Crispy Chicken Salad with crispy chicken, loads of veggies, and the best five-ingredient honey BBQ dressing—so fast and so good!
Crispy Chicken Salad
I can’t even explain how obsessed I am with this salad—it’s easily one of my all-time favorites! I love this Applebee’s Chicken Salad (and so many of you do too!), so I had to make another crispy chicken salad.
This one’s loaded with fresh garden veggies—tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and avocado—with roasted almonds for the perfect crunch.
But the real star? That Honey BBQ Dressing. It’s creamy, tangy, a little sweet, and totally delicious. Hands down the best dressing ever—and it ties everything together perfectly.
Ingredients
Here’s what goes into this Crispy Chicken Salad:
- Crispy chicken: Use frozen or homemade. Bake or air fry so it stays nice and crispy.
- Romaine: Chop into small pieces and thoroughly dry so the dressing sticks well.
- Tomatoes: Slice in half for easy bites.
- Cucumber: English or Persian cucumbers work best—no need to peel and full of flavor.
- Red onion: Soak in cold water for 10 minutes to mellow the sharp bite.
- Avocado: Use ripe but firm so it slices cleanly and holds its shape.
- Almonds: Honey-roasted or plain toasted both add the perfect crunch.
Crispy Chicken Salad Dressing
- BBQ sauce: Adds sweet, smoky flavor.
- Honey: Brings in sweetness and balances the tang.
- Mayo: Makes the dressing smooth, creamy, and thick.
- Dijon mustard: Adds a little zip and depth.
- Apple cider vinegar: Thins the dressing slightly and adds tang.
- Salt and pepper: Brings all the flavor together.
Shortcuts
I don’t buy prepared crispy chicken tenders often, but Taste of Home® has a great list of top picks.
For this salad, I like using Tyson® crispy chicken strips (not sponsored). Bake or air fry them—skip the microwave so they stay crispy. Let them cool slightly, then dice and add to the salad.
What To Serve With This Salad
- Soup: A cup of chicken noodle or pasta soup pairs well.
- Fruit salad: Light, fresh, and the perfect sweet finish.
- Sweet potato fries: Or try these crispy cubed roasted sweet potatoes.
- Cornbread: Adds a soft, slightly sweet bite on the side.
- Pasta salad: Great if you’re serving a crowd and want more variety.
Storage
Crispy Chicken Salad Make-Ahead Tips
This salad doesn’t store well once dressed, but you can prep most parts ahead:
- Dressing: Whisk and store in a jar in the fridge for 5–7 days. Stir before using.
- Veggies: Chop romaine, cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onion. Store in separate containers.
- When ready to eat: Air fry or bake the chicken, slice the avocado, then toss everything with the dressing.
More Salad Recipes
- Quinoa Salad with avocado
- Italian Salad with an herb dressing
- Chickpea Salad with cucumbers and tomatoes
- Panzanella Salad with a balsamic dressing
- Orzo Pasta Salad with a lemon dressing
Crispy Chicken Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups store-bought crispy chicken strips diced, see note 1
- 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce 2 hearts, cut to bite-size pieces
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup English cucumber thinly sliced, see note 2
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion see note 3
- 1 large (or 2 medium) ripe avocados chopped
- 1/3 cup honey-roasted almonds or plain toasted almonds, optional
- 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Chicken: Cook chicken strips according to package directions (or make homemade). Let cool slightly, then dice.
- Dressing: Whisk together all dressing ingredients with a generous pinch of salt and pepper until smooth. If not using right away, store in a jar in the fridge for up to 5–7 days.
- Wash and thoroughly dry the lettuce (wet lettuce won’t hold dressing well). Add to a large bowl or divide between plates. Top with tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, avocado, and sliced chicken.
- Drizzle salad with dressing, toss to combine, and serve immediately. Only dress what you’ll eat right away—dressed salad doesn’t store well.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is our Saturday go to meal!
Yay! So happy to hear this!
This is my family’s new favorite salad! Seriously, this salad is so good and so easy to make. I follow the recipe exactly, with the exception of adding an avocado. I only add that and if I happen to have some ripe at the right time.
I am so excited to hear this! Thanks so much Kate!
Our new favourite weekend meal. Takes chicken nuggets to the next level 🙌
Yay! So happy you guys enjoyed! Thanks Sheri! 🙂
I Made this last night for my family and wow it was SO good. The dressing was perfect and so delicious!
Thanks so much Angela! 🙂
This was easily the best homemade salad I’ve ever prepared. The dressing is so yummy! And I loved that it’s so easy to prepare.
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Zoe! 🙂
Was searching for a chicken tender salad and came upon this recipe. Upon seeing it was Chelsea’s I was pretty confident it would be great – it did not disappoint! We both loved it! Airfryed a couple of Tyson panko crusted chicken tenderloins for 20 minutes at 400 for the chicken. Perfect! My husband and I loved it. And we hadd ALL the ingredients – bonus!
Awe thank you Sue! So glad it was a hit 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Hi! I would love to make this salad and the dressing sounds delicious. Can you recommend a substitute for the mustard. We have a mustard allergy in our family. We can’t use eggs for the same reason and I’ve read they can be substituted as an emulsifier but I’m guessing the mustard in this one is more about the flavor it adds?
Thanks for any suggestions
Excellent. Totally enjoyed this salad, it’s all in the dressing which is very good.
So happy to hear it! Thanks Eva! 🙂