Chicken Harvest Salad
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This chicken harvest salad is the ultimate fall salad! With juicy chicken, crisp bacon, apples, figs, almonds, and a honey Dijon vinaigrette!
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Delicious! My whole family (husband and two teenagers) loved this for dinner tonight. I didn’t have kale, so substituted green and red leaf lettuce. I also added radish. The dressing is so good and could be used on other salads as well. Thanks for this recipe!
Why you’ll love chicken harvest salad
- The ultimate autumn salad. Made with juicy, tender chicken thighs, crunchy kale, crispy bacon, sliced apples, fresh, sweet figs, chopped almonds and crumbled goat cheese, this salad has all the cozy fall flavors built right in.
- Can be made all year long. This salad does not have to be reserved for just the months of September to November. You can use an outdoor grill during the warmer months or a cast iron skillet when there’s a snowstorm outside while adding or swapping in seasonal produce as needed.
- The salad dressing is pure gold. The homemade Dijon vinaigrette is so easy to whip up and beats store-bought dressing in taste, quality, and budget. You can also make the dressing ahead of time up to 1 week in advance for even quicker prep.
- Customizable and versatile. The salad can be served as a side, a standalone main dish, or even a make-ahead lunch, perfect for meal prep during the busy week.
What is a chicken harvest salad?
This is a seasonal salad featuring tender chicken breasts or thighs with crisp fall produce tossed in a sweet and savory dressing.
Key Ingredients
- Protein: grilled or pan-seared chicken breasts or thighs (or leftover shredded rotisserie chicken) and bacon
- Greens: sturdy greens such as kale
- Fruit: Diced apples (such as gala or honeycrisp) and fresh figs
- Vegetables: celery
- Crunch: almonds
- Dressing: honey Dijon vinaigrette (recipe below)
types of kale to use
- Lacinato (tuscan/dinosaur) kale: has a mild, tender texture
- Curly kale: a much sturdier kale and slightly more bitter but is great for salads with a thorough massage to soften the fibers
- Baby kale: already comes pre-washed with small, soft leaves, and does not require massaging
how to make chicken harvest salad
- Cook the bacon. Slice the bacon into thirds. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat and add the bacon pieces, stirring every few minutes until crispy and golden. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon from the grease onto a paper towel-lined plate.
- Prep the grill. Preheat the grill to medium high heat (400-450°F) and scrape the grill grates clean to prevent sticking and to guarantee those perfect sear marks on the chicken.
- Grill the chicken. Season the chicken thighs with thyme, onion powder, and garlic powder. Brush with oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the preheated grill, letting them cook undisturbed for a few minutes for those favorited grill marks. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F. Use a cast iron grill pan if cooking indoors.
- Let the chicken rest. Let the chicken cool slightly to ensure that the meat stays juicy, then dice into bite-sized pieces.
- Make the dressing. Mix together the extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, Dijon, honey, thyme, salt, and pepper. Pro tip: prep the dressing 1 week in advance and store in a mason jar in the fridge, letting it come to room temperature for about 15 minutes and shaking well before using.
- Massage the kale. Stir the kale into the dressing and massage by hand until the leaves soften.
- Combine and serve. Add the crispy bacon, chicken, apple, figs, celery, almonds and goat cheese, tossing to coat. Serve immediately.
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Tools For This Recipe
Chicken Harvest Salad: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use chicken breasts?
Absolutely! Chicken breasts will be a leaner option, but will be more prone to dry out easily if overcooked, whereas thighs will be juicer and more forgiving because they contain more fat.
What type of kale should I use?
Lacinato (tuscan) kale is generally the gold standard for salads as it has a milder, sweeter flavor with tender leaves (than curly kale) and massages very easily to soften the leaves further.
What kind of apples are best?
Gala or honeycrisp apples would work very well in this recipe.
Can I add more vegetables?
Roasted sweet potatoes or butternut squash would be a great addition.
What other nuts can I use?
You can swap out the almonds for pecans, walnuts, or pepitas (pumpkin seeds).
What can I substitute for the goat cheese?
