Crispy Chicken Salad

5 from 4 votes

Our crispy chicken salad is tossed with a flavor-packed tarragon vinaigrette. The crunchy, Panko breaded chicken cutlets are the star of this salad. This is a full-meal option and works well for meal prep.

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Total Time50

Course: Salads

Cuisine: American

Keyword: crispy chicken salad

Servings: servings

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

For the Tarragon Vinaigrette:

¼ cup fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons fresh tarragon
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove
¾ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Crispy Chicken:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts 6 ounces each, sliced horizontally
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1½ cups Panko bread crumbs
2 egg whites from large eggs
2 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil more if needed

For the Salad:

5 ounces mixed salad greens
8 ounces grape tomatoes halved
3 to 4 red radishes sliced
1 Persian cucumber or ½ of an English cucumber, sliced
½ red onion thinly sliced
½ red bell pepper diced

Instructions

Make the Vinaigrette:

Blend lemon juice, tarragon, honey, mustard, and garlic in a mini food processor or with an immersion blender. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Prepare the Chicken: 

Set up a breading station with three shallow bowls: one with the flour, cornstarch, and salt mixed together; another with the egg whites, whisked until foamy; and a third with the Panko breadcrumbs.
Pat chicken dry. Dredge in flour, dip in egg whites, then coat with breadcrumbs, pressing to adhere. Place on a parchment-lined plate.
Heat a large skillet over medium with just enough oil to coat the bottom. Cook chicken in batches, 4 minutes on the first side (don’t move it), then flip and cook 3 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack. Cool slightly, then cut into bite-sized pieces.

Assemble the Salad: 

Toss greens, tomatoes, radishes, cucumber, onion, and bell pepper with just enough vinaigrette to coat. Portion into four bowls. Top each with crispy chicken.

Notes

When preparing the vinaigrette a stick blender/immersion blender is another option. Use a food jar with a wide mouth or a similar type of container that the stick blender fits in comfortably.
Cornstarch and egg whites are the secret ingredients necessary for crisp, crunchy chicken, Cornstarch helps prevent gluten formation in the flour making the crust crisper.
Egg whites contain no fat and adds to a crisper crust.
Use your choice of salad greens and vegetables as well as cheese, hard boiled eggs or whatever you like in your salads.
When tossing the salad us only enough vinaigrette to lightly coat the greens. Start with a small amount and add more if desired. Do not drown the greens.
Do not toss the chicken cubes with the bowl of dressed salad mixture as the moisture from the vinaigrette will make the crispy chicken soggy. Add the chicken cubes directly to each salad portion.

Nutrition