Blackened Chicken Chopped Salad

5 from 1 vote

Blackened Chicken Chopped Salad

Blackened Chicken Chopped Salad is the ultimate salad for dinner night! With lots of fresh tomatoes and cucumber, crispy bacon, homemade croutons, and a quick blackening seasoning for the chicken, this salad is beautiful and delicious! Hearty, healthy and entirely homemade, you'll want to make this one again and again!

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 863kcal

Author: Meryl Downing

Ingredients

For the Blackened Chicken

.75 to 1 pound chicken thighs or breasts
1 teaspoon kosher salt
10 grinds fresh black pepper
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon olive oil

For the Croutons

2 cups bread cubed
1 Tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon dried thyme or oregano

For the Salad

6 strips bacon
1 to 2 heads romaine lettuce washed and chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half (or any tomatoes)
1 cucumber chopped (about 1 cup)
¼ cup red onion thinly sliced
⅓ cup feta cheese

For the Dressing

1 clove garlic minced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
6 grinds fresh black pepper
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honey
3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400℉ and a cast iron skillet over medium heat.
Mix the blackening seasoning together and sprinkle over the chicken, coating it generously on both sides. Lay out the bacon strips on a sheet pan and the bread tossed with olive oil and herbs on another.
Add the olive oil to the cast iron skillet and sear the chicken, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Don't attempt to move it around while it sears, but do make sure to flip it before the sugar burns.
Transfer the skillet with the chicken to the oven, along with the bacon and croutons. All can cook together, the chicken for about 10 minutes (depending on how thick it is), the croutons for about 18 minutes, and the bacon for about 20 to 22 minutes. Check on them all often, especially watch the bacon so it doesn't burn. Check that the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165℉.
Allow the chicken (and the bacon) to rest in the skillet for 5 or 10 minutes so they aren't too hot when you add them to the lettuce.
Wash and chop the lettuce, cucumber, and tomatoes and thinly slice the onion.
Add all ingredients for the dressing to a jar with a lid and shake well to emulsify.
Toss the lettuce with a bit of the dressing, then arrange it on a large platter topped with the sliced chicken, chopped bacon, croutons, tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, feta cheese and another drizzle of dressing. Serve while the chicken and bacon are still warm. Garnish with basil leaves.

Notes

Chicken - You want the chicken to be thin so it has plenty of surface area to be coated in the blackening seasoning, and so it cooks quickly. If you are using thick chicken breasts, slice them in half horizontally.
Warm or Cold - The salad can be served while the chicken, bacon and croutons are still warm, or these can be made ahead and refrigerated and served cold.
Tossed or Arranged - I like to toss a little dressing with just the lettuce and then serve on a platter with all the ingredients arranged over the top. You could also toss everything in a bowl.
Ingredients and Amounts - This salad is very flexible and customizable, add or omit ingredients and adjust the size to fit any group.
Dressing - You won't need all the dressing. Extra can be refrigerated for a month and used on any salad. Let it come to room temperature and re-shake. (Nutrition info includes all the dressing). This salad would also be good with my Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing as an alternative!

Nutrition