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crispy chicken salad with honey mustard dressing
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5 from 6 votes

Crispy Chicken Salad

This crispy chicken salad is like comfort food on a bed of greens. It features crispy chicken strips, perfectly cooked eggs, fresh veggies, and a sweet honey mustard dressing. It makes a perfect weeknight meal or hearty meal-prep lunch.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Dinner, Healthy, Lunch
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Keyword: cobb salad, crispy chicken, fried chicken, honey mustard
Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

  • Deep skillet like a cast-iron skillet

Ingredients

Honey Mustard Dressing

  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise homemade or store-bought (I like Primal Kitchen)
  • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard (yellow mustard will work too)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white distilled vinegar

Fried Chicken

  • 1 lb chicken tenderloins (Note 1 chicken breasts)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour gluten-free if needed
  • 1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs gluten-free if needed
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika (I like smoked paprika)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/3 cup coconut or avocado oil plus more if needed

Crispy Chicken Salad

  • 8 cups romaine lettuce chopped
  • 3-4 hard boiled eggs quartered (Note 2)
  • 1-2 avocado sliced or chopped
  • 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved

Instructions

  • Start by making the salad dressing. Add all of the ingredients to a small dish and whisk until smooth. Place in the fridge until ready to serve.
  • To make the crispy chicken salad, pat the chicken tenders dry with a paper towel and season both sides with kosher salt and pepper
  • Create a dredging station with three shallow bowls large enough to fit each chicken tender. Add 1/4 cup of flour to the first bowl then whisk the eggs in the second bowl. To the third bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup of flour, Panko bread crumbs and seasoning.
  • Line a large plate or baking sheet with parchment paper to place each piece of dredged chicken. Using one hand, place a chicken tender in the bowl of flour and turn to coat it on both sides. Transfer it to the bowl of beaten eggs to coat, then cover it in the panko mixture last. Turn it to coat well to ensure all sides are covered in breading. Transfer the chicken to the prepared plate or pan and repeat with the remaining tenders. Your fingers will be coated in the mixture, but it’s best to wait until you’re done with all of the tenders before washing them.
  • To fry the chicken, pour the oil into the bottom of a large, deep skillet, like a cast iron skillet, over medium-high heat. Use an instant-read thermometer to determine when the oil is hot enough to add the chicken. The oil should reach 325°F before adding the chicken.
  • When the oil is up to temperature, place half of the chicken tenders in the oil. Check the temperature of the oil again, doing your best not to touch the thermometer to the bottom of the pan to get an accurate reading. The oil temperature will drop when you add the cold chicken, so adjust the heat as needed to keep the temperature as close as you can to 325. Fry the chicken for approximately 4 minutes on each side, until the breading is golden brown and the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken reaches 160°F (just under the target temperature of 165°F), to allow for carryover cooking.
  • When the chicken is done, transfer it to a paper towel line plate and repeat with the second half of the chicken. Allow the chicken to cool and rest while you assemble the salad.
  • Add the lettuce to a large bowl and top with hard-boiled eggs, sliced avocado, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and cheese if desired. Slice the chicken into large chunks or strips and top the salad. Serve with prepared dressing.

Video

Notes

Note 1. Chicken Breasts. Slice skinless chicken breasts in half lengthwise (to create chicken cutlets), then cut those into strips.
Note 2. Hard-Boiled Eggs.  Add eggs to a medium pot and fill with water 1 inch above the eggs. Place on the stove over high heat, uncovered, and bring to a rolling boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low to boil. Set the timer for 7-8 minutes. While they're boiling, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl with ice and water. When the timer is up, scoop out the eggs and place them immediately in the ice bath to stop cooking. Peel and chop! 
Air-fryer fried chicken: place the dredged chicken in an even layer in the air fryer basket. Spray generously with cooking oil spray. Air fry at 400°F for 10 minutes, flipping and spraying again halfway through.
Pre-made chicken tenders: I've used Applegate gluten-free chicken nuggets for this and it works great.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 467kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 25.8g | Fat: 25.2g | Sugar: 12.5g