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.
You are a genius !!
My husband described this as the best salad he has ever had! You’re amazing Nagi
Officially my favourite Salad! Thanks Nagi. It’s the perfect salad to serve with chicken schnitzel! I used fresh corn cut from a whole cob and boiled it with salt instead of tinned. It was next level delicious
Beautiful and very easy salad, the dressing is lovely and easy. Very quick prep. Bacon, corn, chicken and avocado goes so well together! Whole family loved it! I used marinated asian chicken. Unfort it all got eaten, hubbie took what was left for his work lunch and there was none left for seconds for me on day 2… 😭😭😭😂😂😂 Will def make this again! Yum! Another winning recipe, thanks Nagi!
This was delicious. Perfect for those hot summer days when cooking is not an option. Thank you!
We make this once a week. My husband loves it! (We’ve been together for 20 years, and he’s never wanted a salad until I made this one! He even likes it leftover for lunch.)
We made this tonight! It was delicious 🤤 all of the flavors were fantastic together. It was a very filling yet bright crispy salad. Nagi, you are a star!! You never disappoint, and my husband thinks it’s me that is a fantastic cook;)
Hahaha ‘pretending to diet’! Great salad formula thank you
My free range chicken is sitting in your brine recipe. The dressing for the big, quick easy chicken salad is made, the greens are washed and dried – all ready for guests lunch tomorrow. Many thanks again.
Loved this salad! One of my kids said it was the best salad he ever ate! Plus, it looked so pretty.
That’s amazing Shannon!!!! N x
Nagi, you’re a gem.
Oven baked chicken and rice last night. Leftover chicken became chicken salad today. You’re making lockdown dinners so much more interesting.
delicious
This looks so appetising
Am serving it today for lunch and
Have roasted skin on bone in chicken breasts with garlic and lemon for this salad
Your Dozer is a darling !
Trying it tonight!!
Super simple chicken salad! Easy to make and easy to eat lol. The dressing is to die for!
This salad was so easy and delicious! For a park picnic, I packed all the ingredients in a large container and added the dressing just before eating! Highly recommend and will definitely be making it again.
Perfect Tracey! N x
Hi Nagi, will this chicken salad be ok if I warmed the chicken to turn it into warm chicken salad? I absolutely love your recipes and that you give substitute ingredients for recipes. And the video’s with the recipe tops it off! Thank you
Yes definitely, as long as it’s not super hot that it would wilt the lettuce. N x
Hi Nagi. I made the Marinated ChickPea Salad and it was a hit. Thank you
Hi Nagi loving your recipes. I made the Marinated ChickPea Salad and it was a hit. Thank you
Thanks for this awesome salad recipe and your salad formula. I tapped you on the shoulder for this in an email and wow it’s here!!!