Name: Chicken Salad Meal Prep
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp paprika powder; 2 lbs chicken breasts (skinless, boneless) (cut into 1-inch cubes); sea salt and black pepper (to taste); 8 cups romaine lettuce (chopped); 1/2 red onion (finely chopped); 1/2 avocado (chopped); 1/2 English cucumber (sliced); 1 cup grape tomatoes (halved); 4 tbsp salad seed mix; 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1/4 cup Dijon mustard; 3 tbsp honey; 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 1 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed); 1/4 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp ground black pepper; chopped dill

Jump to Recipe

I love a good chicken salad meal prep, but so many recipes make it so boring! Not this time! Juicy morsels of tasty chicken on a bed of seasoned greens and ripe tomatoes are a must-have.

This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free and Whole30.

This is the chicken salad recipe that all other chicken salad recipes aspire to be. Super easy to make for lunch or dinner ahead of time and just as delicious the day you dig in as the day you made it.

Whenever I sense a busy week looming, I run to my kitchen to make this salad. It’s light and refreshing, so it’s great for summer. But all that lean protein means it will keep you full until dinner.

The chicken is perfectly tender and golden brown. The vegetables are crisp and ready to be enjoyed. The dressing is tangy without being overpowering.

This is one of the best meal prep recipes for lunch or dinner!

And best of all? You can whip up four portions of this amazing salad in no time. Save yourself time, energy, and stress on your meal prep Sunday with this versatile and delicious meal.

With fall around the corner, this is one of the best back to school meal preps for everyone!

So, what are we waiting for? Lett-uce make this salad!

Table of Contents

Ingredients

The great news is that most of these ingredients are standard chicken salad ingredients. If you’re a salad fan, chances are you already have most of these waiting in your pantry.

If not, they’re an absolute steal from most grocery stores. I designed this recipe to be delicious without a big price tag.

Chicken

Olive oil – When cooking chicken, olive oil is essential. This oil has a low smoke point, meaning it heats up quickly and gives everything a great sear. This will keep your chicken tender and juicy.

Garlic powder – Garlic powder is my secret weapon! It’s so easy to add to any dish, and it tastes amazing. If you don’t have any, a couple of cloves of garlic will do the trick as well.

Paprika powder – Paprika adds a delicious smokiness to this dish. It’s part of what makes this chicken salad stand out among the rest. Plus, it gives the chicken an appetizing reddish color.

Chicken breasts – When making a chicken salad, chicken breasts are your best bet in terms of protein. It’s light in fat, high in protein, flavorful, and usually comes boneless for easy cutting.

Sea salt and black pepper – Of course, we can’t do anything without the classic seasoning! Shoot for freshly ground black pepper and flaky sea salt for best results.

Salad

Romaine lettuce – Great romaine lettuce is crispy, a little bit buttery, and deliciously green. For this salad, we’ll be chopping it up. So it’s important to make sure your lettuce is as fresh as possible!

Red onion – Red onion adds a delicious kick to the salad. It’s also the tiniest bit sweet, which helps to balance all the other savory elements.

Avocado – Who’s mad at a little bit of avocado? There’s nothing like digging into a crispy salad and finding a nugget of creamy avocado in the leaves. Yum!

English cucumber – Crispy, refreshing, and cooling, these English cucumbers make the salad a summer favorite. Try peeling them first for a slightly nicer look.

Grape tomatoes – Cherry or grape tomatoes are perfect for meal-prepping salads. Since they don’t leak everywhere, the salads remain crispy and delicious for days at a time. Plus, they’re easy to prep!

Salad seed mix – The salad seed mix is a great way to add some healthy, natural crunch without relying on croutons. Use sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or sesame seeds for best results.

Honey Mustard Dressing

Olive oil – Olive oil is one of the best foundations for a salad dressing. Since this one isn’t cooking away, make sure to use high-quality olive oil for the best results.

Dijon mustard – Quality Dijon mustard is smoky and earthy without tasting too artificial. It’s a great contrast to the fresh elements in the salad.

Honey – The honey helps balance the mustard. Make sure to use pourable honey to get a dressing that’s easy to pour as well.

Apple cider vinegar – A little kick of apple cider vinegar adds some much-needed acid to the mix!

Lemon juice – Speaking of acid, lemon juice is the perfect naturally acidic element for this honey mustard dressing. A little sweet and a little sour, fresh lemons always make your day better.

Salt and Black pepper – Of course, the classic salt and black pepper combination. It’s good to use flaky sea salt here for the best flavor.

Dill – Cap your dressing off with dill for a refreshingly earthy take on this classic honey mustard combination.

How to Make Chicken Salad Meal Prep

The healthiest meal prep for work or school! Easy, simple and delicious!

Watch this video on YouTube

Let’s start with everyone’s favorite element of a salad: the dressing. This classic honey mustard dressing is super easy to make. All you need is a jar with a lid so you can shake it up!

Grab a clean, dry glass jar (this way, you can store any extra dressing for later).

Add in your quarter cup of both olive oil and Dijon mustard. Drop in your honey, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and dill. Add as much of the dill as you’d like to taste.

Put the lid on, grab the jar, and shake the dressing until it turns pale and all the ingredients are incorporated. Store in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.

Now, let’s get onto the chicken. Start by heating your pan to medium heat and adding two tablespoons of olive oil. This will be how we get the flavoring onto the chicken.

Once the oil is hot, drop in your garlic powder and paprika. Stir it around into the oil, making sure that’s all combined.

Grab your cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes are best) and tumble that into the pan as well. You’ll need to cook this for around 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

We want to make sure that delicious seasoning makes it onto every piece of chicken evenly. Plus, this helps keep it tender and delicious. Make sure to season it with salt and black pepper.

You might also enjoy this sweet chilli chicken sheet pan dinner!

Now that you have all your elements, it’s time to assemble! This salad makes four portions, so four clean and dry glass containers will do the trick.

Start with your salad base. Make sure you’ve washed all your vegetables thoroughly before slicing!

Slice up eight cups’ worth of romaine lettuce and line the bottom of your bowls with it. Next, spoon small chunks of avocado onto the leaves, then sprinkle with finely diced red onion.

Follow that with your diced English cucumber and your halved grape tomatoes. I like to finish this salad with about one tablespoon of salad seed mix per bowl. But add as much or little as you’d like!

Finally, top all that with the cooked chicken we prepared earlier. I recommend holding off on the dressing until you’re just about to eat to help keep that salad fresh and delicious for days.

This is a great salad to store in the fridge. You can take it to work or school with you for a healthy, delicious lunch any day of the week.

It’s beautiful, it’s scrumptious, and it’s good for you. What’s not to love about this chicken salad meal prep?

Check out my other meal prep recipes to discover the many ways you can make life easier (and tastier) with no stress or hassle.

If this isn’t enough to get you through the day, then it’s time to add a side dish!

Chicken Salad Meal Prep

Yield: 4 meal prep bowls

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Crunch, flavor, and convenience all rolled into one dish. Our chicken salad meal prep is here to prove that healthy eating can be exciting and easy!