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4.7 from 27 votes

Chicken Chopped Salad

An EASY chopped salad with so much FLAVOR and CRUNCH topped with PERFECT juicy oven-baked chicken that's ready in 15 minutes!! Homemade honey apple cider vinaigrette adds the finishing touch!!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 746 kcal
Course: Side Dish , Salad
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Chicken
  • 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts I used 2 large breasts
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • kosher salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 3 tablespoons light brown sugar packed
  • 1 to 1.5 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional and to taste
Salad
  • 10 ounces fresh lettuce I used a bagged greens mixture with cabbage and shredded carrots
  • 1 to 1 ½ cups diced tomatoes I used halved cherry tomatoes; use Roma, regular, or your favorite tomatoes
  • 1 medium cucumber peeled and diced into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 medium bell pepper seeded and diced or sliced into bite-sized pieces (I used yellow; any color is fine)
  • 1 medium ripe avocado diced or sliced into bite-sized pieces
  • croutons optional and to taste
Vinaigrette
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons mustard I prefer dijon but honey mustard will work
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
  • ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste

Instructions

Chicken:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 425F (use convection if you have it) and line a baking sheet with foil (optional but highly recommended, see Notes below)) for easier cleanup.
  2. Place the chicken on the baking sheet, and pound to an even thickness. I use an empty wine bottle, but a meat pounder or tenderizing tool, a rolling pin, or a heavy frying pan all work. The chicken doesn't need to be pounded 'thin', but it needs to be of pounded to a uniform thickness so it all cooks through at the same time.
  3. Evenly drizzle the chicken with olive oil and generously season with salt and pepper; set aside.
  4. To a small bowl, add the remaining ingredients, stir to combine, and evenly spoon the dry rub over the chicken on both sides. I add a bit more to the side that's facing up than the side that's on the bottom in contact with the baking sheet.
  5. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through (165F) and done.
  6. Allow chicken to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing into it (cover with foil if desired to keep it warmer). Resting the chicken really helps lock in the juices and moisture so don't skip this step.
Salad:
  1. While chicken bakes, to a large platter or bowl, add the lettuce, and chop the vegetables and add them to the bowl, and optionally add the croutons.
  2. When chicken is done resting, slice it and add it to the bowl. Make sure to get any run off juices from the sheet pan into the salad bowl because there is a ton of flavor in the juices.
Vinaigrette:
  1. To a small jar or container with a lid (a canning jar works great), add all ingredients, put the lid on and shake vigorously until combined; taste vinaigrette and tweak as necessary to taste. If it is at all flat, it likely needs more salt. Alternatively, use your favorite store bought vinaigrette or dressing.
  2. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad as desired (you may not need all of it), toss to combine, and serve immediately.

Notes

  • Storage: Extra chicken will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. If you don’t use all the vinaigrette, extra will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
  • Chicken adapted from Perfect 20-Minute Oven-Baked Chicken Breasts and Vinaigrette from Honey Apple Cider Vinaigrette.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 Calories 746kcal (37%) Carbohydrates 45g (15%) Protein 57g (114%) Fat 39g (60%) Saturated Fat 6g (30%) Polyunsaturated Fat 30g Cholesterol 145mg (48%) Sodium 942mg (39%) Fiber 9g (36%) Sugar 31g (62%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 746

% Daily Value*

Serving 1
Calories 746kcal 37%
Carbohydrates 45g 15%
Protein 57g 114%
Fat 39g 60%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Polyunsaturated Fat 30g 176%
Cholesterol 145mg 48%
Sodium 942mg 39%
Fiber 9g 36%
Sugar 31g 62%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.