Crispy Chicken Salad features ingredients like chicken tenders, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and more all served atop a bed of romaine lettuce. Homemade honey mustard dressing ties it all together in the most mouthwatering way!
What’s in this Crispy Chicken Salad Recipe
Not only is this recipe delicious, but it’s healthy too! This crispy chicken salad is jam-packed with protein, vitamins A and C, calcium, and iron from all of the simple ingredients.
- Chicken Strips: You can use your favorite store-bought brand – they’ll all be tasty in this easy recipe!
- Romaine Lettuce: You can use iceberg, green leaf, or red leaf lettuce in place of the romaine.
- English Cucumber: I like to leave the peels on my cucumbers, since that’s where most of the nutrients are. However, you can feel free to peel them if you’d like!
- Cherry Tomatoes: Grape tomatoes will also do the trick.
- Red Onion: For this salad, I don’t recommend using any other type of onion!
- Avocados: Check the ripeness of your avocados by giving them a gentle squeeze. If they have a little give, they’re ripe! Too hard or too soft and they’re no good.
- Honey: This adds the perfect amount of sweetness to the honey mustard dressing. I always recommend using an organic local honey if you can.
- Dijon Mustard: Do NOT swap this with regular yellow mustard.
- Mayonnaise: My homemade mayo recipe is my favorite, but any store-bought brand will work just fine.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: This adds the perfect amount of sweet tanginess to the dressing.
- Kosher Salt: Just a pinch!
- Olive Oil: You can feel free to use avocado oil instead if you’d like.
- Garlic: Be sure to use fresh, not pre-minced garlic.
PRO TIP: To turn your crispy chicken salad into a wrap, simply toss the salad and place it on a warm tortilla.
Variations to Try
- Feel free to mix up the chopped veggies to suit your tastes. I like peppers, carrots, and corn!
- This salad is also delicious with other store-bought salad dressings like ranch, a vinaigrette, or honey bbq.
- Feel free to add croutons or nuts to up the crunch factor!
Raw red onions are SO good, but sometimes they can be a bit too strong. To take the bite out of them, soak the cut onion pieces in ice water for about 10 minutes, then drain and add to the salad.
This salad with crispy chicken includes healthy veggies and an indulgent dressing. Baking the chicken strips instead of frying them helps to make this salad healthier, but it is still high in fat and sodium. Enjoy this salad as part of a balanced diet.
How to Store and Reheat
I strongly recommend storing the components of this salad separately. A fully-dressed salad is best on the day it is made but will keep for up to 1 day in the refrigerator.
- The baked chicken tenders will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- The chopped salad components will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- The dressing will keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
How to Freeze
I do not recommend freezing this salad, although you can freeze the chicken tenders for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight before adding to the salad.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this honey mustard chicken salad for lunch, bring it to a potluck/picnic or make it your main entree for light dinner. It’s light enough to enjoy any time of day but filling enough to be served at suppertime – the best of both worlds!
Crispy Chicken Salad Recipe
In the mood for a delicious, hearty salad? Try this crispy chicken salad with honey mustard dressing! It makes for a quick and easy meal that anyone can enjoy.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total Time : 30 minutes
Ingredients
For the Honey Mustard Dressing
Instructions
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Bake the chicken strips according to the package directions, about 20 minutes. Once they are cool enough to handle, slice them into bite-sized pieces.
1 pound store-bought breaded chicken strips
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In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients until creamy.
¼ cup honey, 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, ¼ cup olive oil, 1 clove garlic
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In a large bowl, toss to combine the lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, and avocado.
1 head romaine lettuce, 1 cup chopped English cucumber, 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes, ½ cup sliced red onion, 2 avocados
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Divide the salad between bowls and top with chicken and dressing.
Notes
- You can use homemade chicken tenders instead of store-bought.
- You can use iceberg, green leaf, or red leaf lettuce in place of the romaine.
- Feel free to mix up the chopped veggies to suit your tastes. I like peppers, carrots, and corn!
- You can use store-bought honey mustard dressing instead of making your own.
- This salad is also delicious with other store-bought salad dressings like ranch, a vinaigrette, or honey bbq.
- Feel free to add croutons or nuts to up the crunch factor!
Storage: Store crispy chicken salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Store components separately in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Facts
Crispy Chicken Salad Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 salad)
Calories 602
Calories from Fat 360
% Daily Value*
Fat 40g62%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Trans Fat 0.04g
Polyunsaturated Fat 9g
Monounsaturated Fat 23g
Cholesterol 77mg26%
Sodium 1221mg53%
Potassium 1486mg42%
Carbohydrates 37g12%
Fiber 11g46%
Sugar 22g24%
Protein 29g58%
Vitamin A 14037IU281%
Vitamin C 29mg35%
Calcium 95mg10%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
