Shortcut Fried Chicken Salad
with ranch dressing

Name: Shortcut Fried Chicken Salad
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 Tbsp Fresh herbs, finely chopped (any combination of parsley, chives, and dill; sub dried); 2 Tbsp Mayonnaise; 1 tsp Vinegar, white wine; 1/4 cup Sour cream (sub plain or Greek yogurt); 1/4 tsp Garlic powder; 4 Eggs; 8 oz Carrots, shredded (look for pre-shredded to save time); 8 oz Lettuce, romaine, chopped (sub any salad greens); 1 cup Tomatoes, cherry or grape, halved; 8 oz Cucumbers, chopped; 1 lb Chicken tenders, frozen and breaded; 1/4 cup Pepitas / pumpkin seeds (sub sunflower seeds)

Active: 30 Total: 30

Original GF Paleo Vegetarian

Topping fresh salads with crispy chicken tenders is a convenience meal you can feel good about, especially when it's dressed with creamy, homemade ranch. Feel free to customize with your favorite salad toppings and any veggies you have on hand.
Smarts: Use any kind of prepared frozen chicken you prefer here - strips, tenders, or even nuggets will all work well.

Ingredients

Metric

Servings:

Ranch Dressing:

Fresh herbs - 2 Tbsp , finely chopped (any combination of parsley, chives, and dill; sub dried)
Mayonnaise - 2 Tbsp
Vinegar, white wine - 1 tsp
Sour cream - 1/4 cup (sub plain or Greek yogurt)
Garlic powder - 1/4 tsp

Shortcut Fried Chicken Salad:

Eggs - 4
Carrots - 8 oz , shredded (look for pre-shredded to save time)
Lettuce, romaine - 8 oz , chopped (sub any salad greens)
Tomatoes, cherry or grape - 1 cup , halved
Cucumbers - 8 oz , chopped
Chicken tenders, frozen and breaded - 1 lb
Pepitas / pumpkin seeds - 1/4 cup (sub sunflower seeds)

Prep

Boil eggs - (If prepping right before cooking, get oven heating before continuing with prep.) Cover eggs with cold water and some salt. Bring to a boil and then turn off heat. Let eggs sit in hot water for 11 minutes and then run in cold water for easier peeling. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Make ranch dressing - Finely chop herbs. Combine herbs, mayonnaise, vinegar, sour cream, and garlic powder. If dressing seems too thick, you can thin it with a small amount of milk. Season to taste with some salt and pepper. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Carrots - If not using pre-shredded carrots, use a box grater or food processor to shred. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
Lettuce / Tomatoes / Cucumbers - Prep as directed.

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Make

Heat oven to recommended temperature for your chicken tenders. Bake chicken tenders according to package directions.
While chicken bakes, peel the eggs and slice or chop them.
If chicken pieces are large, transfer them to a cutting board and slice into strips before serving.
If dressing was made ahead, give it a stir.
Assemble salads by forming a bed of lettuce on each serving plate. Layer eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots over top of lettuce.
Top salads with chicken and drizzle with dressing until dressed to your liking. Sprinkle pepitas on top. Enjoy!

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