Homemade Chicken Tender Salad With Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
Chicken tender salad is made with golden brown crispy chicken strips on a bed of greens with juicy tomatoes, creamy avocado, and a homemade honey mustard vinaigrette. This easy weeknight dinner is dairy free and can easily be made gluten free.
Ingredients
Salad
- 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 heaping cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 avocado sliced
- ¼ cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds
Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup dijon mustard
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 2-3 tablespoons raw honey to taste
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Homemade Chicken Tenders
- 1 - 1.25 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 large egg beaten
- ⅔ heaping cup panko breadcrumbs use GF if needed
- 1 teaspoon diamond crystal kosher salt reduce to ½ teaspoon if using any other kind
- ½ teaspoon EACH garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- olive oil or avocado oil spray
Instructions
- Add the chopped romaine, cherry tomatoes, and seeds to a large bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Set up your dredging station. In one bowl, mix the panko bread crumbs and spices. In the other bowl, beat the eggs. Dredge each piece of chicken first in the beaten egg then in the panko mixture.
- Cook your chicken in either an air fryer or a skillet on the stovetop. See directions below for each method.
- Assemble your bowls. Toss the salad mixture with crispy chicken pieces, avocado slices, and the dressing until mixed to your liking. Enjoy!
Air Fryer
- Preheat your air fryer to 400ºF.
- Arrange the breaded chicken pieces in a single layer in the tray. Spray the top of the chicken with avocado oil or olive oil. Cook for 9 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through and spraying the tops of each piece with a little more oil.
- Transfer the cooked pieces to a wire rack and continue with this process until you’ve cooked all the chicken.
Stovetop
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat with enough avocado or olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Cook the chicken in a single layer on each side until golden brown and has an internal temperature of 165ºF.
Notes
The recipe makes 3/4 cup of dressing.
See the blog post for helpful tips, storage, and FAQs.