Name: Blackened Chicken Salad of your Dreams
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts; 1 1/2 teaspoons blackened seasoning; 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil; 1 large head of romaine (washed and chopped); 1 avocado (sliced); 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes (halved); 3/4 cup bocconcini mini mozzarella (halved); 1/4 cup basil shreds; 1/3 cup white wine or Champagne vinaigrette; 1 garlic clove; 2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard; 1/4 cup champagne vinegar; 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 2 tablespoons honey; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Recipe

This blackened chicken salad knocks it out of the park with incredibly seasoned chicken, fresh ingredients, avocado, and a simple vinaigrette.

This blackened chicken salad comes together in just 20 minutes, making it a filling, healthy dinner option or a meal-prepped office lunch.

a big plate with blackened chicken salad with avocado, tomato, lettuce, and mozzarella balls

Epic Salad with Blackened Chicken

Laura fuentes holding a skillet of food standing in front of a blue door

Gone are the days when you eat plain green lettuce salads for lunch. This blackened chicken salad has it all! The seasoning on the seared chicken makes the salad. Then, the toppings take it to another level. Amazing!

I love combining this epic blackened chicken with the classic salad ingredients and a delicate vinaigrette to get a ridiculously good meal I serve for dinner in 20 minutes and meal prep for the office, so press pause on your adult lunchables for a bit.

Ingredients

To make this recipe, I cook chicken breasts with blackened seasoning and a little butter to make them delicious. To build the salad, I also include Romaine lettuce, avocado, ripe tomatoes (I like cherry tomatoes, but any tomato in season works), mini mozzarella (bocconcini) or cubed mozzarella, basil for fresh flavor and aroma, and a light dressing for drizzling.

How to Make A Blackened Chicken Salad

Before checking the video recipe below, here’s an overview of the simple steps to make this salad:

Cook the chicken
After seasoning both sides of the chicken breasts with blackened seasoning, cook the chicken in a hot cast-iron skillet for about 7 minutes per side.
Let the chicken rest.
Transfer the cooked chicken breasts to a board and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Assemble the salad.
Meanwhile, layer the lettuce, then top with tomatoes, mini mozzarella balls, and avocado. Add the sliced chicken and drizzle with dressing.

close up of blackened chicken salad with avocado, tomato, and mozzarella balls

Best Dressings for Salad with Blackened Chicken

Store-bought or homemade, a vinaigrette pairs best with this blackened chicken salad. You’ll find the mild champagne vinaigrette below, or pair it with a simple balsamic vinaigrette, a delicious maple Dijon vinaigrette, make a blended red Wine vinaigrette, or go light on a classic Ranch dressing.

How to Prep This Salad for Work Lunches

This salad is one of those simple and tasty meals you can prep ahead and have ready to grab and go on busy days. Here’s how so it stays fresh:

Layer all the salad ingredients inside 4 meal prep containers except for the sliced avocado.
Pack about 2 tablespoons of salad dressing inside four small, lidded containers.
On the morning of, slice ¼ of an avocado and pack it inside the lunch container.
Drizzle the dressing right before enjoying it for lunch.

glass lunchbox with blackened chicken salad with avocado, tomato, lettuce, and mozzarella balls

Always See My Recipes In Google

Blackened Chicken Salad of your Dreams

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 20

This blackened chicken salad knocks it out of the park with incredibly seasoned chicken, fresh ingredients, avocado, and a simple vinaigrette.

5 from 19 votes

Print Pin

Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts
1 ½ teaspoons blackened seasoning
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
1 large head of romaine, washed and chopped
1 avocado, sliced
1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
¾ cup bocconcini mini mozzarella, halved
¼ cup basil shreds
⅓ cup white wine or Champagne vinaigrette

For the vinaigrette:

1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
¼ cup champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

The dressing:

If making the vinaigrette, combine all the ingredients and refrigerate it for up to 7 days or until ready to use.

Make the epic blackened chicken:

On a flat surface, pat dry the chicken breasts. Distribute the seasoning on both sides of the chicken breasts.
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, melt the butter. Place the chicken breasts on the pan and cook the first side for 7 minutes. Flip the chicken breasts over and cook for another 7 minutes on the other side, until the internal temperature reaches 165F. Cooking time on the second side will vary by the thickness of the chicken breast.
Remove the cooked chicken breasts from the pan onto a board and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Build the dream salad:

Assemble the salad in a large bowl by layering the chopped Romaine, topping it with cherry tomatoes, mini mozzarella balls, sliced avocados, and sliced chicken breasts.
Drizzle ½ cup salad dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Add more salad dressing if desired.

For Meal Prep:

Layer all the salad ingredients inside 4 meal prep containers except for the sliced avocado. Pack about 2 tablespoons of salad dressing inside four small, lidded containers. On the morning of, slice ¼ of an avocado and pack it inside the lunch container. Drizzle salad dressing at lunch.