Crispy Chicken Salad with crispy chicken, loads of veggies, and the best five-ingredient honey BBQ dressing—so fast and so good!

Crispy Chicken Salad drizzled with delicious dressing in a bowl.

Crispy Chicken Salad

I can’t even explain how obsessed I am with this salad—it’s easily one of my all-time favorites! I love this Applebee’s Chicken Salad (and so many of you do too!), so I had to make another crispy chicken salad.

This one’s loaded with fresh garden veggies—tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and avocado—with roasted almonds for the perfect crunch.

But the real star? That Honey BBQ Dressing. It’s creamy, tangy, a little sweet, and totally delicious. Hands down the best dressing ever—and it ties everything together perfectly.

This recipe uses prepped ingredients for easy assembly: lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, onion, cucumber, and almonds.

Ingredients

Here’s what goes into this Crispy Chicken Salad:

  • Crispy chicken: Use frozen or homemade. Bake or air fry so it stays nice and crispy.
  • Romaine: Chop into small pieces and thoroughly dry so the dressing sticks well.
  • Tomatoes: Slice in half for easy bites.
  • Cucumber: English or Persian cucumbers work best—no need to peel and full of flavor.
  • Red onion: Soak in cold water for 10 minutes to mellow the sharp bite.
  • Avocado: Use ripe but firm so it slices cleanly and holds its shape.
  • Almonds: Honey-roasted or plain toasted both add the perfect crunch.
For this crispy chicken salad, the dressing ingredients are prepped for easy assembly: honey, BBQ sauce, vinegar, Dijon, and mayo.

Crispy Chicken Salad Dressing

  • BBQ sauce: Adds sweet, smoky flavor.
  • Honey: Brings in sweetness and balances the tang.
  • Mayo: Makes the dressing smooth, creamy, and thick.
  • Dijon mustard: Adds a little zip and depth.
  • Apple cider vinegar: Thins the dressing slightly and adds tang.
  • Salt and pepper: Brings all the flavor together.
Shake the dressing together in a mason jar.

Shortcuts

I don’t buy prepared crispy chicken tenders often, but Taste of Home® has a great list of top picks.

For this salad, I like using Tyson® crispy chicken strips (not sponsored). Bake or air fry them—skip the microwave so they stay crispy. Let them cool slightly, then dice and add to the salad.

Air fry the chicken to perfection for this crispy chicken salad.

What To Serve With This Salad

Storage

Crispy Chicken Salad Make-Ahead Tips

This salad doesn’t store well once dressed, but you can prep most parts ahead:

  • Dressing: Whisk and store in a jar in the fridge for 5–7 days. Stir before using.
  • Veggies: Chop romaine, cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onion. Store in separate containers.
  • When ready to eat: Air fry or bake the chicken, slice the avocado, then toss everything with the dressing.

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Crispy Chicken Salad

By Chelsea Lords
Crispy Chicken Salad is the move tonight. Easy shortcuts, bold flavor, and the absolute best honey BBQ dressing.
Prep Time: 7 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 3 servings (as a meal)

Video

Equipment

Ingredients

Chicken
Salad
  • 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce 2 hearts, cut to bite-size pieces
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 cup English cucumber thinly sliced, see note 2
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion see note 3
  • 1 large (or 2 medium) ripe avocados chopped
  • 1/3 cup honey-roasted almonds or plain toasted almonds, optional
Honey BBQ Dressing

Instructions 

  • Chicken: Cook chicken strips according to package directions (or make homemade). Let cool slightly, then dice.
  • Dressing: Whisk together all dressing ingredients with a generous pinch of salt and pepper until smooth. If not using right away, store in a jar in the fridge for up to 5–7 days.
  • Wash and thoroughly dry the lettuce (wet lettuce won’t hold dressing well). Add to a large bowl or divide between plates. Top with tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, avocado, and sliced chicken.
  • Drizzle salad with dressing, toss to combine, and serve immediately. Only dress what you’ll eat right away—dressed salad doesn’t store well.
Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: I like Tyson® Crispy Chicken Strips; they cook in about 18 mins in the oven or 15 mins in the Air Fryer. Any crispy tenders work—store-bought or homemade. 
Note 2: If your cucumber is extra wide, slice into half moons for better texture.
Note 3: To reduce the bite of red onion, soak slices in cold water for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, then drain before using.
Storage: Dressed salad doesn’t sit well. Store salad and dressing separately if making ahead. Only dress right before eating.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 600kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 2022mg | Potassium: 1832mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 55820IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 240mg | Iron: 8mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

Meet Chelsea

Chelsea Lords is a Le Cordon Bleu graduate, recipe developer, food photographer, and founder of Chelsea’s Messy Apron. With 13+ years of recipe development experience and 7 years in a professional restaurant kitchen, she creates thoroughly tested recipes that make home cooking easier.

Read more about Chelsea

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23 Comments

  1. Carole says:

    5 stars
    I rarely comment on recipes but your dressing is delish. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      Yay! Thanks so much Carole!

      Reply
  2. Serena Kim says:

    5 stars
    Perfect salad dressing for GF DF meal!
    I did not put apple cider vinegar because of my histamine problem.
    We ate it with PERDUE GF chicken tenders. My husband loved it! It was long drive after picking him up from airport. You saved my restaurant trip. Thank you!

    Reply
    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      I’m so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Serena!

      Reply