Do you crave Chick-fil-A’s salads but find them a bit pricey? Well, we’ve got a solution for you: our amazing copycat Chick-fil-A market salad recipe. Discover the mouthwatering ingredients that make this the healthiest and most satisfying salad on their menu.
Why This Recipe Works
- Tender and Flavorful Chicken: Pounding the chicken breasts thin with a meat mallet enhances tenderness and flavor.
- Irresistible Dressing: Our copycat zesty apple cider vinaigrette recipe tastes even better than Chick-fil-A’s dressing.
- Juicy Chicken Every Time: By following the right techniques, like blotting off excess marinade and tenting the cooked chicken, you’ll end up with moist and delicious chicken.
- Perfect Combination of Textures: From the fresh and dried fruit to the blue cheese, candied pecans, sliced almonds, and granola, this copycat market salad is a delight for your taste buds.
Ingredients
The Chick-fil-A market salad is loaded with delicious ingredients, and using all of them will give you a truly amazing salad experience. Here are the main ingredients:
- Salad Greens: We recommend using spring salad mix or shredded romaine with baby greens.
- Fruit: Fresh blueberries, strawberries, and red and green apples add a burst of flavor.
- Vegetables: Julienned carrots and shredded red cabbage bring color and crunch.
- Salad Dressing: Our copycat Chick-fil-A zesty apple cider vinaigrette is the perfect dressing for this salad.
- Meat: Grilled marinated chicken breast makes this salad a satisfying main course.
For exact quantities and more details, refer to the recipe card below.
Variations
You can easily customize this salad to suit your dietary preferences or restrictions. Here are a few variations to consider:
- Vegan: Omit the chicken and blue cheese, and use agave nectar instead of honey in the vinaigrette.
- Vegetarian: Simply leave out the chicken.
- Nut-Free: Skip the almonds and candied pecans.
- Gluten-Free: Exclude the granola.
- Oil-Free: You can choose not to use the dressing.
- No Lettuce: Swap out the lettuce for kale and Swiss chard.
How to Make It
To make our copycat Chick-fil-A market salad, follow these steps:
- Whisk the marinade together in a small bowl or glass measuring cup until well mixed.
- Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel and pound them thin with a meat mallet. Then, transfer the chicken to a zip-top bag.
- Pour the marinade over the chicken and let it marinate in the fridge for 6 to 12 hours.
- Whisk the salad dressing until combined and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Let the chicken rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, then pat off any excess marinade. Cook the chicken in a skillet for about 5 minutes on each side, flipping it only once.
- Once cooked, place the chicken breast on a plate and tent it with foil for 10 minutes.
- Thinly slice the cooled chicken and place it on a plate or shallow bowl with two cups of spring salad mix.
- Sprinkle on shredded carrots and red cabbage.
- Add the blueberries, strawberries, and apple chunks. You can also include optional toppings like raisins, granola, almonds, pecans, and blue cheese.
- Drizzle the zesty apple cider vinaigrette over the salad and enjoy your very own copycat Chick-fil-A market salad!
Recipe FAQs
Have some questions about the recipe? Check out these FAQs:
Serve
To complete your meal, why not try our collection of copycat Chick-fil-A milkshakes? Indulge in frosted coffee, frosted lemonade, peach milkshake, cookies and cream milkshake, or peppermint milkshake.
If you’re in the mood for other main course Chick-fil-A salads, we have copycat recipes for Asian salad, lemon kale Caesar salad, spicy Southwest salad, and Cobb salad.
Store
For the best taste and freshness, follow these storage tips:
- Make Ahead: Marinate the chicken for at least 6 hours or overnight for maximum flavor. Keep each ingredient in a separate covered bowl to maintain texture, and store the salad greens separately to keep them fresh.
- Meal Prep: Keep all the ingredients separate until you’re ready to assemble the salad. This way, the greens won’t wilt, and everything will be delicious and fresh. The sliced strawberries will stay firm for about 48 hours.
- Leftovers: If you have any leftovers, refrigerate each ingredient in separate bowls. The dressing will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days, but make sure to shake the Zesty Apple Cider Vinaigrette well before using.
Expert Tips
Here are some expert tips to ensure your salad turns out perfectly:
- Marinate the chicken for at least 6 hours and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling.
- If the chicken sticks to the pan, don’t flip it immediately—wait a little longer, then try again.
- Allow the chicken to cool before slicing for thinly sliced chicken.
- Assemble the salad just before eating to maintain the best texture and flavors.
- If serving this salad to guests, allow them to add their own toppings for a customized experience.
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