Chicken Kale Salad with Apples and Sweet Potatoes
This chicken kale salad is the perfect combination of hearty, fresh, and flavorful. Tender roasted chicken thighs are paired with cinnamon roasted sweet potatoes, crisp apples, and hearty kale, then tossed with a simple homemade dressing that brings everything together.
I love making this salad in the fall when sweet potatoes and apples are at their best, but it’s delicious any time of year. The combination of warm roasted vegetables with fresh, crunchy apples and chickpeas makes every bite feel satisfying without being too heavy.
Why You’ll Love This Salad
It’s a salad that hits all of the marks- protein, fiber and fats. The kale holds up beautifully to the dressing, making it a great option for meal prep. I love to enjoy it as a salad throughout the week, and as a filling in a wrap that I crisp up on a pan and serve with extra dipping sauce.
The apples add a crisp, slightly sweet bite, while the roasted sweet potatoes bring a caramelized flavor that pairs so well with the savory chicken. Add a creamy, tangy dressing and you have a salad that is packed with texture and flavor.
Ingredients
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or breast
- Sweet potatoes
- Kale, stems removed and chopped
- Crisp apples, cubed
- Walnuts
- Chickpeas, for added fiber and crunch
- Olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
For the Dressing
- Olive oil
- Apple cider vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- Honey or maple syrup
- Lemon juice
- Salt and black pepper
How to Make Chicken Kale Salad
- Start by roasting the sweet potatoes with the chicken. Cut the potatoes into bite-sized cubes, toss with olive oil and seasonings, then marinate the chicken with the olive oil, maple, dijon and seasoning. Roast until golden brown and caramelized around the edges.
- Next, prepare the dressing by adding all of the dressing ingredients to a jar and shaking well.
- Add the chopped kale to a large bowl with the chickpeas and mix in half of the dressing. Massage the kale with your hands for a minute or two until it softens slightly. This simple step makes kale much more tender and enjoyable to eat.
- Add the sliced apples, roasted sweet potatoes, and sliced chicken to the bowl with the walnuts and the remaining dressing. Toss everything together until well coated.
Serve immediately while the sweet potatoes and chicken are still slightly warm, or refrigerate and enjoy later.
Make It Your Own
This salad is easy to customize- add toasted pecans or pumpkin seeds for crunch, dried cranberries or pomegranate seeds for extra sweetness, or thinly sliced red onion for deeper flavor.
The kale will stay hearty and fresh, making this a great make-ahead lunch. You can enjoy leftovers for up to 5 days, either as a salad or a filling for a wrap to change things up.
Serve this chicken kale salad as a light dinner, a hearty lunch, or a beautiful side dish for a fall gathering. With juicy chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, crisp apples, and plenty of greens, it’s a simple salad that feels like a complete meal.
I can’t wait for you guys to try it!
Other fall favorites-
Fall Harvest Pot Pie
Maple Miso Chicken and Carrots
Crispy Quinoa Kale Salad
Chicken Kale Salad with Apples & Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
Chicken Thighs
- 2 lbs bonesless chicken thighs or substitute breast
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp paprika
- Salt & pepper
Sweet Potatoes
- 4 medium sweet potatoes cubed
- Olive oil
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- Salt
Kale Salad
- 12 oz bag shredded kale
- 1 can chickpeas drained (15 oz)
- 1 large apple cubed. I used honeycrisp
- 1/3 cup walnuts
Dijon Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- Salt & pepper to taste
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F
- Add the cubed sweet potatoes to a large sheet pan. Drizzle with a little olive oil, 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and pinch of salt.
- In a bowl, toss the chicken with the olive oil, maple syrup, dijon mustard, paprika and salt & pepper. Once evenly coated, transfer the chicken to the sheet pan with the sweet potato.
- Bake the chicken and sweet potatoes for about 35-40 minutes.
- While that bakes, prepare the vinaigrette by adding the olive oil, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice and salt & pepper to a jar and shaking well.
- Add the kale and chickpeas to a large salad bowl and pour in 1/2 of the dressing. Massage the dressing in well with your hands or tongs.
- Once the chicken and sweet potato are ready, let them cool for 5 minutes. Dice the chicken and add it to the salad with the sweet potatoes, chopped apple and walnuts. Toss together with the remaining dressing and adjust salt as needed.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. This salad tastes delicious in a wrap with your favorite dipping sauce!
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