Easy Paleo Apple Chicken Salad tastes like a guilty pleasure treat without the guilt. And the apples, avocado, celery, onion, walnuts, and chicken breasts ensure it’s chock-full of nutrients, healthy fats, carbohydrates, and protein, all in one meal! Serve it atop a bed of lettuce or by itself. Use cubed or strips of chicken and generously season them with pepper. Add a few more walnuts for added crunch because, seriously, those walnuts are the star of the show. And don’t forget the optional, but highly suggested, lemon honey dressing. OMIGOD. So good. K-Hubs and I played around with flavor combinations before settling on what is a simple, delicious drizzle.
Thanksgiving is around the corner, Spiriteds, and I’m gearing up for friends, family, and FOOD! My family has always lived around the kitchen table. We celebrate successes, problem-solve obstacles, grieve losses, and laugh through life in the kitchen. Did The Gram even have a family room? Yes, but we only used it when we absolutely had to pour into another space for breathing room. The recipes we devoured in those moments are as much a part of my life as the people I shared them with. Today’s Easy Paleo Apple Chicken Salad harkens back to those days, and I’m geeking out at the prospect of sharing it with you!
There is something so satisfying about a paleo fall salad recipe that combines the best in creamy, crunchy textures and sweet, savory flavors! Easy Paleo Apple Chicken Salad is all of that and more. In fact, much like those Chocolate-Frosted Paleo Pumpkin Brownies, I barely got a bite in edgewise this time because K-Hubs was onto this recipe and proceeded to eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If that doesn’t tell you something, Spiriteds, then let me say this, I am picky about my salads. I don’t love a lot of over-the-top sweet, mushy flavors. I also don’t like to walk away hungry. Easy Paleo Apple Chicken Salad ensures we neither buckle under the mush nor walk away dissatisfied. It is the ideal festive fall salad.
So if you are looking for a Thanksgiving paleo salad recipe everyone will enjoy, then Easy Paleo Apple Chicken Salad is your answer. It’s also your answer if you want a healthy dish to offset heavy Thanksgiving recipes. In my family, we actually designate someone to bring a healthy option, otherwise everyone would bring lard, sugar, and more lard. You think I jest, however I invite you to join us for Thanksgiving sometime to see for yourself.
Are you ready to make this salad? If so, then let’s dive right in!
INGREDIENTS FOR EASY PALEO APPLE CHICKEN SALAD:
Easy Paleo Apple Chicken Salad is super easy to prepare, and the ingredients are readily available in stores.
- Chicken breasts. I like to cook the chicken myself, however you can buy pre-cooked if that is easier. I also cut the pieces into strips or cube them.
- Avocados, apples (red and/or green), celery, red onion, red grapes, sea salt, and walnuts. I dice, slice, or chop the ingredients to make them easier to work with. You can also throw in some lettuce or spinach of your choosing, but it isn’t required.
- Dressing: I like to work with 100% pure honey and fresh lemon juice (when I can). I also garnish this salad with pepper.
HOW TO MAKE EASY PALEO APPLE CHICKEN SALAD:
It isn’t hard to prepare Easy Paleo Apple Chicken Salad because, for the most part, you are simply throwing the ingredients together and either tossing/layering them with lettuce or serving the mixture as a stand-alone salad. If I’m serving this to a large crowd and I’m not sure what they’ll prefer, then I let them build their own salads, with or without lettuce/spinach.
- First, if not using pre-cooked chicken, then sauté the chicken breasts in a skillet with a little olive oil or coconut oil until they are cooked through.
- Next, chop the avocado, apples, celery, red onion, and grapes. Throw the ingredients together in a large bowl, add the sea salt, and then stir away. Add the chicken breasts, either cubed or cut into strips.
- In a small dish, combine the honey and lemon juice. Drizzle the mixture over the salad ingredients and stir evenly.
- Finally, either layer the ingredients on top of a bed of lettuce or toss ingredients with the lettuce. Alternatively, you can serve this salad without lettuce, if you wish. Garnish with walnuts and black pepper.
NOTE: To keep this salad from getting mushy, I highly suggest either preparing this the day you intend to enjoy it. Or for prepping ahead, keep the ingredients as separate as possible until just prior to serving. Also, dice/chop the avocado and apples last.
Seriously, this paleo salad recipe is a new top-fave in my book. But in the beginning I worried enough about how it would turn out that I waited a few weeks to work on it and even asked K-Hubs to taste-test after I added each ingredient. The level of preciousness in the kitchen reached an all-time high. Like many a recipe before it, I needn’t have worried. Easy Paleo Apple Chicken Salad is all that is good and right and well with the world!
- 2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed or cut into strips
- 1 avocado, diced
- 2 apples, chopped (I like a combination of red and green)
- ¾ cup celery, chopped
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 cup red grapes, halved
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons 100% pure honey
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ cup walnuts
- Coarse black pepper for garnishing and shredded lettuce, if desired
- In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken, avocado, apples, celery, onion, and grapes. Add sea salt and stir well.
- In a small dish, combine honey and lemon juice and pour onto salad mixture, stirring evenly.
- Stir in walnuts and add more as a topping, if desired. Garnish with pepper and consume within 2-3 days.
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