Honey Mustard Salad Dressing

Our favorite Honey Mustard Salad Dressing coats this delicious chicken and veggie salad with crisp bacon and a creamy avocado.

Five-ingredient Honey Mustard Salad Dressing

This crispy chicken salad is one of the most requested salads in my home, so I decided it was time to make a riff off that salad with Honey Mustard Salad Dressing. This honey mustard dressing is BBQ-sauce free, but equally creamy and delicious!

Nothing can compete with the ease of a store-bought dressing, this one recipe is *almost* that easy, because it is so dang quick and easy to make. With only five ingredients and the easiest process (simply whisk everything together until combined) you’ll have dressing ready in no time.

This dressing is so good, you may even want to double it for a delicious veggie dip or to use on other snacks throughout the week. I know we like to keep a double batch on hand!

Honey Mustard Salad Dressing tips

• Use good mayo. I highly recommend real, full-fat mayo for the best possible dressing.  Hellmanns/Best Foods® is my favorite brand (not sponsored).
• I know it seems strange and is different than most honey mustard salad dressings, but we’re using yellow mustard, not Dijon mustard in this dressing. Trust me, it works!
• Sweeten to taste. We prefer this dressing on the sweeter side, so if you’re concerned about sweetness, add the honey slowly and to taste.
• Don’t be alarmed with the color of the salad dressing. This honey mustard salad dressing is quite yellow in real life, but for some reason that color did not come across in my photos! I take pictures in early-morning light and it does not pick up yellow very well, so don’t be concerned if your dressing looks slightly different from these pictures.

Other salad tips

• If you don’t like the bite of raw red onions, soak the sliced onions first in some cold water with a pinch of salt. Drain thoroughly and then add to the salad.
• Thoroughly dry lettuce. Nothing ruins a salad like wet lettuce! Dry it completely after washing; a salad spinner makes this process a breeze.
• Wait until the avocado is ripe before using. A perfectly ripe avocado adds maximum creaminess to the salad, which complements the other ingredients so nicely.
• Save time with how you prepare the chicken. See more on this below.

Preparing the chicken

There are a few different options for adding chicken to this salad, so pick what’s easiest for you:

• Quickest option – rotisserie chicken: Get a fresh and hot rotisserie chicken and chop it up for this salad. Or for an even quicker prep time, a lot of grocery stores have rotisserie chicken meat that has already been pulled from the bones and shredded.
• Leftover chicken: If you’re already making chicken during the week, make some extra and save it for this salad! I’d recommend making a double batch of this grilled chicken marinade; it’s our favorite.
• Store-bought crispy chicken: While I’m no expert at store-bought crispy chicken tenders (I don’t buy them all that often), Taste of Home shares the best chicken to use for this recipe. If you use frozen crispy chicken, I do recommend baking the chicken, not microwaving it, for this salad. Allow the chicken to cool to a warm temperature and then slice and add to the salad.
• Fresh grilled chicken: If making chicken fresh for this salad, I recommend drizzling olive oil and adding a generous amount of salt, pepper, and lemon pepper seasoning. Grill until cooked through, about 4-6 minutes per side (or until chicken juices run clear and internal temperatures register 165 degrees F).
• Fresh sautéed chicken: Halve thick chicken breasts and drizzle olive oil on both sides. Sprinkle with a generous amount of salt, pepper, and lemon pepper seasoning. Cook in a hot skillet for about 4-6 minutes per side (or until chicken juices run clear and internal temperatures register 165 degrees F).

Honey Mustard Salad Dressing storage

This salad doesn’t sit well once dressed. Add the honey mustard salad dressing right before enjoying and only to what you’ll eat the same day it is made. Store leftover Honey Mustard Salad Dressing in an airtight container (like as a mason jar) and store for 5-7 days in the fridge. Give it a quick stir or shake before adding to a salad.

