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Home » Recipes » Salads

Crispy Chicken Tender Salad

By Laura Fuentes Updated Jun 24, 2026

5 from 25 votes

Recipe
This Crispy Chicken Tender Salad is a fun and flavorful way to make a delicious salad recipe right at home! 

Loaded with fresh veggies and the crispiness you crave from the restaurant’s crispy chicken salad, you'll make this recipe again and again.

large chicken tender salad in a white bowl

Healthy Salad with Chicken Tender

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

Eating a non-fried chicken salad is always the healthiest choice, which unfortunately can get repetitive. So, to keep this salad in the "healthy" category, I bake the chicken instead of frying it.

It’s also important to check the type of chicken tenders you purchase and how much and what type of dressing you use. Since this salad has lots of texture and flavor, you don't need to drench it in dressing to make it taste great.

Ingredients

Store-bought chicken tenders are fast and ready to cook and eat. However, my homemade chicken tenders are so flavorful and can be a great cost-effective answer! To make them a salad, add Romaine or green lettuce, grape tomatoes, avocado, red onion, and Ranch dressing.

bowls with chicken tenders, dressing, tomatoes, plus lettuce, red onion and avocado

How to Make Salad with Chicken Tenders

In the video and step below you can check how easy this salad is to make:

  1. Bake the chicken.
    Bake them for 25 to 30 minutes at 400F, making sure to flip halfway through.
  2. Prepare the salad.
    Meanwhile, layer the salad ingredients in a big bowl or make single servings in airtight containers.
  3. Slice the chicken.
    Once ready, slice the chicken strips diagonally.
  4. Top the salad.
    Top each salad bowl with breaded chicken. Drizzle Ranch dressing over the top, or pack it separately for lunch.

Laura’s Favorite Dressings for Crispy Chicken Salad

I love this salad with Ranch dressing, but other great options include avocado lime dressing, maple Dijon vinaigrette, red wine vinaigrette, and this citrus vinaigrette.

Always See My Recipes In Google

Crispy Chicken Tender Salad

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 20 minutes mins
Total Time: 30 minutes mins
This Crispy Chicken Tender Salad is a fun and flavorful way to make a delicious salad recipe right at home! 
5 from 25 votes
Print Pin

Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

  • 8 breaded chicken strips
  • 1 head Romaine or green lettuce, chopped
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1 avocado, pitted and diced
  • 1 small red onion, sliced thin
  • Ranch dressing

Instructions

Bake the chicken tenders:

  • Preheat the oven to 400F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Bake chicken tenders for a total of 25 to 30 minutes, making sure to flip halfway through.

Assemble the salad:

  • Meanwhile, prepare the salad bowls by layering the lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, and red onion.
  • Once the tenders are ready, remove them from the oven and slice the strips diagonally on a cutting board.
  • Top each salad bowl with breaded chicken and drizzle Ranch dressing over the top.

The recommendations below may include affiliate links.

Equipment

Ipad and iphone displaying the 101 packed lunches ebook
101 Packed Lunches eBook
Glass Lunch Containers
Dressing Bottle
Salad Dressing Twist Jar
avocado keeper
lettuce keeper

Nutrition

Serving: 1 salad | Calories: 241kcal | Carbohydrates: 13.2g | Protein: 7.2g | Fat: 18.6g | Saturated Fat: 2.9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 21.5mg | Sodium: 345.6mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g

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Comments

    5 from 25 votes (21 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Matt says

    March 04, 2020 at 10:20 am

    5 stars
    I made this recipe yesterday after my amazon order for these delicious cheesy bites arrived. I’m thrilled to report the chicken was crispy and juicy and my salad with chicken was Epic. Thanks!

    Reply
  2. Jason says

    March 03, 2020 at 3:14 pm

    5 stars
    I tried this recipe yesterday and it was great! the chicken was crispy and everyone loved it. Thank you.

    Reply
  3. Karen Ritchie says

    March 02, 2020 at 9:30 am

    5 stars
    what are the actual measurements for the RANCH DRESSING? You mention the ingredients, but you don’t say how much of each ingredient to add to the mason jar to shake up. 😉

    Reply
    • Laura Fuentes says

      March 05, 2020 at 11:30 am

      Karen, I just added the homemade ranch ingredient measurements in a recipe card you can print in the post. Enjoy!

      Reply
  4. Sandra says

    March 01, 2020 at 6:08 pm

    5 stars
    I picked up some of the regular cheddar Moon Cheese at Starbucks yesterday to make this salad with chicken. It came out amazing. The baked chicken crust is perfectly crispy and has a full cheddar taste. I love it!

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

Hi! I'm Laura.
Known for the internet’s favorite pancake recipes and real-life dinners that make weeknights easier. These are the meals my family loves, and yours will too!

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