A deliciously fresh and crunchy salad made with crisp lettuce, thinly sliced fresh veggies, flavoursome red onion, golden brown crispy chicken tenders, all drizzled in a honey mustard dressing. It’s the perfect salad & protein combo for warmer nights. This yummy salad suits the whole family and can be easily deconstructed for the kids, if they’re anything like my kids and don’t like everything combined.
Jump to Recipe
This salad is made using my Gluten Free Crispy Chicken Tenders. I’ve made a homemade honey mustard dressing for this salad but it would be equally as delicious with my Maple Dijon Vinaigrette or Lemon Tahini Dressing. This salad is great for a light dinner but can also be divided into 4 seperate bowls for pre-made lunches throughout the week, just leave the dressing off until the day you plan to eat each salad. This dinner pairs perfectly with my Lemon Thyme Mocktails for a light and refreshing dinner.
What’s to Love About This Crispy Chicken Salad Recipe
- allergy friendly – this recipe is gluten free, dairy free and nut free so perfect for anyone with those allergies or intolerances.
- fresh & healthy – this healthy salad is filled with lots of fresh and nutritious vegetables while being easy to digest. The healthy fats from the salad dressing help your body to absorb more fat soluble nutrients from the salad as well like Vitamin E, A, E, D and K.
- easy weeknight dinner – I love an easy dinner, especially for midweek, and this one ticks all of the boxes. It is relatively quick to make, requires very little cooking skills and all of the ingredients are easy to find.
- so yummy! – this salad is so delicious that the whole family will love it, no more boring salads here!
Ingredients Notes & Substitutions
You can find all of the simple ingredients for this recipe from the grocery store. Below I’ve listed all of the ingredients you will need as well as any notes and possible ingredient substitutions. The full list of ingredient quantities can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Salad Ingredients
- romaine lettuce – also known as cos lettuce. You could also use iceburg lettuce or butter lettuce.
- cherry tomatoes – you can use baby roma tomatoes in place of cherry tomatoes.
- red onion – also known as Spanish onion. I love pungent red onion in this recipe! This would also be delicious with my Quick Pickled Red Onions.
- red pepper – also known as capsicum. You can use red, green or yellow capsicum/peppers.
- red cabbage – can be swapped for white cabbage or finely chopped curly kale is also a great option.
- Lebanese cucumber – you can use English cucumber here if you can’t find Lebanese cucumber.
Honey Mustard Dressing
- extra virgin olive oil – can be swapped for Avocado oil or flaxseed oil.
- dijon mustard
- honey – you can use pure maple syrup instead of honey if preferred.
- sea salt
- lemon juice – I love lemon juice in this recipe, however you can also use apple cider vinegar.
Crispy Chicken Strips or Tenders
I’ve used my gluten free chicken tenders recipe for this crispy chicken tender salad. You could also make this even quicker by using store-bought chicken tenders instead.
- chicken tenderloins or skinless chicken breasts – I like to use either crispy chicken tenders or a crispy chicken schnitzel, either way I chop the chicken into thin strips to place ontop of the salad.
- gluten free bread crumbs – I’ve opted for gluten free bread crumbs but you can also use panko breadcrumbs if you are not gluten intolerant.
- eggs – I combine the eggs and tapioca to coat the chicken pieces to act as the glue for the crumbs to stick to.
- tapioca starch – you can also use corn flour or arrowroot starch.
- sea salt – I’ve used finely ground sea salt in this recipe. If using sea salt flakes then you may need to use more than what the recipe calls for.
- dried thyme
- dried oregano
- onion powder – you could also use garlic powder instead of the onion powder. If making this swap then use half the amount of onion powder for garlic powder as it is stronger in flavour.
- cracked black pepper
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How to make Crispy Chicken Tender Salad
To make my crispy fried chicken salad, start by preparing the chicken. Tenderise the chicken pieces, whether you are using tenderloins or chicken breast fillets sliced in half to create two thin breasts.
Add the crumbs, salt, thyme, oregano, onion powder and black pepper to a shallow bowl. Stir to combine.
