Thursday, April 16, 2026

Crispy Hen Salad (With Maple Mustard Dressing)

This crispy rooster salad is a fall favourite in my home! It options air-fried crispy rooster, honey crisp apples, a tremendous home made maple mustard dressing, and candied pecans. It’s a flavorful and protein-rich lunch or dinner that I completely can not get sufficient of.

A salad with breaded chicken pieces, sliced red apples, pecans, dried cranberries, lettuce, and crumbled cheese, drizzled with dressing in a gray bowl.

Excessive in protein — I’m talkin’ 35g per serving!

GREAT salad for meal prep — I like making this salad for lunch throughout the week. Merely wait to decorate the salad til you’re able to serve 😋.

Minimal prepare dinner time — the rooster is cooked within the air fryer, which suggests tremendous minimal kitchen time is required for you. #yahwelcome

  • Apples: right here within the midwest, we’re all about honey crisp apples! The flavour is texture is simply the very best. Be happy to thinly slice any apple of your selection ❤️.
  • Pecans: the candied pecans add deliciously candy taste and a little bit crunch. it’s a terrific complement to the savory rooster and maple mustard dressing.
  • Hen: air fryer rooster bbs! I like air frying rooster as a result of it will get it further crispy with out frying + it requires minimal prepare dinner time. My toddler all the time steals a rooster nugget or two once I’m making this recipe.
  • DIJON MUSTARD: mustard is the bottom of the salad dressing for this recipe! It’s a home made dressing that does require a couple of elements, however every thing might be poured in a mason jar and shaken up earlier than dressing. I prefer to make a double batch to maintain further dressing readily available within the fridge.
  • Maple syrup: you’ll use maple within the salad dressing and likewise within the candied pecans. It’s my go-to pure sweetener of selection.
  • Spring combine greens: technically any lettuce or subject greens will work for this salad, so select your individual journey right here. The crunch of romaine can be delish, and so would a softer butter lettuce.

Discover the checklist of full elements within the recipe card beneath.

Make Stovetop Candied Pecans

Making your individual candied pecans is tremendous fast and simple. All it’s good to do is warmth a big skillet over medium/low warmth. Add the pecans, maple syrup, and cinnamon to the skillet. Toss the pecans till they’re coated, and toast them till they start to brown.

Switch the pecans to a plate and allow them to cool — be at liberty to style take a look at a couple of 😋😋.

Getting ready and Air-Frying the Hen

Dredge a bit of rooster by means of the flour, then egg, after which the panko, ensuring the rooster items are totally coated. The flour –> egg –> panko order for dredging the rooster helps make every bit tremendous crispy and evenly coated within the breading.

Then, switch the rooster to the air fryer, ensuring the rooster items are usually not touching. Prepare dinner at 400º for 5-8 minutes (depends upon what sort of air fryer you’re utilizing) or till the rooster is golden brown and crispy. You’re in search of an inside temperature of 165ºF.

For the tip: You might have to prepare dinner the rooster in batches relying on the dimensions of your air fryer.

Wish to make a non-breaded rooster for this recipe? I like to recommend my juicy air fryer rooster breast recipe. Alternatively, you possibly can press the simple button and simply deliver house a rotisserie rooster from the grocery retailer (I’ve completed this extra instances than I can rely!).

    Discover the complete recipe directions within the recipe card beneath.

    Add the Dressing and Serve

    My #1 tip for this salad is to WAIT to decorate it till proper earlier than serving. Why? Spring combine is a fragile subject inexperienced and might get soggy fairly shortly. Plus, you don’t need your tremendous crispy rooster nuggets to get soggy both 😅😅.

    Greatest Method to Retailer Leftovers

    One of the best ways to retailer leftover servings of this salad is to maintain the dressing and rooster separate from every thing else. Then, if you’re able to serve, you possibly can reheat the rooster (both within the air fryer for a couple of minutes or within the microwave) and toss with the dressing to freshen issues up.

    A salad with fried chicken pieces, sliced apples, pecans, dried cranberries, crumbled cheese, and mixed greens in a bowl.

    Extra Hearty Salad Recipes

    • Start by making candied pecans. Warmth a big skillet over medium/low warmth. Add the pecans, maple syrup, and cinnamon to the skillet. Toss the pecans till they’re coated. Toast the pecans till they start to brown. Switch the pecans to a plate and allow them to cool.

    • Add all the elements for the dressing to a bowl and whisk to mix. Put aside.

    • Subsequent, put together the rooster. In three separate bowls, add the flour to at least one, whisked eggs, maple syrup, and Dijon to the second, and panko bread crumbs and salt to the third bowl.

    • Dredge a bit of rooster by means of the flour, then egg, after which the panko. Be certain it’s totally coated. Put aside and repeat till all of the rooster has been coated.

    • Switch the rooster to the air fryer and spray with avocado oil. Be certain the rooster items are usually not overcrowded. Prepare dinner at 400º for 5-8 minutes (depends upon what sort of air fryer you’re utilizing) or till the rooster is golden brown and crispy. You might have to prepare dinner the rooster in batches. We’re in search of an inside temperature of 165ºF.

    • Add the combined greens, cranberries, feta, and apples to a big salad bowl. Prime with rooster and candied pecans.

    • Gown the salad proper earlier than serving and luxuriate in instantly.

    • When you don’t have an air fryer, be at liberty to switch the air fryer rooster with rotisserie rooster.

    Energy: 574 kcal, Carbohydrates: 65 g, Protein: 35 g, Fats: 31 g, Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 28 g

    Diet info is routinely calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.

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