High Protein Chicken Salad with Greens
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If you want a meal to remember, this High Protein Chicken Salad recipe has your name on it! Lean chicken breast sits on a bed of crisp, leafy greens with avocado, walnuts, blueberries and bacon. With a tangy citrus kick from lemon vinaigrette, this delicious salad is anything but boring!
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High Protein Chicken Salad Recipe
Do you avoid eating salad because it’s just a boring, blah, side dish to eat alongside a protein-packed entree like steak or chicken? If so, I have great news for you!
Sure, there are healthy green veggies like broccoli and asparagus that you can enjoy instead of a bowl full of lettuce.
But try making this high protein salad instead! This one includes leafy greens, plus high protein ingredients like chicken, bacon, walnuts, and avocado. It’s a completely healthy meal that’s full of nutrient-rich veggies, and protein, too!
Why You’ll Love This Salad Recipe
- Easy to customize the ingredients. It’s already Paleo-friendly, gluten-free, dairy-free, and low carb, but you can add or remove ingredients to adapt it to any eating plan you want!
- Perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. Everything comes together about 20 minutes, and because the chicken and bacon are cooked in a skillet, clean up is a breeze!
- Filling and hearty, without being heavy.
If you’re a fan of salads with chicken, I have several other recipes that you might want to make! Three favorites of mine are Curry Chicken Salad, Asian Grilled Chicken Salad, and Apple Chicken Salad.
Ingredients and Substitutions
The ingredients to make this entree are pretty simple. Simple really is best, don’t you think? The combination of flavors in this high protein chicken salad are incredible, too.
Here are the essentials you’ll need to make this high protein salad:
- chicken breasts: To keep the unhealthy fats down, use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If you’re on a keto diet or you just prefer dark meat, boneless skinless thighs are a great substitute.
- mixed baby greens: You can truly use any type of lettuce you like. I recommend avoiding low nutrient greens like iceberg. At a minimum, at least include some dark leafy greens like baby spinach or arugula.
- uncured and nitrate-free bacon: Uncured bacon is sugar-free, and has become really easy to find. A lot of stores sell it now, including Aldi and Walmart.
- blueberries: Adding fresh berries to the salad will give your salad a nice burst of sweetness and a healthy dose of antioxidants.
- avocado: Not only is avocado a good source of protein, it’s also full of heart-healthy fats.
- red onion: I use red onion because it has a nice bite to it. Plus, it has less natural sugars than sweeter options like Vidalia and yellow onions.
- walnuts: Chicken salad and walnuts belong together like peas and carrots, but you can certainly use any type you like. Nuts with the highest protein per serving are almonds and pistachios.
Did I miss anything? Oh yeah, a creamy homemade lemon vinaigrette dressing, made with freshly squeezed lemon juice, Dijon mustard, oil, and a few simple dried seasonings.
Making the High Protein Chicken Salad
Making this recipe is pretty easy and it comes together in about 20 minutes or so. That’s kind of what I love most about it! To make it:
- Cook the chicken and fry the bacon.
- Whisk the lemon Dijon dressing ingredients together.
- Wash your salad greens, and peel/slice the avocado and red onion.
- Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and toss to combine!
Helpful Tips and Recipe Variations
This high protein salad is simple enough to make, but these tips will ensure that it also tastes great!
- Use nitrate-free, uncured bacon. My favorite brand is Naked Bacon, but there are several other brands to choose from.
- To save time, Use leftover or store-bought rotisserie chicken
- Toss the salad with dressing just before serving. This prevents the lettuce from becoming soggy.
- If you don’t plan to eat all of the chicken salad at one time, it’s best to serve it without dressing. This way, the leftovers will stay fresh for a couple of days.
Other high protein salad topping ideas:
- lentils (18g protein per cooked cup)
- chickpeas (15g protein per cup)
- freshly grated Parmesan (10g protein per ounce)
- hard boiled eggs (6g protein per large egg)
Other Fantastic Dinner Salads
I’d love to hear about your experience making this recipe! Please leave a comment and rating below!
High Protein Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt more/less, as desired
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper more/less, as desired
- 4 strips uncured bacon very cold
- 4 cups mixed greens
- ⅔ cup blueberries
- ⅔ cup chopped walnuts
- 1 medium avocado
- ½ medium red onion about ½ cup
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon vinaigrette to taste (recipe below)
Lemon Vinaigrette
- ½ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 large lemon
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt more/less, as desired
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper more/less, as desired
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Season both sides of the chicken breasts evenly with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the chicken. Once cooked through to an internal temperature of 163℉, set it aside and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
- Place a second skillet over medium heat. Add cold bacon (this allows the bacon fat to render slowly = crispier bacon). Cook for about 6 minutes per side, or until it's as crispy as you like it. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper toweling until you're ready to assemble the salad.
- Thinly slice the red onion. Peel, pit, and slice the avocado. Roughly chop or crumble the bacon. Slice the cooked chicken.
- Whisk the lemon vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Add all the salad ingredients to a large bowl. Drizzle with salad dressing and toss. Divide among 4 bowls and serve.
Notes
- lentils (18g protein per cooked cup)
- chickpeas (15g protein per cup)
- freshly grated Parmesan (10g protein per ounce)
- hard boiled eggs (6g protein per large egg)
