Here’s a big, speedy chicken salad to serve as a main course. Quick to put together using a store bought rotisserie chicken, all my favourite vegetables, a sprinkle of bacon, all tossed in a herby garlicky salad dressing.
Make this for dinner tonight, work tomorrow, or a leisurely weekend lunch with friends!
Quick Chicken Salad
If you’ve got the time, or are wanting to impress with an entirely “from scratch” main course size salad, I’d point you in the direction of one of these:
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San Fran Chicken Salad – my best, most impressive chicken salad. With Yogurt Ranch Dressing, snow pea shoots, fennel, pickled red onion and orange, it’s a copycat of a popular dish at Souvla, a trendy bistro in San Francisco;
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Mexican Chicken Salad – my second most involved chicken salad. Big Mexican flavours in a giant salad with marinated chicken, pico de Gallo and creamy avocado!
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Lemon Chicken Salad – beautiful bright lemon flavours, the lemon dressing does double duty as a chicken marinade and dressing;
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Celebration Salmon Salad – the smoked salmon version of the San Fran Salad, a giant salad made for special occasions; and
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Sweet Potato Salad – a big, juicy meat free salad that I make even when there’s no vegetarians present!
This chicken salad is for all the other times when there’s a need for speed. Bright and colourful enough to proudly serve to friends at a leisurely Sunday lunch. Substantial enough for dinner tonight. Delicious enough to make your coworkers jealous during lunch break tomorrow!
What you need
Here’s what I put in this chicken salad. It follows my basic formula for main course salads:
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something meaty* – chicken;
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something leafy – cos/romaine;
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something juicy – tomato;
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something crunchy – cucumber;
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something sweet – corn;
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something sharp/tangy – onion;
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a treat – bacon!
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dressing – I’m using a herby garlic one for this dressing. It’s a speedy dressing that packs a good flavour punch from the herbs but doesn’t require the effort to finely chop fresh herbs (though you absolutely can – and my favourite combos are listed in the recipe)
* Something “meaty” doesn’t necessarily mean meat. It can be roasted sweet potato, chickpeas, lentils – just something to fill you up and keep you full!
The chicken
Given this is a speedy recipe, it’s made with a store bought rotisserie chicken. If you want to make your own, either poach it, bake it, roast it, brine it or even slow cook it!
I have a container in the freeze in which I accumulate bits of leftover chicken that I use for things like this salad (quesadilla is another common use for leftover chicken bits).
How to make this speedy chicken salad
It probably comes off as a bit condescending to show you these steps, being that this is quite a basic recipe! It’s more out of habit given that I show steps for every recipe I do. 🙂
I did say this was a BIG chicken salad… it is very, very big! It will make a filling meal for 4 normal people, 3 with very very big appetites, or 6 people who are pretending to diet.
How long it keeps, how to serve it etc
Once dressed, the leafy greens will start to get a bit soggy after around 30 minutes due to the oil in the dressing. So if you’re making ahead, keep the dressing separate and cut the avocado just before serving (see the video at 40 seconds to see a speedy way to cut avocado chunks that you can totally do in your office at your desk!).
If you’re transporting half an avocado to work, just drizzle the cut face with lemon juice and tuck it into your salad lunch box, or put it in an airtight container with half an onion (the acid in the onion stops the avocado from going brown).
As for serving it, I think you’ll find this is substantial enough as it is to have as a main course. But of course, if you want to fill it out, nobody’s going to say no to some freshly made crusty bread, right?? 😇 (Don’t be the last person around here to try that bread recipe!!) – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Chicken Salad - quick, easy, BIG!
Ingredients
- 3 cups store bought roast chicken , shredded (Note 1)
- 12 cups cos / romaine lettuce (2 medium, 1 giant) , chopped into bite size pieces (or other leafy greens)
- 1 cup corn kernels (can, drained - about 2/3 can)
- 1/2 red onion , finely sliced
- 300g/ 10oz cherry or grape tomatoes (or 2 normal tomatoes chopped)
- 2 cucumbers , halved lengthwise then sliced 1cm / 1/3" (or 1 long English/telegraph cucumber)
- 2 avocados , cut into bite size chunks (or 1 giant one)
- 150g/ 5oz bacon , cooked until crisp then chopped (optional)
Dressing:
- 2 1/2 tbsp cider vinegar (Note 2)
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove , minced using garlic press (~1 tsp)
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard (or any smooth, non spicy mustard, optional)
- 2 tsp dried mixed herbs (Note 3 for subs)
- 1 tsp sugar , optional (Note 4)
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Dressing: Place ingredients in a jar, shake, set aside for at least 10 minutes to let flavours meld.
