Crispy Quinoa Chicken Salad
Kale and cabbage salad with crispy quinoa, grilled chicken, avocado, apples and a sweet and zesty honey lime dressing. This hearty quinoa chicken salad is packed with feel-good ingredients, and makes for the perfect meal prep lunch and dinners.
The chicken is marinated in a little teriyaki sauce then grilled until browned, and the quinoa is cooked then baked until crisp. Everything gets tossed together in a simple honey cilantro dressing to bring all of the flavors together.
The perfect meal prep salad
One reason I love this salad is because it holds up well in the fridge even after the first day. You can enjoy this salad up to 4 days later, and one way I love to repurpose it is to use it as a filling for a wrap.
Simply fill a wrap with the salad mix, roll it up, then heat it on a pan to crisp. Serve it with your favorite dipping sauce and a side of chips for the ideal lunch combination.
Crispy Baked Quinoa
Crispy quinoa is so easy to make, and a delicious topper for a salad. To crisp the quinoa, first cook it in a pot with water or broth, then toss it with a little olive oil and seasonings and flatten it onto a parchment lined sheet-pan.
Bake the quinoa on 400 F for about 25 minutes, until its brown and crunchy.
Ingredients you’ll need for Crispy Quinoa Chicken Salad
Grilled or baked chicken
- Boneless chicken thighs or breast
- Teriyaki sauce
- Olive oil
Crispy baked quinoa
- Quinoa
- Water or vegetable broth
- Olive oil
- Soy sauce
For the salad
- Shredded kale
- Shredded green cabbage
- Avocado
- Green apple
Honey Cilantro Dressing
The honey cilantro dressing is one of my favorites to add fresh and bright flavor to a dish. It’s made with just a few simple ingredients-
- Olive oil
- Lime juice
- Cilantro
- Honey
- Garlic
- Salt & pepper
Everything gets blended together and massaged into the salad.
Bake or grill the chicken
The chicken gets marinated in a little teriyaki sauce, and can then be baked with the quinoa or grilled on a pan.
To bake the chicken
Marinate the chicken with the teriyaki sauce then add it to a sheet-pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Bake it on 400 F for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through
To grill the chicken
I chose to cook the chicken on a grill pan. Heat a pan on medium heat with olive oil. Cook the chicken for about 4-5 minutes per side, until browned and caramelized.
Once all components of the salad are ready, assemble them all in a salad bowl or shallow platter and toss with the dressing.
Kale salads are by far the superior salad since they’re so versatile and make for the best leftovers. This hearty crispy quinoa and chicken kale salad is full of flavor and so delicious for a weeknight meal. You guys are going to love it!
Other hearty salad recipes:
Salmon Farro Salad
Spring Couscous Salad with Feta Vinaigrette
Grilled Chicken Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing
Crispy Quinoa Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1-1.2 lbs boneless chicken thighs about 6 pieces
- 2 tbsp teriyaki sauce
- 1/2 cup dry quinoa
- 1 cup water or broth
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 4-6 cups finely shredded kale
- 4-6 cups finely shredded green cabbage
- 1 avocado cubed
- 1 green apple thinly sliced
- Olive oil
Honey Cilantro Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
- Juice from 2 limes
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- Salt & pepper to taste
Directions
- Marinate the chicken thighs in the teriyaki sauce. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Add the quinoa to a pot with the cup of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce flame to simmer and let cook for about 10-12 minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork once ready.
- Transfer the cooked quinoa to a parchment lined baking sheet and mix with about 2 tbsp of olive oil and a tbsp of soy sauce. Flatten down to spread across the pan.
- Bake for about 25-28 minutes on the top rack, tossing halfway through until browned and crisp.
- While the quinoa bakes, cook the chicken. To bake the chicken, add it to a sheet-pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes on 400 F, flipping halfway through. To grill the chicken on the stovetop, heat a skillet or grill pan on medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Cook the chicken for about 4-5 minutes per side until browned. Once ready, slice into strips.
- In the meantime, prepare the honey cilantro dressing by blending all of the ingredients together in a small food processor or blender.
- Add the finely chopped kale and cabbage to a salad bowl or shallow serving platter and massage with half of the dressing.
- Add the chopped apples, avocado, crispy quinoa and sliced chicken on top, then pour the remaining dressing over the top.
- Mix well and serve. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3-4 days.
- Pro tip: I love to serve leftovers in a wrap, then grill the wrap on a pan to toast.
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