’t actually rice, but a related aquatic plant from the sweet grass family. It’s the highest protein type of “rice”. Something to keep in mind if you’re looking to increase your protein intake.

You can cook it ahead of time or even use packaged cooked wild rice if you want to keep prep simple.

Apples

Crisp, sweet apples (like Gala, Honeycrisp, or Fuji) add freshness and plenty of crunch that balances the creaminess of the dressing. They also keep their shape beautifully in salads.

Dried Cranberries

These add chewy, tart-sweet pops throughout the chicken and wild rice salad. If you want something a little brighter, you can use fresh cranberries that have been coarsely chopped.

Pecans

Toasted pecans bring buttery crunch and warmth – they pair especially well with both the cranberries and the wild rice. Roughly chop them so you get a mix of textures.

Scallions

Fresh, mild, and not overwhelming, scallions or green onions add just the right amount of onion flavor. Finely chopped red onion or shallots will also work well.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until smooth.

1. Stir in the chicken, wild rice, apples, dried cranberries, pecans, and scallions, and toss until everything is evenly coated.

1. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Serve your chicken and wild rice salad and enjoy.

Add-Ins Suggestions

This chicken and wild rice salad is wonderfully flexible, and a few simple additions can shift it toward whatever you’re craving – or whatever’s already in your fridge.

• Spoon the salad over crisp lettuce for a lighter, more lunch-y feel, or mix in a handful of spinach or arugula for extra freshness.
• Swap or supplement the pecans with any other nuts like almonds or pistachios if you want a different kind of crunch.
• A sprinkle of crumbled goat cheese or shaved Parmesan adds creaminess and a salty punch that works beautifully with the apples and cranberries.
• For a less creamy version, replace part of the mayo with Greek yogurt or whisk in a splash of olive oil.
• You can add chopped celery if you love it, but keep in mind that wild rice already has a naturally earthy, slightly bitter note – and the apples give plenty of crunch without it.
• Want a different texture? Try cooked barley, farro, or another hearty grain in place of the wild rice.

Storage Instructions

This chicken and wild rice salad keeps really well, which makes it great for easy lunches or make-ahead dinners.

Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–5 days. The flavors actually meld and improve as it sits, and the wild rice holds its texture without getting mushy. If the salad seems a little thick after chilling, you can stir in a small squeeze of lemon juice or an extra spoonful of mayo to loosen it up.

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Broccoli Crunch Salad

Kale Pomegranate Salad

Mandarin Chicken Salad