Halloumi, ricotta, feta, or cotija cheese are all excellent substitutes.
Can I make the dressing ahead of time?
Yes! The dressing can be made 1 week in advance and stored in an airtight container (such as a mason jar) and placed in the fridge, letting it come to room temperature for about 15 minutes and shaking well before using.
Chicken Harvest Salad
This chicken harvest salad is the ultimate fall salad! With juicy chicken, crisp bacon, apples, figs, almonds and a honey Dijon vinaigrette!
Video
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, cut into thirds
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- Kosher salt freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the honey Dijon vinaigrette
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- Kosher salt freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 large bunch kale, stems removed and leaves shredded
- 1 medium apple, thinly sliced
- 1 cup quartered fresh figs
- ½ cup sliced celery
- ½ cup roasted salted almonds, coarsely chopped
- 3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Drain excess fat; transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Preheat grill to medium heat. Season chicken with thyme, onion powder and garlic powder.
- Brush chicken with canola oil; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add chicken to grill, and cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 10 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, Dijon, honey and thyme; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in kale and massage for 1 minute.
- Top with bacon, chicken, apple, figs, celery, almonds and goat cheese, and gently toss to combine.
- Serve immediately.
Equipment
Notes
- Prep ahead of time. Save time by making the dressing up to 1 week in advance, and prepping and dicing the vegetables 1-2 days prior and storing them in airtight containers in the fridge.
- Repurpose leftovers. Substitute leftover rotisserie chicken to cut down on prep time even further.
- Cut in uniform size. Cut all of the salad ingredients in similar size pieces for a consistent bite.
- Use extra virgin olive oil. High quality extra virgin olive oil is ideal for salad dressings.
- Massage the kale. Massaging the kale softens the leaves, making them more tender and flavorful.
- Mix it up. Swap out the kale for baby spinach, use candied pecans in place of almonds, or substitute blue cheese or feta cheese.
- An outdoor grill is not necessary. Too cold to grill outside? A cast iron grill pan can be used to get those favorited grill marks and charred flavor.
Did you make this recipe?
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Made the chicken exactly as directed and it came out so juicy and good. Took a shortcut on the dressing.
Delicious! Thanks for the recipe. I prepared this for my daughter going through a dreaded diet for a cancer scan. She loved it and I’ve added it to my family’s roster.
Another winner! This salad is absolutely delicious; such a wonderful balance of sweet, savoury & salty. This one is now definitely in the rotation. Thanks for posting!
* I had to make two subs because it’s what I had on hand: I toasted up some raw sliced almonds and used dried figs, sliced thin (one per serving). So, so good!
It was delicious. I will make it again soon. It’s a perfect recipe to serve to guests- Guests who like figs. I did use apple cider vinegar rather than white vinegar in the vinaigrette
Hubby loved this! It is healthy & pretty which makes it even tastier.
Figs are in season now and I am always looking for new ways to use them.
Looks absolutely delicious! I’m going to make this meal this week! I’m also a year-round griller. I’ve done it rain or shine, in the snow and while it’s snowing. As long as I have a glass of wine in my hand while outside grilling I’m good! Nothing beats grilled meat and veggies!
Chungah,
I’m on a 1,000 a day calorie diet, so this salad is going to be a delicious meal to add to my meal plan! I can’t wait to try it! I’ve signed up for your emails, so I look forward to many more!
Kim
OOOOOOH I can’t wait to try this!
We really enjoyed this tonight! It’s warm here by day and then chilly in the evening so the cool fruits and veggies contrasted with the grilled chicken was perfect!
I made this with the friend so that we didn’t have to order out. Yum. So much yum.
It looks colorful and healthy..drooling
I have got to try this!
I love salads but I often end up eating the same. This one has all my favorite ingredients so putting it on my menu for next week!
Delicious! My whole family (husband and two teenagers) loved this for dinner tonight. I didn’t have kale, so substituted green and red leaf lettuce. I also added radish. The dressing is so good and could be used on other salads as well. Thanks for this recipe!
You are so welcome, Megan!