Main-Dish Chicken Salads

Kale, Apple, and Almond Chicken Salad Recipe

A simple lemon vinaigrette doubles as a marinade. Make sure to pat the chicken dry before searing, or the excess liquid will keep the meat from browning. This salad is packs a serious crunch and is loaded with superfoods and antioxidants to keep you satisfied and energized.

Green Goddess Chicken Salad Recipe

It's important to thinly slice the kale, otherwise it'll lead to a tough-to-chew salad. An easy way to do this is by stacking a few of the de-stemmed leaves on top of one other, rolling them into a cylinder, and thinly slicing the leaves. If you feel inclined to roast your own chickens, substitute those for the rotisserie ones called for. Serve leftovers on croissants, in collard green wraps, with garlic toast or crackers, or on their own.

Grilled Balsamic Chicken Salad with Spiced Pecans Recipe

You'll want to double the sweet and spicy sautéed pecans for snacking during the week. Sub fresh summer fruit like blueberries or nectarines for the raspberries.

Strawberry-Chicken Salad with Pecans Recipe

This main-dish salad features juicy strawberries at their seasonal peak.

Grilled Chicken Paillard Salad Recipe

Grilled chicken and bell peppers top this main dish chicken salad. Tip: Make the vinaigrette dressing in advance and refrigerate to yourself some save time for a quick and easy dinner.

Fennel and Clementine Salad with Chicken, Almonds, and Feta Recipe

Fennel's licorice-y sweetness is a great match for juicy citrus and salty feta. But if it's not your favorite, swap the fennel out in favor of thinly sliced red onion.

Garlic-Sage Roasted Chicken with Kale and Radicchio Caesar Salad Recipe

This flavorful combination of chicken and greens gets an energizing boost from freshly minced sage.

Dixie Chicken Salad with Grapes, Honey, Almonds, and Broccoli Recipe

This gorgeous salad features breaded chicken tossed with lettuce, broccoli, and grapes, and topped with almonds and a honey and Dijon mustard vinaigrette. 

Barley Salad with Chicken, Goat Cheese, and Walnuts Recipe

Pearled barley is convenient and relatively quick-cooking; if you want to make this a whole-grain salad, you'll need to choose hulled barley, which takes about an hour to cook.

Endive, Apple and Chicken Salad Recipe

This main dish chicken salad features the fresh flavors of apple slices, fresh Belgian endive, and a light mustard dressing. 

Chicken Salad with Bok Choy, Almonds, and Apricots Recipe

Use Chicken and Mushroom Stroganoff chicken to make this fresh main dish salad. 

Orzo Salad with Chicken and Radishes Recipe

Because the lemon and basil flavors become even more vibrant with some time to marinate together, this five-ingredient salad makes the perfect to-go lunch. Pack it up the night before, and skip the cafeteria for a bright and luscious midday meal.

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad Recipe

The homemade dressing for this grilled chicken salad mimics the flavor of a creamy Caesar dressing but is a lighter vinaigrette form.

Lemon-Thyme Grilled Chicken Salad Recipe

Top mixed greens with slices of grilled chicken, crumbled feta cheese, and a zesty feta dressing to create a fresh and filling main dish salad.

Grilled Chicken Greek Salad Recipe

Go Greek for dinner with this hearty salad of chicken, chickpeas, tomatoes, parsley, onion and goat’s milk feta.

Warm Chicken and Sautéed Mushroom Salad Recipe

A simple salad becomes a hearty main dish by adding chicken, goat cheese, and extra balsamic vinegar. If you want to splurge, add shiitakes.

Grilled Chicken Salad with Orange Vinaigrette Recipe

This crisp salad base makes a great bed for a variety of proteins--try it with salmon.

Grilled Chicken Salad with Strawberries and Feta Recipe

Simple, beautiful, fast. The oil and vinegar in the marinade double as the base for a simple vinaigrette. Tame the bite of fresh red onion slices by soaking them in ice cold water for 10 minutes.

Chicken, Avocado, and Peanut Salad Recipe

Here's a quick tip: Fresh herbs like basil, tarragon, thyme, parsley, and dill are nearly calorie-free and add a whole new layer of flavor to your greens. Top Chicken, Avocado, and Peanut Salad with a few handfuls.