Next, make the egg mixture by cracking the eggs into a large bowl. Add the tapioca starch and whisk to combine. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and toss to coat evenly. Take a piece of chicken and add it to the crumbs, coating the entire surface with crumbs. Transfer to a clean plate and then repeat this process with the remaining chicken.
Alternatively, you can add all of the crumbs into a large freezer bag along with the chicken pieces, toss to coat the eggy chicken pieces in crumbs.
Add olive oil to a large skillet or frying pan. Bring to a medium heat. Once hot, reduce the heat to a medium-low heat and add in 3-4 chicken tenders or a chicken schnitzel. For chicken tenders, fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and cooked through. For a chicken schnitzel fry for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked through.
Next, prepare all of the salad vegetables. Create a bed of greens with the lettuce in a large shallow salad bowl or large shallow dish. Top with the thinly sliced cucumber, capsicum, red onion and cabbage. Toss quickly to combine.
Make the dressing by adding the dijon mustard, sea salt and honey to a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Slowly start pouring in the olive oil while whisking and continue whisking until the dressing is well combined and creamy.
Once all of the chicken is fried, cut into thin strips and place the crispy chicken pieces on top of the salad. Drizzle in the honey mustard dressing and serve. This salad would also go perfectly with some of my favourite salad toppings like my Gluten Free Croutons or my Crispy Chickpeas.
Storage
Store leftover salad in an airtight container or in the bowl covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for 2-3 days. The vegetables may go a little soggy due to the dressing. If you are making ahead of time, leave the dressing off until you are ready to serve.
Crispy Chicken Tender Salad
Equipment
- 2 shallow bowl
- Mandolin
- Sharp knife
- Chopping Board
- Frying pan or large skillet
- Whisk
- Large shallow salad bowl
- Parchment paper
- Tenderiser or wooden rolling pin
Ingredients
Crispy chicken
- 500 grams chicken breast or chicken tenderloins
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup tapioca starch
- 3/4 cup gluten free bread crumbs
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil , for frying
Salad
- 1 head romaine lettuce, finely sliced
- 1 red capsicum, core and seeds removed and finely sliced
- 1 red onion, skin removed and finely sliced
- 2 medium Lebanese cucumber, finely sliced into rounds
- 200 grams cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 head red cabbage, finely sliced
Honey mustard dressing
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 50 mL lemon juice
- 60 mL extra virgin olive oil
- pinch sea salt
Instructions
Crispy chicken
- First prepare the chicken. If you are using chicken breasts, slice each breast across the middle to create two thinner chicken breasts. Place either the thin chicken breast pieces or the chicken tenderloins between two sheets of parchment paper and tenderise using a tenderiser or a wooden rolling pin.
- Add the tapioca starch to a small bowl along with the egg and whisk to combine. Next add the bread crumbs, dried thyme, dried oregano, onion powder, salt and pepper to a shallow bowl or large freezer bag and mix to combine. Add the chicken to the bowl with the egg mixture and toss to coat evenly. If using a shallow bowl, place one piece of chicken into the crumb mixture and coat evenly on both sides. Transfer to a clean plate and repeat this step until all chicken is crumbed. Alternatively, add all of the chicken pieces into the freezer bag with the crumb mixture, seal shut the bag and toss to coat all of the chicken in the crumb.
- Add olive oil into a large frying pan or skillet so that it is about 1/4 inch deep. Bring to a medium heat. Once heated, reduce to a medium-low heat. Add a crumbed chicken breast or 3-4 crumbed chicken tenders. Fry until golden before flipping over and frying until golden on the second side (about two minutes each side). Once fried, transfer to a clean paper towel lined plate. Repeat this process until all of the chicken has been fried.
- Transfer the crispy chicken pieces to a chopping board and cut into thin strips.
Dressing
- Add the dijon mustard, salt, honey and lemon juice to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Start slowly pouring in the olive oil, whisking until well combined and creamy.
Assemble Salad
- Create a bed of lettuce in the large shallow salad bowl. Top with the thinly sliced cucumber, red onion and capsicum. Toss to combine.
- Top with the thinly sliced chicken strips and then pour the dressing over the top of the salad. Serve warm or cold.
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