Just like a BLT sandwich, but salad-style with some chicken to make it a filling lunch or dinner. It’s all here – crispy bacon, juicy cherry tomatoes, a creamy yogurt-mayo dressing, plus easy homemade croutons. This Chicken BLT Salad is great for a light dinner or prep it ahead for easy lunches.
Chicken BLT Salad
Turning a favorite sandwich into a salad is a good idea mostly because you end up with less bread and more veggies, but you also get the same feel-good feelings that the sandwich creates. I love a BLT, but right now – as I emerge from my winter hibernation and realize a few more veggies now and then is probably a good idea – I need to eat more salads.
And so I turned to a classic BLT for inspiration and ended up with a chicken blt salad – big bowl of greens topped with juicy tomatoes, crispy bacon, homemade croutons, and a creamy dressing with just a touch of mayo. I also added some simple pan-cooked chicken, which isn’t a traditional BLT ingredient, but delicious all the same.
How to Make Homemade Croutons
I’m not a fan of store-bought croutons mostly because the ones I’ve seen are usually big and hard as rocks. I’d never go as far to say “don’t buy store-bought croutons!” because I get we’re all busy and picking up a bag is an easy short-cut, but making your own really isn’t that hard and (!) taking the DIY route means you can customize them to your tastes.
- You’ll need one slice of sandwich bread – I used country white because that’s what I’d use if I made a regular BLT sandwich, but use whatever bread you like – maybe some whole wheat, whole grain, or sourdough bread? Cut the bread into small cubes.
- Toss the cubes with some olive oil, garlic powder, and kosher salt, but feel free to put your spice cabinet to use here – Italian seasoning, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, and dried herbs like thyme, parsley, and rosemary are all ways to switch things up.
- Bake the croutons just until they are lightly golden and crispy on the outside, but still a little soft on the inside. In my oven this took about eight minutes at 350 degrees, stopping once half-way through to give them a stir on the sheet pan. If you prefer a crunchier crouton, leave them in a little longer.
Simple Yogurt-Mayo Dressing
And while it’s tempting to whip up a mayo-only dressing for the salad in the same spirit I might slather it on a BLT sandwich, substituting some tangy Greek yogurt and adding just a touch of mayo gives you a dressing that’s lighter, but still with the flavor that makes a BLT so delicious. I added some lemon juice, fresh parsley, and a pinch of salt. So simple.
Make the croutons first and while they’re in the oven mix up the dressing. From there all you need to do is cook up some bacon, cook the chicken in the same pan in a little of the rendered bacon fat, and then make the salads. Toss all the ingredients together with some green leaf lettuce or top the lettuce with all the stuff and drizzle the dressing over the top. Either way, this chicken blt salad is delicious.
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Chicken BLT Salad
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
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Just like a BLT sandwich, but salad-style with some chicken to make it a filling lunch or dinner. It’s all here – crispy bacon, juicy cherry tomatoes, a creamy yogurt-mayo dressing, plus easy homemade croutons. Perfect for a light dinner or prep ahead for easy lunches. If making ahead, be sure to store the components separately until ready to serve.
Ingredients
Croutons
- 1 slice country white sandwich bread, cut into small cubes
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 pinch kosher salt
Dressing
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- 3 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp chopped parsley
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Everything Else
- 2 slices thick-cut bacon
- 8 oz (1/2-inch-thick ) boneless chicken breast, seasoned with kosher salt
- 6 cups torn green leaf lettuce
- 4 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
- Ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a baking sheet, spread the bread cubes into an even layer. Coat the cubes with the olive oil, garlic powder, and salt stirring them around to coat them evenly. Bake them for 5 minutes. Stir them around the sheet pan and bake them for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until they are lightly toasted. Set them aside to cool.
- While the croutons bake, make the dressing. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, parsley, and salt. Set the dressing aside.
- Place the bacon in a 10-inch skillet and turn the heat to medium. Cook the bacon until it’s crispy and has rendered its fat. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel. Remove the excess bacon fat from the pan, leaving just enough to coat the bottom of the pan.
- In the same pan, cook the chicken over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes on one side. Turn the chicken and cook it for 4 to 5 minutes, or until its internal temperature is 165 degrees. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to rest while you make the salads.
- Divide the lettuce and tomatoes between two plates or bowls. Slice the bacon slices into 1-inch pieces and place on the salads. Slice the chicken and place it on the salads. Top the salads with the croutons, drizzle the dressing over the top, and finish it off with ground black pepper, to taste.
- Category: Salads
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 salad
- Calories: 460
- Fat: 24 g
- Carbohydrates: 23.2g
- Fiber: 2.7g
- Protein: 36.9g
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