This chicken kale salad is full of flavor, from savory air fryer cumin chicken to crisp cucumbers, kale, and romaine lettuce, and finished with a creamy avocado cilantro dressing. Great for lunch or dinner and for meal prep.
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This easy kale salad is my new favorite spring and summer meal.
The combination of hearty kale and spiced cumin chicken all topped with my creamy and tangy avocado cilantro dressing is a winner.
This salad provides great flavor from the chicken, the dressing, and the fresh herbs for garnish and the kale, romaine lettuce, cucumber, and pepitas provide a satisfying variety of textures.
Plus, it's so easy! The dressing takes only a few minutes to blend and you can do this while the chicken is air frying - which only takes 10-12 minutes. Chop the greens and slice the cucumber in that time also and you'll have a hearty and wholesome meal in just 20 minutes. Yay for big salads!
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact amounts.
- chicken: the air fryer cumin chicken provides a nice savory spiced contrast to the other fresh flavors and crisp textures of this salad.
- greens: a combination of kale and romaine lettuce for different textures. I use whatever type of kale is available to me. My grocery store regularly sells curly kale. A specialty store sells lacinato kale, which I prefer (also called cavolo nero, dinosaur kale, black kale, and Tuscan kale). Either variety is fine.
- vegetables: you can use English cucumbers or the smaller Persian cucumbers. They bring a crisp freshness to this salad.
- sauce: I use my avocado cilantro dressing with this salad with a blended combination of avocado, cilantro, lime juice, Greek yogurt, salt, and pepper. It's creamy and tangy.
- garnish: for crunch, some pepitas along with fresh sliced green onions and a bunch of cilantro.
Substitutions
There are a lot of ways you can make a salad like this. Here are some substitution and variation ideas.
- chicken: if you've already got rotisserie chicken on hand or other leftover grilled chicken, use that in this recipe.
- greens: try a spring mix or combination of spinach, arugula, iceberg lettuce, green leaf lettuce, or thinly sliced green cabbage.
- vegetables: if you want to add something with the cucumbers try adding cherry tomatoes, chopped bell pepper, or thinly sliced red onion.
- sauce: try another sauce if you're not into the idea of avocado cilantro dressing. Balsamic vinaigrette, lemon herb tahini dressing, ranch dressing, or jalapeno ranch dressing would all be good here.
- garnish: Try cashews, almonds, crispy chickpeas, hemp seeds, or sunflower seeds instead of the pepitas. Skip the cilantro if you're not a fan or replace it with fresh parsley.
Try your favorite salad dressing with this salad!
Instructions
Prep Tips
Air fry the chicken
Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board.
- Pressing down with your hand, carefully slide a knife through sideways to cut the chicken into cutlets.
- Add the chicken to a large bowl and coat with a little olive oil and the juice from a small lime. Season with salt and black pepper and sprinkle over the cumin and smoked paprika. Toss to coat.
- Air fry for 10-12 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) using a meat thermometer.
- Set aside to rest for 5 minutes.
Make the dressing
Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a mini blender and blend until smooth, adding splashes of water as necessary to reach your preferred consistency.
You only need about half of the dressing but it's easier to blend if you're making the whole recipe.
Assemble the salad
- Chop the cucumber into bite-sized pieces. Slice the green onions and chop the cilantro.
- Chop the kale leaves and romaine lettuce.
Because you'll chop the kale into small pieces, it's not necessary to massage but you can if you want to. To massage the kale add a drizzle of olive oil.
Add the kale and to a large salad bowl with the romaine lettuce
Season the greens with salt and pepper and toss to mix.
Add the cucumber, and most of the green onions and cilantro, saving some to garnish if you like.
Slice the chicken breast into pieces and layer on top of the salad.
Add the dressing.
Mix with tongs to combine.
Serve.
Tips for making this salad
- To ensure you achieve juicy chicken, make sure to cut the chicken breasts into cutlets and use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. Also, watch the chicken for the last few minutes in the air fryer to avoid dry or overcooked chicken. Let the chicken rest while you assemble the salad so it stays juicy when you slice it.
- Season the chopped kale and romaine - seasoning your dishes at every stage helps with the final outcome and seasoning salad greens leads to a flavorful salad.
- To meal prep this salad, make and store all ingredients separately and combine them when needed. If you're meal prepping the salad to take on the go, combine the salad ingredients but keep the dressing separate until you're about to eat.
What to serve with kale chicken salad
I like to serve this salad as a main dish with a piece of bread on the side. Try it with roasted lemon potatoes, crispy air fryer fries, or air fryer smashed potatoes.
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
The chicken and vegetables will last stored separately for about 4-5 days. The dressing will last about a week in the fridge, stored in a jar with a lid.
If storing the salad already assembled, I've found it's best eaten within two days.
FAQs
Yes, you can skip the chicken and try adding chickpeas or lima beans instead.
Recipe
Kale and Chicken Salad
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons lime juice from about 1 lime
For the salad
- 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce 1 head
- 2-3 cups lacinato kale or curly kale
- 1 large English cucumber sliced into quarter moons
- 4 green onions sliced
- ½ bunch cilantro roughly chopped
- ¼ cup pepitas
For the dressing
- 1 avocado
- ¼ bunch cilantro
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- water as needed ½ cup approximately
Instructions
For the chicken
- Cut the chicken breasts into cutlets: Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and carefully slice them in half by pressing down on the chicken breast with one hand while sliding a sharp knife through sideways.
- Place the chicken in a bowl and coat in the olive oil and lime juice. Sprinkle on the spices and seasoning and toss to coat. Place on an air fryer tray or basket.
- Air fry for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway until the chicken reaches an internal temp of 165℉ (74℃) on a meat thermometer.
- Let rest for 5 minutes, then slice.
For the dressing
- Add all dressing ingredients to a blender except the water. Blend until smooth, adding water as needed to adjust the consistency.
For the salad
- Add the chopped kale, romaine, and cucumbers to a large serving bowl. Layer on the chicken, green onions, cilantro, and pepitas. Add the dressing and mix with tongs. Serve.
Video
Notes
Nutritional information is an estimate. Values vary based on products used. Read our full Nutrition Disclaimer.
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