Quick Pan-Seared Chicken Salad (Printer View)

Juicy seared chicken atop fresh greens with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and feta, drizzled with tangy dressing.

# What you'll need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 10.5 oz total)
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - ½ teaspoon kosher salt
04 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
05 - ½ teaspoon garlic powder
06 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

→ Salad Greens

07 - 4 cups mixed salad greens (arugula, baby spinach, romaine)
08 - ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
09 - ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
10 - ½ cucumber, thinly sliced
11 - ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

→ Dressing

12 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
13 - 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
14 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
15 - ½ teaspoon honey
16 - Salt and pepper, to taste

# Method:

01 - Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season evenly with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Remove from heat and let rest for 2 to 3 minutes.
03 - Whisk together extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until emulsified.
04 - Combine mixed greens, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion, cucumber, and optional crumbled feta cheese in a large salad bowl. Drizzle with prepared dressing and toss gently to combine.
05 - Slice rested chicken breasts thinly and arrange over the dressed salad greens. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's ready in under 25 minutes, which means weeknight dinners actually happen without stress.
  • The warm chicken creates its own light sauce when it meets the cool, tangy dressing.
  • You control every ingredient, so allergies and preferences aren't a guessing game anymore.
02 -
  • Resting the chicken is what separates a dry, stringy result from something genuinely tender. I learned this the hard way by skipping it once, and the difference was impossible to ignore.
  • Seasoning the raw chicken rather than adding salt after cooking makes the seasoning actually penetrate the meat instead of sitting on the surface. This one change transformed the entire dish.
03 -
  • Buying chicken breasts that are already boneless and skinless costs more but saves time and means better results because you're not dealing with uneven thickness.
  • The balsamic vinegar is doing most of the heavy lifting in this dressing, so don't substitute it with something else unless you're specifically going for a different flavor profile.
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