Harvest Chicken Salad With Maple Dijon Dressing
This is not your standard cold chicken salad recipe. Instead, I created the most delicious roasted flavor by cooking veggies on a sheet pan and roasting small pieces of chicken in a skillet. Then, I tossed it all together with a simple homemade creamy dressing and other harvest season favorites, including sliced apples, spinach, dried cranberries, and walnuts.
Equipment
- 1 Oven
- 1 Skillet
- 1 Baking sheet large
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil divided for roasting and sautéing
- 1 medium sweet potato peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces (~2 cups)
- 1 small red onion diced (~1 cup)
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper simple seasoning
- 1 lb raw chicken breast cubed for quick cooking
- 4 large handfuls fresh spinach (5 ounces) for that green boost
- ½ cup dried cranberries adding bursts of sweet tang
- 1 medium apple diced (about 1 cup) giving a fresh crunch
- ½ cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans for nuttiness and texture
- ¼ cup mayo
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (that’s about 200 Celsius). You’ll get your sweet potato and onion roasting just right.
- In a big bowl, toss diced sweet potato and onion with 1 teaspoon avocado oil, salt, and pepper. Spread ‘em out on a baking sheet so they roast evenly.
- Pop that baking tray into the oven for 20-25 minutes. Give it a stir halfway so everything caramelizes perfectly without burning.
- While that’s happening, heat up the last teaspoon of avocado oil in your skillet on medium. Throw in the cubed chicken breast and cook it 6 to 8 minutes till no pink’s left.
- Now grab your large bowl and combine fresh spinach, roasted veggies, cooked chicken, dried cranberries, diced apple, and toasted nuts. Toss gently so you don’t bruise those tender leaves.
- Whip up the Maple Dijon Dressing by mixing mayo, avocado oil, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Then drizzle it on your salad and dig in while it’s fresh and vibrant.
Notes
In a pinch for time? You can use shredded rotisserie chicken or pre-cooked or grilled chicken instead and skip the chicken cooking step. Use any favorite apple. Some that I’ve tested with and love are Fuji, Red Delicious, and Honeycrisp.