More delicious salads

• Italian Chopped Salad with an Italian-inspired vinaigrette
• Beet and Goat Cheese Salad with an orange-honey vinaigrette
• Kale Avocado Salad with a creamy avocado dressing
• Apple Salad with an apple cider vinaigrette
• Olive Garden Salad copycat recipe

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Honey Mustard Salad Dressing (with crispy chicken salad)

5 from 4 votes

- Review this recipe

Our favorite Honey Mustard Salad Dressing coats a delicious chicken and veggie salad with crisp bacon and a creamy avocado.

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

Print Recipe

Honey Mustard Salad Dressing (with crispy chicken salad)

5 from 4 votes

- Review this recipe

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

Print Recipe

Our favorite Honey Mustard Salad Dressing coats a delicious chicken and veggie salad with crisp bacon and a creamy avocado.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword Honey Mustard Salad Dressing (with crispy chicken salad)

Prep Time 30 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4 -6 servings

Calories 372kcal

Cost $6.82

Ingredients

Salad

• 5 cups (190g) romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 cup (163) halved or quartered cherry tomatoes,
• 1/2 cup 1/4th of 1 large (45g) thinly sliced red onion
• 1 large avocado, thinly sliced or chopped
• 6 slices center cut bacon, cooked and chopped
• 2 cups cooked and chopped or thinly sliced chicken (See Note 1)

Dressing

• 1/2 cup (102g) regular, full-fat mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons yellow mustard (not Dijon)
• 1-3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper

Instructions

• DRESSING: Start by adding all the dressing ingredients into a small bowl. Add honey to personal preference (we like 2 tablespoons) Season to taste with salt and pepper (I add 1/4 teaspoon each). Whisk together with a fork or small whisk until smooth. Taste and adjust to personal preference. Transfer dressing to a mason jar and place in the fridge to allow flavors to meld and dressing to chill before adding to the salad.
• CHICKEN: See Note 1.
• BACON: Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy, about 6-8 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and let slightly cool. Chop coarsely for the salad.
• ASSEMBLE: Chop the lettuce and add to a large bowl or platter. Top lettuce with cooked chicken, chopped bacon, halved cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, and a thinly sliced or chopped avocado. Drizzle on dressing to personal preference (you may not use all the dressing; use any leftover dressing on other salads or with veggies; dressing stays good for up to 7 days in an airtight container in the fridge). Enjoy salad immediately; salad does not sit well with dressing and avocado.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: There are lots of different options for how you can add chicken to this salad. Pick one of the following and make sure to chop or thinly slice before adding to the salad. If using chicken breasts, you'll want about 3/4 pound chicken (1 large breast).

• Quickest option - rotisserie chicken: Purchase a fresh and hot rotisserie chicken and chop it up for this salad. Or for an even quicker prep time, a lot of grocery stores have rotisserie chicken meat that has already been pulled from the bones and shredded.
• Leftover chicken: If you're already making chicken during the week, make some extra and save it for this salad. I'd recommend making a double batch of this grilled chicken marinade; it's our favorite!
• Store-bought crispy chicken: While I’m no expert at store-bought crispy chicken tenders (I don’t buy them all that often), Taste of Home shares the best chicken to use for this recipe. If you use frozen crispy chicken, I do recommend baking the chicken, not microwaving it for this salad. Allow the chicken to slightly cool to a warm temperature and then thinly slice and add to the salad.
• Fresh grilled chicken: If making chicken fresh for this salad, I recommend drizzling olive oil and adding a generous amount of salt, pepper, and lemon pepper seasoning. Grill until cooked through, about 4-6 minutes per side (or until chicken juices run clear and internal temperatures register 165 degrees F).
• Fresh sautéed chicken: Halve thick chicken breasts and drizzle both sides with olive oil. Sprinkle with a generous amount of salt, pepper, and lemon pepper seasoning. Cook in a hot skillet for about 4-6 minutes per side (or until chicken juices run clear and internal temperatures register 165 degrees F).

The nutritional information shown below is for the dressing and salad. In a serving of the dressing, there are 131 calories.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6servings | Calories: 372kcal | Carbohydrates: 7.7g | Protein: 24.1g | Fat: 27.2g | Cholesterol: 86.2mg | Sodium: 287.4mg | Fiber: 2.7g | Sugar: 4.5g

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