This crispy hen salad is a fall favourite in my home! It options air-fried crispy hen, honey crisp apples, a tremendous do-it-yourself maple mustard dressing, and candied pecans. It’s a flavorful and protein-rich lunch or dinner that I completely can not get sufficient of.
Excessive in protein — I’m talkin’ 35g per serving!
GREAT salad for meal prep — I like making this salad for lunch through the week. Merely wait to decorate the salad til you’re able to serve 😋.
Minimal prepare dinner time — the hen is cooked within the air fryer, which implies tremendous minimal kitchen time is required for you. #yahwelcome
A Few Featured Components
- Apples: right here within the midwest, we’re all about honey crisp apples! The flavour is texture is simply the very best. Be happy to thinly slice any apple of your alternative ❤️.
- Pecans: the candied pecans add deliciously candy taste and a bit of crunch. it’s an ideal complement to the savory hen and maple mustard dressing.
- Rooster: air fryer hen bbs! I like air frying hen as a result of it will get it additional crispy with out frying + it requires minimal prepare dinner time. My toddler all the time steals a hen nugget or two after I’m making this recipe.
- Dijon mustard: mustard is the bottom of the salad dressing for this recipe! It’s a do-it-yourself dressing that does require just a few elements, however all the pieces might be poured in a mason jar and shaken up earlier than dressing. I prefer to make a double batch to maintain additional dressing readily available within the fridge.
- Maple syrup: you’ll use maple within the salad dressing and likewise within the candied pecans. It’s my go-to pure sweetener of alternative.
- Spring combine greens: technically any lettuce or subject greens will work for this salad, so select your individual journey right here. The crunch of romaine could be delish, and so would a softer butter lettuce.
Discover the checklist of full elements within the recipe card beneath.
Make Stovetop Candied Pecans
Making your individual candied pecans is tremendous fast and straightforward. All it’s essential do is warmth a big skillet over medium/low warmth. Add the pecans, maple syrup, and cinnamon to the skillet. Toss the pecans till they’re coated, and toast them till they start to brown.
Switch the pecans to a plate and allow them to cool — be happy to style take a look at just a few 😋😋.
Making ready and Air-Frying the Rooster
Dredge a chunk of hen by way of the flour, then egg, after which the panko, ensuring the hen items are absolutely coated. The flour –> egg –> panko order for dredging the hen helps make every bit tremendous crispy and evenly coated within the breading.
Then, switch the hen to the air fryer, ensuring the hen items will not be touching. Cook dinner at 400º for 5-8 minutes (is determined by what kind of air fryer you’re utilizing) or till the hen is golden brown and crispy. You’re on the lookout for an inside temperature of 165ºF.
Professional tip: You could have to prepare dinner the hen in batches relying on the scale of your air fryer.
Need to make a non-breaded hen for this recipe? I like to recommend my juicy air fryer hen breast recipe. Alternatively, you possibly can press the straightforward button and simply convey house a rotisserie hen from the grocery retailer (I’ve completed this extra occasions than I can depend!).
Discover the complete recipe directions within the recipe card beneath.
Add the Dressing and Serve
My #1 tip for this salad is to WAIT to decorate it till proper earlier than serving. Why? Spring combine is a fragile subject inexperienced and may get soggy fairly rapidly. Plus, you don’t need your tremendous crispy hen nuggets to get soggy both 😅😅.
Finest Strategy to Retailer Leftovers
One of the best ways to retailer leftover servings of this salad is to maintain the dressing and hen separate from all the pieces else. Then, whenever you’re able to serve, you possibly can reheat the hen (both within the air fryer for a couple of minutes or within the microwave) and toss with the dressing to freshen issues up.
Extra Hearty Salad Recipes
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Start by making candied pecans. Warmth a big skillet over medium/low warmth. Add the pecans, maple syrup, and cinnamon to the skillet. Toss the pecans till they’re coated. Toast the pecans till they start to brown. Switch the pecans to a plate and allow them to cool.
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Add all the elements for the dressing to a bowl and whisk to mix. Put aside.
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Subsequent, put together the hen. In three separate bowls, add the flour to at least one, whisked eggs, maple syrup, and Dijon to the second, and panko bread crumbs and salt to the third bowl.
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Dredge a chunk of hen by way of the flour, then egg, after which the panko. Be certain it’s absolutely coated. Put aside and repeat till all of the hen has been coated.
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Switch the hen to the air fryer and spray with avocado oil. Be certain the hen items will not be overcrowded. Cook dinner at 400º for 5-8 minutes (is determined by what kind of air fryer you’re utilizing) or till the hen is golden brown and crispy. You could have to prepare dinner the hen in batches. We’re on the lookout for an inside temperature of 165ºF.
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Add the blended greens, cranberries, feta, and apples to a big salad bowl. Prime with hen and candied pecans.
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Gown the salad proper earlier than serving and revel in instantly.
- In case you don’t have an air fryer, be happy to exchange the air fryer hen with rotisserie hen.
Energy: 574 kcal, Carbohydrates: 65 g, Protein: 35 g, Fats: 31 g, Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 28 g
Vitamin data is routinely calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.
