Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe

Suppose you’re looking to improve your lifestyle. In that case, a great starting point is adopting a healthier diet, and Spanish recipes can be a tremendous help in this journey with their flavorful, nutritious options.

In this article, we will share with you one of our favorite Spanish salads: The delightful and fresh healthy chicken salad. 

Keep scrolling down and you will learn how to make healthy chicken salad at home, with more information about the different ways of serving, storing, and ingredient substitutions that you can make.

a pin with a Healthy Chicken Salad in a bowl.

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Pssst…!!?? You can’t get enough of Spanish salad recipes? Have a look at my other posts: 

Background of the Dish

healthy chicken salad  with yogurt served on a lettuce leaf

The healthy chicken salad was created in Southern Spain almost at the same time as the traditional chicken salad, offering the same delicious flavors but with fewer calories.

It highlights multiple regional ingredients, including juicy cherry tomatoes, fresh mixed greens, and a classic Spanish dressing, reflecting the essence of Andalusian cuisine.

Today, you can find different types of healthy chicken salads, such as the keto chicken salad recipe and the hot chicken salad recipe, but this one will always hold a special place thanks to its simplicity and flavorful freshness.

Pin for later!

a pin with a closeup of a Healthy Chicken Salad

Things You’ll Need for Healthy Chicken Salad

The main ingredients needed to prepare one of the best traditional Spanish salads are chicken breasts, lettuce, spinach, kale, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, paprika, and vinegar.

fresh lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber on a wooden board for the healthy chicken salad

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 head romaine lettuce
  • 1 cup (30gr) spinach
  • 1 cup (20gr) kale
  • 1 cucumber 
  • 1 cup (180gr) cherry tomatoes
  • 1 avocado (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil (for the dressing)
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • Salt and pepper

How to Make Healthy Chicken Salad – Step by Step Guide

woman washing a handful of spinach for healthy chicken salad
  1. To start with this Spanish chicken salad recipe, grab a small bowl and mix two tablespoons of olive oil with the paprika. Rub that mixture on the boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
  1. After that, brush the grill grates with olive oil and turn it on low heat. You should do the same if using a grill pan.
  1. Now, grill the chicken breasts for about 8 minutes per side. Check them after the first few minutes so that they reach the perfect golden color but don’t burn. Let them cool.
  1. As the chicken cools, continue with this healthy chicken salad recipe by washing the lettuce, spinach, and kale leaves. Drain them so as not to end up with a watery salad.
  1. Then, slice the cucumber and cut the cherry tomatoes in half. If using, cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, and cut into slices. 
  1. To prepare the dressing for the healthy grilled chicken salad recipe, grab a small bowl and mix 3 tablespoons of olive oil with vinegar, salt, and pepper. 
  1. After that, cut the grilled chicken into strips or bite-sized pieces.
  1. Now, grab a large bowl and mix the green leaves, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and grilled chicken pieces. Pour the dressing on top of the healthy chicken salad and gently toss it.
  1. For the final step, adjust the seasoning or dressing of the healthy salad with grilled chicken if needed. At this point, you can top it with the avocado slices if desired and serve it.

Substitution of Ingredients

healthy chicken salad  in 2 bowls with a glass of dressing next to them

When we created this healthy chicken salad recipe we wanted it to be as easy to make as possible, and leave you some room for ingredient changes if needed.

So for that reason, you can copy other recipes, like the chicken salad with carrots, and add as many vegetables as you want, playing with different types such as zucchini, bell peppers, onions, or carrots.

The dressing for this Spanish salad is even healthier than the one that you could find in other healthy salads with chicken, but you could switch it for a low-fat creamy dressing.

You can prepare this Spanish salad recipe with leftover chicken from other dishes, such as the Spanish garlic chicken or the Spanish grilled chicken, which is a great idea if you want to make the most of your ingredients and reduce food waste. 

Are you trying to improve your diet? Then we have more healthy Spanish salads recipes for you, such as the pineapple chicken salad, the apple salad with chicken, and the cranberry chicken pecan salad.

