Chicken Pecan Salad with Dressing (Printable)
Fresh salad featuring tender chicken, crunchy pecans, crisp greens, and creamy homemade dressing. Ready in 30 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Salad
01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded
02 - 6 cups mixed salad greens (romaine, arugula, baby spinach)
03 - 1 cup pecan halves, toasted
04 - 1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
05 - 1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
06 - 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
07 - 1/2 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese, optional
→ Dressing
08 - 1/3 cup mayonnaise
09 - 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt or sour cream
10 - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
11 - 1 tablespoon honey
12 - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
13 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
14 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
15 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
# Directions:
01 - Toast pecan halves in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently until fragrant. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
02 - In a large salad bowl, combine mixed greens, diced chicken, halved grapes, sliced celery, sliced red onion, and cooled pecans. Add crumbled cheese if desired.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy.
04 - Drizzle prepared dressing over salad and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
05 - Serve immediately, or refrigerate for 10 minutes before serving to enhance flavor development.
# Cooking Tips:
01 -
- The dressing has this perfect balance of creamy and tangy that somehow makes even the plainest chicken taste like youve been cooking all day.
- You can prep all the components ahead of time and just toss everything together when guests arrive, making you look effortlessly organized even when youre not.
02 -
- Dont dress this salad until right before serving or youll end up with a soggy disappointment instead of the crisp texture contrast that makes it special.
- The dressing actually tastes better after sitting for about 15 minutes, giving the flavors time to get friendly with each other before meeting the salad.
03 -
- Adding a splash of the brine from your pickle jar to the dressing creates an unexpected depth that makes people wonder what your secret ingredient might be.
- Massage a tiny bit of salt into your red onions and let them sit for 10 minutes before rinsing, which takes away the harsh bite while keeping their beautiful color and crunch.