Fall Harvest Chicken Salad Recipe

4.50 from 2 votes

This fall harvest salad recipe is filled with grilled chicken breasts, crispy bacon, apples, pecans, and dried cranberries, tossed with mixed greens, and drizzled with a homemade maple Dijon salad dressing.

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Marinating Time2

Total Time2 25

Course: lunch, Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 654kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

Ingredients

For the Maple Dijon Dressing/Marinade:

½ cup Dijon mustard
½ cup mayonnaise *
¼ cup maple syrup **
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional

For the Chicken:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
kosher salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

For the Harvest Salad:

4 slices bacon chopped***
6 cups mixed greens ****
1 apple thinly sliced*****
1 cup chopped celery
¼ cup pecans
¼ cup dried cranberries
2 green onions sliced

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients together until combined. Add ⅓ of the mixture to a ziplock bag and place the rest in the fridge for serving.
½ cup Dijon mustard, ½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup maple syrup, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Slice the chicken breasts in half to make cutlets. You should have four total. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, kosher salt, ground black pepper
To the ziplock bag, add the chicken, seal the top, and toss to coat in the marinade. Refrigerate for 2 hours. If you don’t have the time, let it sit while you prep the salad ingredients!
Heat your grill, or grill pan, to medium-high. Grill the chicken on both sides until cooked through. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, slice it into strips.
While the chicken is cooking, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain off excess fat.
4 slices bacon
To assemble, divide the greens between bowls. Top with chicken, bacon, apple, celery, pecans, cranberries, and green onions. Drizzle with dressing and serve.
6 cups mixed greens, 1 apple, 1 cup chopped celery, ¼ cup pecans, ¼ cup dried cranberries, 2 green onions

Video

Notes

*To lighten it up, try plain Greek yogurt in place of the mayo.

**You can substitute agave or honey in place of the maple syrup.

***You can swap in some pre-cooked bacon bits.

****I like using mixed greens, but spinach, kale, or any salad combo you prefer will work.

*****Use any apples you prefer here. Honeycrisp, Gala, and Fuji are my favorite, but other varieties will taste delicious too.

Tips:

The bacon, dressing, and chicken can all be prepped and cooked ahead of time, store in the fridge, and assembled fresh with the rest of the salad ingredients.
The chicken can marinate anywhere from 15 minutes to 8 hours/overnight (in the fridge), depending on how much time you have to prep.
I prefer this salad with grilled chicken, but it can be pan-seared, oven-baked, air-fried, or made however else you like.
Slice your apples just before serving to prevent browning.
Crazy about cheese? Goat cheese and feta cheese will taste great in this fall salad too.

Storage: This salad is best made and served fresh. But you can store leftover harvest chicken salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. The salad greens, toppings, chicken, and dressing should be stored separately for best results.

Nutrition