Delicious Colourful Chopped Chicken Salad with crispy sweet apple and a light homemade poppy seed dressing - a vibrant, fresh bowl that's perfect for any time of the year.
What I love about chopped salads is how effortless yet versatile they are. You can build them up with your favourite ingredients - a mix of crunchy veggies, juicy fruit, and hearty protein - for a salad that's both filling and full of flavour.
Calories in Chopped Chicken Salad
This chopped salad recipe serves 2 and is 485 calories per serving
If you're looking for more recipes within the same calorie range, you'll find an abundance of options in my dedicated collection of 400+ calorie recipes.
If you're following a calorie-controlled diet or a healthy eating plan, it's important to calculate your daily calorie intake using a reliable calorie calculator. Please note that the calorie counts provided are estimates and can vary based on specific ingredients and serving sizes. Personalizing your calculations is essential to meet your individual needs. By using a calorie calculator, you can make informed choices and stay on track with your dietary goals.
See the recipe card for full nutritional estimation.
Ingredients Needed
To make this salad you will need the following ingredients:
- Skinless Boneless Chicken Thighs: Tender and juicy, perfect for adding rich flavour to the salad.
- Seasoning: A blend of paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne for a savoury kick with mild heat.
- Salt and Black Pepper: Essential to enhance flavours and balance the dish.
- Honeycrisp Apple: Sweet, crisp, and refreshing - ideal for a burst of crunch in every bite.
- Carrot: Adds vibrant colour and a subtle, natural sweetness with crunch.
- Cheddar: Creamy and sharp, it balances the sweetness of the apple and other fresh ingredients.
- Grape or Cherry Tomatoes: Juicy and slightly tangy, they bring a pop of freshness.
- Romaine Lettuce: Crisp and light, providing a refreshing base for the salad.
- Red Onion: Adds a sharp bite and brightens up the overall flavour.
- Baby Cucumber: Cool and crisp, a refreshing contrast to the bolder flavours.
Once you've gathered all the ingredients and prepared them accordingly, you're all set to create this easy and delightful recipe.
See the recipe card for specific quantities and instructions.
Variations and Substitutes
Here are a few ways to change up the recipe:
- Protein: Swap the chicken thighs for grilled chicken breast, turkey, or roasted chickpeas (seasoned the same way) for a vegetarian twist.
- Cheese: Replace the cheddar with feta, goat cheese for a tangy kick, or blue cheese for added richness.
- Fruit: Try pears or grapes instead of Honeycrisp apples for a different sweetness. Dried cranberries or apricots can also bring a chewy texture.
- Veggies: Switch romaine for spinach or kale for a heartier base, or add bell peppers or radishes for extra crunch and colour.
- Dressing: If you'd like a change, use balsamic vinaigrette or any light dressing you prefer.
With these simple changes, you can make the salad feel a little different each time!
Homemade Low Calorie Poppyseed Dressing
I love making my own dressings, and this Homemade Light Poppyseed Dressing is one of my favourites. Made with Greek yoghurt, it's healthy and low in calories, perfect for salads like this. The yoghurt adds a creamy texture without the heaviness of mayo or cream, making it a lighter option that still feels indulgent.
The best part? You can store it in the fridge for up to five days, so it's ready to drizzle over any salad you fancy. Fresh, versatile, and absolutely delicious - yum!
More Salad Recipes
Love salad recipes like this, with lots of little components? Salad doesn't need to be boring, check out some of these:
see more Salad Recipes
or if you would like more recipe ideas - head on over to the FULL RECIPE INDEX where you will find over 900 delicious recipes with calories and you can search by meal type, ingredients, course, diet and more.
All recipes on Slimming Eats have estimated nutritional information for your convenience.
FAQ for Chopped Chicken Salad
Absolutely! This Chopped Chicken Salad is perfect for meal prep. Simply store all the ingredients in a container, keeping the lettuce and veggies at the bottom and the chicken and cheese on top. This helps maintain freshness and prevents sogginess. Just make sure to add the dressing right before eating.
For on-the-go meals, keep the dressing in a separate container. Drizzle it over the salad just before enjoying to keep everything crisp and fresh. Small, portable dressing containers work great for this!
The salad can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days, but for the best texture and freshness, it's recommended to consume it within 24 hours. Keep the dressing separate to avoid sogginess.
Yes, the Homemade Light Poppy Seed Dressing can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to five days. It's great for using on other salads throughout the week!
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Recipe Card
Chopped Chicken Salad
Delicious Colourful Chopped Chicken Salad with crispy sweet apple and a light homemade poppy seed dressing – a vibrant, fresh bowl that’s perfect for any time of the year.
Ingredients
- 3 boneless skinless chicken thighs, raw (approx 250g/8.8oz)
- 2 teaspoons of paprika
- ½ teaspoon of onion powder
- ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
- salt and black pepper
- pinch of cayenne (optional)
- olive oil spray
- 1 medium honey crisp apple (core removed), sliced thinly
- 1 medium carrot, julienned
- 1 head of romaine, chopped
- ½ small red onion
- 2 baby cucumbers sliced
- 10 baby roma tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 60g (2oz) of mature cheddar, cubed
- 4 tablespoons of Homemade Light Poppy Seed Dressing
Instructions
- Make the Poppy Seed dressing - set aside in the fridge
- Add the chicken thighs to a bowl, with the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, pinch of cayenne and some salt and pepper
- Spray a frying pan over a medium heat with olive oil spray, add the chicken thighs and fry on each side for about 5-6 minutes each side until golden and chicken is cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside to cool slightly, then slice into thin strips.
- Divide the lettuce, apple, carrot, red onion, cucumber, tomatoes, cheddar equally amoung the bowls and then top with the cooked chicken.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad.
- Enjoy!!!
Notes
Please see below for full nutritional info and additional details about recipe:
- Calories - scroll down to nutritional info box
- WW Points and other Slimming or Weight Loss programs - due to plans regularly changing and updating, we recommend calculating with the official tools you get as a member to those plans to ensure accuracy of values.
- Gluten Free Friendly
- Dairy Free Friendly - use a dairy free cheese and yoghurt for the dressing
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Nutrition Information
Yield 2 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 485Total Fat 21gSaturated Fat 9gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 19gCholesterol 235mgSodium 843mgCarbohydrates 35gFiber 9gSugar 18gProtein 36g
Nutritional information and values etc are an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information. It is always advised that you calculate by the ingredients you use.
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