If you’re looking for a light lunch and a wonderful alternative to lettuce wraps, then this air fryer chicken salad recipe is for you.
This all-star recipe includes lean chicken breast as well as an abundance of veggies and dried fruits. Add a dressing made with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and Italian seasoning, and the flavors are out of this world.
Is This Air Fryer Chicken Salad Healthy?
The short answer is yes, our air fryer chicken salad recipe is healthy.
We modified the components to ensure that the nutritional composition complies with our nutrition standards. This salad includes around 250 calories, 210 mg of sodium, and 1.7 g of saturated fat per serving, making it an excellent option for a snack or side dish.
The chicken breast itself is low in fat and high in protein. The average 4-ounce serving of raw boneless, skinless chicken breast has around 136 calories and 26 grams of protein, according to the USDA. Protein is particularly important for growing and mending tissues and maintaining muscle mass.
This recipe’s remaining vegetables (lettuce, tomatoes, carrot, bell pepper, and red cabbage) make this meal high in antioxidants, which may aid in the prevention of cancer, heart disease, and lung disease. Additionally, eating veggies has been associated with improvements in skin and digestive health.
Main Ingredients
This air fryer chicken salad is tasty, versatile, and simple to prepare. You might want to prepare all the ingredients separately at the beginning of the week and then combine them for a quick lunch or supper during the week. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Chicken: We love adding chicken to salads since it is an excellent source of lean protein and can be easily seasoned to taste. Both chicken breast and chicken thighs are suitable for use in this recipe.
- Rub for Chicken: We used salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning for the chicken rub. However, you may use any of your favorite chicken spices in this recipe.
- Vegetables and Fruits: Crunchy lettuce, red cabbage, carrots, and sweet cherry tomatoes round out the texture and flavors of your salad bowl.
- Dried Cranberries: Dried fruits are something that most people will have around the house. They are simple, but really elevate the chicken salad by adding sweet, fruity notes.
- Dressing: The blend of olive oil, salt, Italian seasoning, and lime juice has the right flavor combination to complement the chicken.
Storage
If you need to preserve this salad, do not combine the ingredients. Keep the lettuce base, chicken, veggies, toppings, and dressing in separate containers for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Reheat the chicken in the air fryer or microwave and put the salad together in only a few minutes.
Recipes to Air Fry Chickens With Ease
Our Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Chicken recipe transforms regular chicken breasts into a savory and smoky treat excellent for parties. In just 20 minutes, you’ll have juicy chicken breasts wrapped in chewy bacon, served alongside roasted vegetables.
The air fryer truly saves us time making these fried wings, and the results is as delicious as the regular method. They're lightly seasoned, air-fried until the skin is chewy rather than crispy, and served with buffalo sauce. Because crispiness is out of the way, the wings are still moist and take just 15 minutes.
Air Fryer Chicken Salad Recipe
This air fryer chicken salad recipe is the ideal option for a quick and healthy meal when you have less than 30 minutes in the kitchen.
- by Tuyet Pham, Luna Regina, 2022-10-03
- cook TIME 15 mins
- prep TIME 10 mins
- total TIME 25 mins
- COURSE Side Dish
- CUISINE American
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 247 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 16 oz skinless boneless chicken breast
- 4 oz romaine lettuce (chopped)
- 4 oz cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 2 oz carrot (julienned)
- 2 oz red bell pepper (sliced)
- 1 oz red cabbage (sliced)
- 1 oz dried cranberries
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper (divided)
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep:
Chop the romaine.
Slice the tomatoes into halves.
Shred the red cabbage.
Slide the bell pepper.
Julienne the carrot.
Cook:
Butterfly the chicken: Place 16 oz chicken breast on a clean work surface. Holding a long, sharp knife parallel to the long side of the bird, carefully saw through the breast nearly to the end, taking care not to cut all the way through.
Season the chicken: Rub 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and 1/4 tsp black pepper on both sides of the chicken breast.
Air-fry the chicken: Place the chicken in the air fryer basket and cook 375 ℉ for 15 minutes. Once the chicken is done, cut it into slices.
Make the salad dressing: In a small bowl, combine 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Whisk until everything is well combined.
Assemble the salad: Layer 4 oz romaine lettuce, 1 oz red cabbage, 2 oz red bell pepper, 2 oz carrot, and 4 oz cherry tomatoes onto a big salad plate. Top with air-fried chicken and 1 oz dried cranberries.
Serve the salad: Drizzle the dressing over the salad. Serve.
NUTRITION
Tuyet Pham
Head Chef, Culinary ConsultantLuna Regina
Writer, AuthorNatalie Butler, RD, LD
Nutrition Reviewer- PayneThis dish is a great healthy option for those who are trying to watch their calorie intake.
- Missie012682Simple and tasty chicken salad!