Description
A vibrant and hearty Loaded Chicken Salad featuring juicy pan-seared chicken breasts, crisp bacon, fresh veggies, and creamy avocado, all tossed in a tangy homemade Honey Mustard Vinaigrette. Perfect for a nutritious and flavorful meal that’s easy to prepare.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chicken:
- 2 chicken breasts (pounded out to 1/2 inch thickness)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1–2 tbsp olive oil
- Bacon (cooked and cut into pieces, about 4 slices)
For the Vegetables & Salad:
- Lena’s Kitchen pickled onions (1/4 cup)
- Tomatoes (cut into wedges, 1 medium tomato)
- Radishes (sliced, 4-5 radishes)
- Cucumber (thinly sliced, 1/2 medium cucumber)
- Hearts of palm (sliced, 1/2 cup)
- Avocado (sliced, 1 medium avocado)
- Salad greens (4 cups mixed greens)
For the Honey Mustard Vinaigrette:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp mustard (Dijon or yellow mustard)
- Juice of 1 ½ lemons
- ½ small shallot, finely chopped
- ½ tbsp honey
Instructions
- Prepare the Honey Mustard Vinaigrette: Finely chop the shallot and add it to a mixing bowl along with olive oil, mustard, lemon juice, and honey. Whisk all ingredients thoroughly until the vinaigrette is well combined and smooth. Set aside for later use.
- Prepare the Chicken: Remove the chicken breasts from the refrigerator and allow them to come to room temperature, approximately 30 minutes. Place the chicken breasts inside a plastic bag and use a meat mallet to pound them evenly to a thickness of about 1/2 inch. Sprinkle both sides with salt.
- Cook the Chicken: Heat a skillet or pan over medium-high heat and add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once hot, place the chicken breasts in the pan. Cook each side for 6 to 8 minutes or until an internal meat thermometer reads 165ºF. Remove the chicken from the heat and transfer it to a plate or cutting board. Cover loosely with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes to retain juices, then slice into strips.
- Prepare the Salad Ingredients: While the chicken cooks and rests, prepare the remaining salad ingredients. Slice tomatoes into wedges, thinly slice radishes and cucumber (using a peeler or knife), slice hearts of palm, and cut the avocado into slices.
- Assemble the Salad: In a large salad bowl, place the salad greens first. Add the sliced chicken, cooked bacon pieces, pickled onions, tomatoes, radishes, cucumber, hearts of palm, and avocado on top.
- Dress and Serve: Drizzle the Honey Mustard Vinaigrette evenly over the salad. Toss gently if desired or serve as is. Enjoy your loaded chicken salad fresh!
Notes
- The chicken can be seasoned further with black pepper or your favorite herbs for additional flavor.
- For a lighter version, substitute olive oil in the vinaigrette with avocado oil or reduce the oil quantity.
- Leftover cooked chicken can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Feel free to add nuts like toasted almonds or walnuts for extra crunch.
- This salad is best served fresh but can be kept cold for up to 2 hours before serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: loaded chicken salad, honey mustard vinaigrette, chicken salad recipe, healthy chicken salad, pan-seared chicken, fresh vegetable salad
