Gather the ingredients.
Cook the chicken (4-6 hours on low in crockpot with salt and paprika is easiest). Dice the cooked chicken into bite-sized chunks.
Put the nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat. Cook, shaking the skillet, stirring, and turning the nuts constantly until they are lightly browned and aromatic. This should take 3 to 4 minutes. Immediately pour the toasted nuts onto a plate to stop the cooking process.
Give the veg and fruit a chop. In a bowl, combine the chicken, cranberries, celery, red onion, apple, and walnuts, if using.
In a cup or small bowl, combine 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise, the lemon juice, curry powder, salt and pepper.
Stir the mayonnaise mixture into the chicken, adding more mayonnaise as needed for moisture and for flavor.
Serve the chicken salad on lettuce-lined plates with slices of avocado. Or line bread with lettuce leaves and spread the chicken salad on the lettuce.
