Crispy Chicken Salad with Sweet Chili Drizzle
I am all about some fresh summer salads with lots of flavor right now. We’ve gone from random snow showers in May to 87° heat waves in the span of three weeks. Therefore, in honor of today’s heatwave, we are whipping up a lovely, cool crispy chicken salad with sweet chili drizzle. Oh, and Veggies and Vegans? Don’t turn away! I have a super-delicious adaptation for you all that you can sub in for the chicken.
Why make this crispy chicken salad with sweet chili drizzle?
I wanted to keep the protein for this salad lean. Therefore, we’re relying on an oven-fried method instead of frying it in oil. And we’re bringing back my personal favorite gluten-free flour: almond flour! The result is perfectly crunchy, herby, and moist chicken that is perfect on its own or sliced on top of this salad.
Finally, we top everything off with a spicy/sweet honey-based glaze. It’s the perfect, zesty balance for the umami of the chicken.
Best of all, the method is incredibly simple, and this whole crispy chicken salad with sweet chili drizzle comes together in just over half an hour!
For my veggie and vegan friends:
This recipe is also so easy to adapt for vegan/vegetarian diets. You’ll want to use some extra-firm tofu in place of the chicken. Sub in a flax tapioca egg in place of the regular egg. You’ll also want to use nutritional yeast in place of the grated parmesan. As for the salad dressing, just use some maple syrup or agave in place of the honey. See? Easy does it and equally tasty! See the recipe notes.
How to make this crisp chicken salad with sweet chili drizzle:
Start out by making the crispy breading for your chicken. Gather some fresh herbs from your home garden. Use whatever dried herbs you have on hand if you don’t have a garden. I used some fresh thyme and dill from my window garden for this iteration. Finely chop them and set them aside for later.
Add your almond flour, salt, pepper, garlic, some grated parmesan cheese, and your chopped herbs (save a pinch of the herbs out for garnish later). Stir together until everything is totally combined.
Next, grease the dish that you’ll be using to bake the chicken. Then, crack your egg in a medium bowl and beat it until it’s smooth.
After that, you’ll want to set up your chicken dipping station by lining up the egg wash first, then the almond flour batter, and then your greased baking dish.
Then, get to dipping! Submerge each chicken breast in the egg wash first, and then in the almond flour mixture, making sure that they are thickly and evenly coated.
Carefully place the chicken breasts in the baking pan, and top them with a few more sprigs of your fresh herbs.
Finally, bake for half an hour, and you’ll have the most delectable crispy chicken ever!
Vegan Variation:
Do the exact same thing for the vegan option by creating a tofu dipping station with your flax egg, almond flour breading (with nutritional yeast), and greased pan.
Dip the tofu into the flax egg first, making sure to coat it very, very evenly. Then, submerge it until fully coated in the breading and situate it in your baking dish. For the best results, use a metal baking dish instead of a glass dish. Tofu has more moisture than chicken, so slightly increasing the baking temperature and using a metal pan will help you achieve the same level of crispy crust.
Make the sweet chili drizzle:
Combine a couple of heaping tablespoons honey, a generous helping of sriracha, and some rice or apple cider vinegar in a small bowl and whisk rapidly until everything is combined.
Make the salad:
You can honestly riff this part. We have had TONS of lettuce from the garden, so I used a lettuce blend, some shredded carrots, and half a cucumber from some tabbouleh I made earlier this week. Our tomatoes and sugar snap peas are getting ready to pop, and I’m psyched to add those to the salad the next time I make this.
Therefore, use whatever leafy greens and veggies are ready to be harvested from your garden. If you don’t have a garden, any of your favorite greens and veggies from the market will do!
Plate the dish by slicing the cooked chicken and laying it gently on top of your salad bed. Then, drizzle the glaze over all that!
And boom! The perfect summer meal that’s easy to put together and ideal for those hot, lazy nights!
Please like and comment below if you love this salad as much as we do! Happy cooking!
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 4 chicken breasts skinless
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 egg
- 2/3 cup parmesan cheese finely grated
- 1 1/2 tsp. fresh dill finely chopped
- 1 tsp. fresh thyme finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- salt and pepper to taste
For the sweet chili dressing:
- 2 tbsp. raw honey
- 1 tbsp. sriracha
- 4 tbsp. rice vinegar substitute apple cider vinegar if preferred
For the salad greens
- 4 cups lettuce chopped
- 1 carrot grated or shredded
- 1 cucumber shredded or thinly sliced
Instructions
For the chicken:
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- Combine almond flour, parmesan cheese, thyme, dill, garlic, and salt and pepper in a large bowl and stir until well mixed.
- Crack egg into a medium bowl and beat until smooth.
- Grease an 8 X 10 baking dish.
- Lay out greased baking dish, almond flour breading, and beaten egg in a line.
- Dip chicken breasts first in egg wash, ensuring they are thoroughly covered in egg, then move to the almond flour breading. Thoroughly coat both sides of the chicken breasts in the breading before moving to the greased baking dish. Repeat until all chicken breasts have been breaded.
- Garnish with some remaining chopped herbs if desired.
- Bake for 30 minutes until chicken is golden brown and the internal temperature registers 165°F.
For the sweet chili dressing:
- Combine honey, sriracha, and rice vinegar in a small bowl and whisk thoroughly until combined.
For plating:
- Divide lettuce, carrots, and cucumbers evenly between bowls. Top with sliced, baked chicken. Drizzle with sweet chili dressing as desired.
Notes
- 1 flax tapioca egg in place of the regular egg
- 1 14 oz. package of tofu in place of the chicken
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast in place of the parmesan cheese
- Maple syrup or agave in place of the honey.
Nicework and food… Delicious 😋
Thank you so, so much! We’ve been greatly enjoying your blog as well!
😊