Chicken-Mango Chopped Salad Recipe

Add tropical flair to a main dish chicken salad with chopped fresh mango and a creamy dressing spiced up with ginger and curry powder.

Quick Cobb Salad with Yogurt Dressing Recipe

A rotisserie chicken from the deli aids in the preparation of this easy main dish salad featuring the traditional Cobb salad toppings: blue cheese, bacon, tomato, and avocado.

Grilled Chicken and Kale Salad with Tahini Lemon Dressing Recipe

Grilling the kale leaves whole makes them slightly crunchy and smoky tasting. Just make sure they're completely dry or else they'll steam and wilt.

Grilled Chicken and Nectarine Salad Recipe

Salads aren't just for busy weeknights; serve them when company's coming to showcase the bright flavors of fresh produce. This 25-minute salad combines sweet nectarines with savory goat cheese for a dynamic flavor combination that perfectly complements the grilled chicken slices and toasted pecans.

Chicken Taco Salad Recipe

Bring the flavor of a Mexican fiesta to salad night with this flavor-packed one-dish meal. Reserve a portion of the marinade, made from bottled salsa and dried spices, to use as the dressing. The chicken needs to marinate for an hour, so prep this meal before leaving in the morning or as soon as you get home. Once it's marinated, the meal comes together in about 15 minutes.

Fried-Chicken Salad Recipe

Pick up fried chicken at the grocery store or save a few pieces from your last homemade batch to whip up this summer-fresh salad in a hurry. A rainbow of vegetables, including corn, red pepper, celery, and lima beans, gives this one-dish meal flavor and a hearty dose of color. Top with a tangy Dijon vinaigrette and serve with a glass of iced tea.

Quick Grilled Dinner Salad Recipe

While cooking a big summer grilling story, we had leftover grilled meat galore. So we gave it a new life in main-dish salads for our Test Kitchen lunches. The dressing is a cinch to customize, depending on what you have on hand--and so is the salad itself: Use whatever grilled meat, vegetables, and greens you like.

Asian Chicken Salad Recipe

Take the work out of making dinner by dishing up a no-cook salad. Pick up a rotisserie chicken from the deli and add the chopped meat to the hearty greens. Top with a zesty dressing flavored with honey and ground fresh ginger.

Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Summer Salad Recipe

Reserve extra balsamic vinaigrette for easy tomato salads.

Walnut-Chicken Salad Recipe

Dredge chicken in ground walnuts and pan-fry for about six minutes to get a flavorful dinner of warm fried chicken on a bed of mixed greens. Top with a drizzle of homemade Buttermilk-Honey dressing and a few cherry tomatoes, then serve on a large platter.

Chicken Cobb Salad Recipe

Whip up this restaurant-favorite salad at home. Bacon, blue cheese, avocado, and chicken are all key ingredients for a classic Cobb. For extra flavor, add green onions and tomatoes, then toss with store-bought Italian dressing for a filling dinner in no time.

Grilled Chicken Caesar Recipe

Skip the bottled variety and make a delicious from-scratch Caesar dressing to top a dinner of pan-sautéed chicken on crisp romaine lettuce. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the salad and serve with toasted French bread for an Italian-inspired dinner in about 20 minutes.

Chicken, Farro, and Vegetable Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette Recipe

Grilling the chicken and vegetables gives this healthy and hearty salad a smoky, sweet flavor. If you prefer, substitute sliced celery for fennel and pearl barley or wheat berries for farro.

Blackened Chicken Salad with Tomato Chutney Recipe

Instead of heading out to dinner, make a restaurant-ready main dish salad at home. Store-bought tomato chutney and olive oil vinaigrette combine to make a tangy dressing that perfectly complements the blackened steak seasoning on the chicken. Save leftover chicken for easy grab-and-go sandwiches later in the week.

Honey-Lemon Chicken Salad Recipe

This textured chicken salad gets a great bite from adding cubed apples.

Chicken BLT Salad Recipe

Crisp chicken in Chicken BLT Salad boosts a favorite side salad to a healthy main-course attraction.

Roast Chicken Salad with Peaches, Goat Cheese, and Pecans Recipe

Fresh peaches and goat cheese headline this simple no-cook salad recipe. The 8-ingredient vinaigrette, made with pantry staples, takes minutes to make and is a delicious complement to the other ingredients in the salad.