This Honey Mustard Chicken Salad Recipe is so easy to make! Perfect for a quick lunch or meal prepping for a healthy dinner. Loaded with bacon, avocado and tomatoes.
We’ve all been there… eating a salad that is flavorless because we “need to get our veggies in”. Can we just not do that anymore!?
There is no reason to eat bland salads again once you see how easy it is to have a delicious salad with this honey mustard salad with the most flavorful dressing!
It is bright and fresh with a little kick from the mustard and has a ton of substitutions to your taste or what you have in your pantry (see green box below).
It comes together in about an hour (less if you prep the chicken and bacon ahead of time) and you are absolutely going to love it!
Why we love this healthy salad :
- Easy to make – Simply cook the proteins, mix the dressing up and assemble the salad. It truly couldn’t be easier, especially if you already have leftover chicken.
- Great for meal prep – You can totally prep the chicken and bacon and store in your fridge for up to four days, then assemble the salad when you are ready to eat!
- Actually will make you want to eat your veggies! – If you find it hard to eat your veggies, you NEED this salad in your life! The dressing is so amazing!
Ingredients
To make easy honey mustard chicken salad you’ll need:
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- thick sliced bacon
- romaine lettuce, arugula
- cherry tomatoes
- avocado
Dressing/Marinade:
- honey
- whole grain mustard
- white wine vinegar
- olive oil
- salt, pepper
We love this instant-read thermometer for checking the internal temperature to make sure your meat is cooked thoroughly!
Substitutions
Olive Oil: You can substitute olive oil for avocado oil.
Chicken Breasts: You can substitute with boneless chicken thighs or chicken tenders.
Leftover Chicken: This is the perfect recipe for using leftover baked chicken. If using leftover chicken, you will not marinate the chicken, instead, you will prepare the salad with all of the ingredients and pour the dressing on top. I would recommend cutting the dressing ingredients in half if you will not be using raw chicken.
Bacon: Feel free to skip the bacon. We love ButcherBox bacon.
Greens: You can use any greens you like. Romaine, arugula, spinach, spring mix, or iceberg lettuce can be used interchangeably.
Mustard: You can use Stone Ground Mustard instead of whole grain mustard.
White Wine Vinegar: Substitute Apple Cider Vinegar for white wine vinegar. I don’t think balsamic would work well here.
Toppings: Feel free to add more or less toppings. There are topping ideas listed below.
To Make it Lower Carb: I haven’t tried making this recipe with a low carb/sugar free sweetener. I’m not sure how it would taste.
To Make it Lower Calorie: Sub the bacon and avocado for lower calorie toppings like fruit.
How to Make Honey Mustard Chicken
- Whisk the honey, mustard, vinegar, olive oil, salt & pepper until combined to make honey mustard dressing.
- Pour half of the honey mustard dressing into the shallow dish with chicken. Marinate the chicken breasts for at least 30 minutes up to 2 hours. Take the remaining dressing and refrigerate it until ready to use.
- Place the chicken and bacon on parchment lined sheet pans in the oven and bake the chicken at 425° for 20-25 minutes and the bacon for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove the bacon first and let it cool for 5 minutes before crumbling. Remove the chicken from the oven and slice it into strips. Set aside until ready to serve.
- Prepare the salads: Add the romaine lettuce and arugula. Add the sliced chicken breasts on top, followed by the crumbled bacon, tomatoes, and avocado slices. Take the remaining dressing and drizzle it on top of the salad.
Can you grill the chicken?
Yes, you can grill the chicken for honey mustard chicken salad!
When ready to cook, heat grill on high and cook on each side for 7-9 minutes or until chicken is cooked thoroughly (internal temp should be 165).
Toppings for Honey Mustard Chicken Salad:
This salad is loaded with toppings but feel free to add more. Here are some of my favorites:
- hard-boiled eggs
- red onion
- strawberries
- corn
- grapes
- goat cheese crumbles
- croutons
- you can use any of these Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes
How to Store this Salad
Refrigerating: This will last for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Freezing: You can freeze the chicken in this recipe for up to 3 months. We like these containers for freezing.
Reheating: You can reheat the chicken in this recipe in the microwave, toaster oven, oven, or on the stove.
Honey Mustard Chicken Salad FAQ
Honey mustard goes well with pretty much anything. You can add it to a wrap, dip chicken in it, drizzle it on veggies.. the possibilities are endless!
Honey Mustard sauce can be made healthy! Make it with all natural honey, whole grain mustard, vinegar, and olive oil.
Other healthy chicken recipes:
Looking for other easy meals? Check out these 40+ Chicken Breast Recipes. Click here to grab our free healthy 30 minute dinners cookbook.
Honey Mustard Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 chicken breasts)
- 2 oz thick sliced bacon 2-4 slices
- 2 cups Romaine lettuce leaves washed
- 1 cup arugula washed
- ½ cup sliced grape or cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup sliced avocado 1 large avocado, pitted & sliced
Dressing/Marinade:
- 1/4 cup honey
- 4 tablespoons whole grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Using a meat mallet, pound the chicken until it reaches about 1 inch thickness. You can wrap the chicken in saran wrap or use a large ziploc bag to keep your kitchen clean. Set aside in a shallow dish
- Whisk the honey, mustard, vinegar, olive oil, salt & pepper until combined to make honey mustard dressing.
- Pour half of the honey mustard dressing into the shallow dish with chicken. Marinate the chicken breasts for at least 30 minutes up to 2 hours.
- Take the remaining dressing and refrigerate it until ready to use.
- After the chicken has marinated for at least 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Prepare 2 parchment lined sheet pans.
- Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade and place them on a parchment lined sheet pan.
- Add the bacon strips to the other sheet pan.
- Place the sheet pans in the oven and bake the chicken for 20-25 minutes, or until an internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, and the bacon for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove the bacon first and let it cool for 5 minutes before crumbling.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and slice it into strips. Set aside until ready to serve.
- Prepare the salads: Take serving plates or bowls and add the romaine lettuce and arugula. Add the sliced chicken breasts on top, followed by the crumbled bacon, tomatoes, and avocado slices. Take the remaining dressing and drizzle it on top of the salad.
- Enjoy immediately.
Jennifer says
Definitely be making this again. Super easy and so flavorful. Not to mention protein shakes packed as well.
Mandi says
This recipe was delicious! I will definitely be making it again.
Rachel Duncan says
Ok. This is the best salad ever. Literally. I’m obsessed. It’s become a family favorite. I use it as a main course and always manage to have leftovers (except the dressing, I need to remember to make more of it!) Highly recommend! You’ll get so many compliments from your guests about it!
Nora says
This was so yummy. I used turkey bacon instead. Loved it!
Erin says
Super yummy ans the teen boys enjoyed!
Karen says
Can the chicken be grilled? Thanks for you input.
The Clean Eating Couple says
Yes, it’s noted in the post. When ready to cook, heat grill on high and cook on each side for 7-9 minutes or until chicken is cooked thoroughly (internal temp should be 165).