Description
This Honey Mustard Crispy Chicken Salad features perfectly breaded and pan-fried chicken breasts atop a fresh, colorful bed of romaine lettuce, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, bacon, avocado, corn, and red onion. Topped with a tangy homemade honey mustard dressing, it's a satisfying and flavorful dish perfect for a hearty lunch or a light dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Coating
- 2 large chicken breasts (~1.5 lbs)
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup neutral oil (vegetable, smooth olive oil, or avocado oil), with more as needed
Salad
- 1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped small
- 2 cups cucumber, halved and sliced
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 8 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 cup corn
- 1/4 red onion, sliced thin
Honey Mustard Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Slice each chicken breast in half widthwise, cutting all the way through to create four pieces. Pound each chicken piece to about 1/4 inch thickness using a meat pounder or rolling pin to ensure even cooking.
- Set up breading station: Arrange three wide bowls: mix flour with salt and pepper in the first, whisk eggs in the second, and combine panko breadcrumbs with grated parmesan cheese in the third.
- Bread the chicken: Coat each chicken piece evenly with the flour mixture, then dip into the beaten eggs, and finally press into the breadcrumb-parmesan mixture to coat thoroughly on both sides. Repeat for all chicken pieces.
- Cook the chicken: Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add the neutral oil. Once hot, cook two chicken pieces at a time for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer cooked chicken to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with remaining pieces.
- Assemble the salad: On a large platter, place the chopped romaine lettuce. Add cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, crumbled bacon, diced avocado, corn, and sliced red onion evenly across the bed of lettuce. Slice the cooked chicken cutlets and arrange on top, preserving their breast shape for presentation.
- Make the dressing: In a glass measuring cup, whisk together olive oil, dijon mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
- Serve: Drizzle the honey mustard dressing over the salad and chicken, then serve immediately.
Notes
- For extra crispiness, use freshly made panko breadcrumbs or toast them lightly before coating the chicken.
- To make this dish gluten free, substitute the flour and panko breadcrumbs with gluten free alternatives.
- Adjust seasoning in the dressing to taste, adding more honey for sweetness or more lemon juice for tanginess.
- Cook bacon in advance and crumble to save time during preparation.
- Leftover salad can be stored separately from dressing and chicken to maintain freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 679 calories
- Sugar: 13 g
- Sodium: 1261.6 mg
- Fat: 36.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 9.3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 27.4 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 51.8 g
- Fiber: 5.8 g
- Protein: 35.7 g
- Cholesterol: 137.8 mg