- Salad: Place all ingredients except bacon in a big bowl. Drizzle over most of the Dressing, then toss well.
- Transfer to serving bowl, drizzle with remaining Dressing. Sprinkle with bacon. Serve immediately!
Recipe Notes:
- Dill and coriander/cilantro (equal amounts, inspired by this Iceberg Lettuce Salad from a friend, these two herbs together are sensational)
- 1/4 cup chives, parsley or basil
- 2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary or thyme plus 2 tbsp chives or parsley
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Barrier breach.
Salad looks good N, but Dozer made me laugh! 😂
My golden use to love salad including cucumbers! The dog I have now is very picky!
Stay safe and be well!
I’m sure all goldens love ALL food (just not after they’ve been offered chicken) 😂
My dinner plan for tonight 🙂
Love the cameo of Dozer ;D
This looks amazing I’m definitely trying it out this weekend with the family. I love Dozer’s attitude to the cucumber although my Goldie Ruby would have eaten it as well as the chicken. She will eat anything!!! Love your website and pass a lot of your recipes on to my freinds 🤗
Goldie is such a treat, thank you for sharing her with us. We had a Saint once that would eat everything but tomatoes. Interesting.
Looking forward to having this salad. Already very warm in the Southern United States so salad sounds great. Growing up, I had a german shepard that loved getting salad…She would lick the dressing off every single piece and give the veggies to the (other) dog. I also heard that dogs raid avocado farms because they love avocados so much.
That’s too funny Lisa! Dozer loves avocado too!! N x
I make a similar salad but going to use your dressing tonight. Sorry to hear Dozer didn’t like cucumber. My little cockapo Abbey loves the mini cucumbers, red peppers and romano lettuce.
I hope you love it Kimberley!!! N x
Love all your recipes but if you don’t mind me asking what happed to your mom’s I enjoyed her recipes so much.
Hi Joann, hers are all still on her site – you can find them here: https://japan.recipetineats.com N x
I didn’t have any idea what to cook tonight and I just got your recipe via email. It was perfect timing because I had everything in the kitchen already. So I made it straight away. This is a delicious salad, I love it, It will definitely be a regular meal. Thanks Nagi
Wahoo, perfect Annette! N x
Salad looks great, will give it a go but had to comment that my goldie Max is in total agreement with Dozer – chicken is great but cucumber 😬😂😂
Chicken trumps cucumber. ALWAYS. N x
Haven’t made this delectable looking salad yet, but I think it will be the menu for a birthday lunch I can bring to my friend. Thank you!
Please thank Dozer for making life better with him in it, than without him. Love him!
Oh that’s lovely, I’ll give him a belly rub from you! N x
That’s tomorrow sorted. Thank you looks fab.
Dozer is a lucky lucky boy. Goldies would never fit in a kennel. Bred for a couch or big bed. Ours gave up a kennel at 6 months old!
I hope you love it Patricia – love to know what you think! N x
Ok. So I made this tonight for dinner. Loved it. It’s quite substantial and a wonderful combination of ingredients and textures. A keeper!
Salad looks great but completely in love with Dozer – loved him turning away from the cucumber!
Chicken beats cucumber all the way Mike 😂
Tomorrow’s dinner decided ! Oh, am making just for one: quite simple to design just a single portion and I love all the ingredients ! I poach a big chicken regularly, divide it up and freeze . . . great for times like these !! Can still find some Italian herbs in the garden too !! Dozer – Mother he clearly told you in the furniture shop to get a longer sofa . . . I remember the photo !
Yes I store chicken in the freezer too – it’s so handy for quick meals Eha! N x
Yum! Perfect for when I’m back in an office again (I have wild cockatoos as my office-mates while I’m working from home). Love that Dozer face, and the fact that he leaves you any space is quite perfect!