Harvest Chicken Salad Recipe

I love a freshly made salad for healthy lunches, and there’s something extra special about this harvest salad with chicken that knows how to satisfy all my fall cravings, any time of year. This recipe always reminds me how delicious salads can truly be!

What’s in this Harvest Salad Recipe with Chicken?

This healthy and vibrant fall harvest salad is packed full of greens, chicken, apples, pecans, bacon, cranberries, and celery, then topped off with a sweet and tangy dressing.

Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts work best for this recipe. Bacon: Chop bacon into small pieces. We’ll cook them in this recipe, or you can swap in some pre-cooked bacon bits. Apples: Choose your favorite apple variety. Sweet or tart both work, depending on your preference. I prefer Honeycrisp or Gala apples. Salad Greens: Use a bag of mixed greens, or combine your favorites (like arugula, baby spinach, or kale). Pecans: These add some crunch. Walnuts or almonds work too. Celery: Chopped pieces of fresh celery adds more texture to the salad. Dried Cranberries: Adds some texture and fruity flavor. Other dried fruits can be substituted too. Green Onions: This adds an earthy touch to balance out some of the other salad toppings. Harvest Dressing/Marinade: This is a combo of Dijon mustard, mayo, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and thyme.

Variations To Try

I top off this harvest salad with grilled chicken after marinating it in the dressing, but you can use any cooked chicken you like. Grab some shredded chicken or a rotisserie chicken for convenience! Crazy about cheese? Goat cheese and feta cheese will taste great in this salad too. For the dressing, the mayo can be swapped for Plain Greek Yogurt to lighten it up. And honey can be used instead of maple syrup. Looking for something delicious to serve alongside? Try this Pumpkin Bread. Tis the season.

How to Store

This fall 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 and dressing should be stored separately for best results, otherwise the salad will get soggy.

How to Make Ahead

Many of the salad components can be prepped ahead of time for convenience, but the salad itself should be assembled when ready to eat.

Make the harvest salad dressing/marinade up to 2 days ahead of time and store it in the fridge. Cook the chicken breast ahead of time by prepping and marinating it, grilling it, then storing it in an airtight container in the fridge, for up to 2 days. You can also let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours before cooking. The bacon can be chopped, cooked, and stored in the fridge up to 2 days ahead of time.

Notes and Tips

I slice my apples right before serving to ensure they don’t turn brown. I love using different varieties of apples for this harvest salad, depending on what’s in season or what I can find at the markets.

How to Make Harvest Chicken Salad Step by Step

Make the Dressing/Marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk together ½ cup of dijon mustard, ½ cup of mayonnaise, ¼ cup of maple syrup, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of chopped fresh thyme, and ⅛ teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Add ⅓ of the mixture to a ziplock bag and place the rest in the fridge for serving. Prep the Chicken: Slice 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in half to make cutlets. You should have four pieces total. Season both sides of each piece with salt and pepper, to taste. Marinate the Chicken: Add the chicken to the resealable bag with the marinade. Seal it and toss to fully coat the chicken, and refrigerate/marinate for 2 hours. If you don’t have 2 hours, even 15-30 minutes will do the trick. Grill the Chicken: Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Grill the chicken (about 6-8 minutes on each side) until cooked through. Slice the Chicken: Once cooked, set the chicken aside to rest for 5 minutes. When it’s cool enough to handle, slice it into thin strips. Cook the Bacon: While the chicken is cooking, cook 4 slices of chopped 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. Assemble the Salad: Divide 6 cups of mixed greens between bowls. Top each with the grilled chicken, cooked bacon, sliced apples, 1 cup of chopped celery, ¼ cup of pecans, ¼ cup of dried cranberries, and sliced green onions. Drizzle each bowl of harvest salad with dressing to serve.