Tips on Serving Healthy Chicken Salad

healthy chicken salad in 2 bowls

Healthy grilled chicken salads are usually served as a side dish, but we have some tricks that you can follow to turn this one into a main dish.

First, to keep the healthy chicken salad as a side or appetizer while also enhancing its flavors you can incorporate toppings such as crunchy toasted almonds, sliced olives, or a sprinkle of smoked paprika. 

You could copy the ways of serving the chicken salad wraps and the chicken salad with tostadas, by using this salad as the filling on low-carb wraps or Gluten-free bread.

To make the healthy salad recipe with chicken more filling, you can add toppings like boiled eggs, crumbled feta cheese, marinated tofu, etc.

If you are hosting a party, then you can make a salad bar filled with other Spanish salads, such as the crispy chicken salad, the honey mustard chickpea salad, and the Spanish vegetable salad.

How to Store Healthy Chicken Salad

How to Store Healthy Chicken Salad. An open fridge with various vegetables and fruits in plastic containers.

The healthy chicken salad is meant to be served freshly made, but if you want to store it then you must follow some of our tips.

First, you can store the grilled chicken in the fridge for up to 3 days, but you can’t store the other ingredients, since ingredients like fresh salad greens can wilt or become soggy, which affects the overall quality of the dish.

However, you can wash and chop the vegetables the same morning of serving the salad to save time later, then store them in airtight containers in the fridge to maintain their freshness until you’re ready to assemble the dish. 

There are more Andalusian dishes that you can make and store for a longer amount of time than the Spanish salad recipes, such as the 

Spanish chicken croquettes, the chicken empanada recipe, and the chicken soup without noodles.

Recipe Card: Healthy Chicken Salad

Yield: 4

Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe

summer salad with chicken in 2 bowls

If you’re looking to improve your lifestyle, a great starting point is adopting a healthier diet, and Spanish recipes can be a tremendous help in this journey with their flavorful, nutritious options.

In this article, we will share with you one of our favorite Spanish salads: The delightful and fresh healthy chicken salad. 

Keep scrolling down and you will learn how to make healthy chicken salad at home, with more information about the different ways of serving, storing, and ingredient substitutions that you can make.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 head romaine lettuce
  • 1 cup (30gr) spinach
  • 1 cup (20gr) kale
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 cup (180gr) cherry tomatoes
  • 1 avocado (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil (for the dressing)
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl mix two tablespoons of olive oil with the paprika. Rub that mixture on the boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
  2. Brush the grill grates with olive oil and turn it on low heat (or do the same with a grill pan if preferred).
  3. Grill the chicken breasts for about 8 minutes per side, checking after the first few minutes so that they reach the perfect golden color but don't burn. Let them cool.
  4. Meanwhile, wash the lettuce, spinach, and kale leaves. Drain them so as not to end up with a watery healthy grilled chicken salad.
  5. Slice the cucumber and cut the cherry tomatoes in half. If using, cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, and cut into slices.
  6. In a small bowl mix 3 tablespoons of olive oil with the vinegar, salt, and pepper. This will be the dressing for the ensalada de pollo.
  7. To continue with the easy healthy chicken salad recipe, cut the grilled chicken into strips or bite-sized pieces.
  8. To assemble the Spanish chicken salad, grab a large bowl and mix the green leaves, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and grilled chicken pieces. Pour the dressing on top.
  9. Taste and adjust the seasoning of the healthy chicken salad if needed. Optionally, top it with the avocado slices and serve it.

Notes

Like most healthy chicken salad recipes, the dressing is supposed to be as light as possible, but you could go for a low-fat store-bought creamy dressing if desired.

Apart from that, spice things up in this Spanish-style salad by incorporating cayenne powder, chili flakes, crushed jalapeños, or a drizzle of hot sauce to the grilled chicken.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 373Total Fat 26.1gSaturated Fat 4.6gCholesterol 45mgSodium 127mgCarbohydrates 22.5gFiber 12.5gSugar 4.3gProtein 20.6g

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