This Chicken Tender Salad is SO good! With crispy chopped chicken tenders on a bed of crisp romaine lettuce, along with fresh veggies, crunchy bacon bits, toasted pecans and cheddar cheese, this salad has it all. Creamy, herby ranch dressing seals the deal!
I love the contrast of textures and flavors in this Chicken Tender Salad! First, we have the crunchy bites of diced chicken tenders along with crispy croutons, bacon bits, and a bonus crunch of toasted pecans. Then, the fresh, crisp romaine and cool vegetables come into play. Finally, bits of cheddar cheese and creamy ranch are mixed in for what might just be the perfect salad!
This salad is one of those easy chicken tender recipes that everyone will love. It’s a great way to get those veggies in, but with the added protein of the chicken tenders, cheese, pecans, and bacon, it’s a meal in and of itself. Whether for lunch as the main event or as a side salad for dinner, this Chicken Tender Salad is one of my very favorite salads.
Why I LOVE this recipe!
- Quick & easy salad recipe – This crispy chicken tender salad comes together fast, clocking in at 15 minutes prep time.
- Meal in one – I love a hearty salad that is substantial enough to be a meal in and of itself, and this Chicken Tender Salad is definitely one of them!
- Kid friendly – With chicken tenders and ranch dressing, this salad is speaking their language.
- Perfect for using up leftovers – I love making this Chicken Tender Salad when I have a few leftover chicken tenders to use up. Honestly, I usually cook up a few extra tenders just to make sure I’ll have leftovers for this salad!
Recipe Notes
This Chicken Tender Salad recipe is as simple as promised! Just 10 ingredients and 15 minutes for a family friendly meal.
In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use for how to make a Chicken Tender Salad to get the absolute best and most delicious results.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Romaine hearts – Crisp, sturdy romaine hearts are the perfect greens for this crispy chicken tender salad. The lettuce is fresh and crunchy, but robust enough to hold up to heavy toppings.
- Chicken tenders – I love these crispy baked chicken tenders for this one.
- Tomato – You’ll want one beefsteak tomato, diced into small pieces. The juicy sweet bits of tomato add so much to this salad.
- Cucumber – I like to go with either English or Persian cucumbers because the peel is thin and mild enough to leave it on. If you use a cucumber with a more waxy, thick peel, I recommend removing it with a vegetable peeler before dicing it and adding it to this salad.
- Bacon bits – For smoky flavor with a bit of crunch! Try my bacon bits recipe for an easy way to make them.
- Red onion – Just a bit of thinly sliced red onion is perfect in this crispy chicken tender salad.
- Cheddar cheese – Choose mild, medium, or sharp, whichever you prefer.
- Croutons – You can make your own homemade croutons or buy them at the store.
- Pecans – I love the bit of crunch that pecans add. I like to toast them first for an added nutty bit of flavor and extra crunch.
- Ranch dressing – Make your own ranch dressing, or buy it at the store, whichever you prefer.
Make sure to see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full quantities and ingredients list.
Recipe Variations
If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!
- Grilled Chicken Tender Salad– This Chicken Tender Salad is also excellent with grilled chicken tenders or baked chicken tenders without breading, too.
- Spicy Chicken Tender Salad– Add spicy pickled jalapeno peppers and swap in jalapeno ranch dressing.
- Buffalo Chicken Tender Salad– Warm 1/4 cup Buffalo sauce with 1 tablespoon butter and toss the chicken tender pieces in the sauce before adding it to the salad. Swap the pecans and cheddar for creamy diced avocado and diced celery.
Recipe Step by Step
I am going to highlight a few key steps in the recipe here, but make sure to jump down to the recipe card for comprehensive instructions on how to make Chicken Tender Salad.
Add the chopped romaine to a large bowl.
Top with the chopped chicken tenders.
Add the tomato, cucumber, bacon, onion, and pecans.
Sprinkle the cheese on top. Drizzle with ranch and toss.
Recipe Tips
- Dry your lettuce well – It’s important to wash and dry your greens thoroughly; you don’t want a watery salad! If you have a salad spinner you can use the dry the greens, even better.
- Don’t chop your lettuce pieces too large – Aim for bite-size pieces; otherwise, it’s hard to eat!
- This recipe makes a lot! – This recipe yields four large salads or eight when served as a side salad.
Recipe Short Cuts
If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!
- Use frozen store-bought chicken tenders – I love this shortcut for when I don’t have time to make homemade chicken tenders.
- Utilize leftovers – If you have leftover chicken tenders from another meal, that’s perfect!
- Buy pre-chopped lettuce and veggies – Check out the pre-chopped vegetables at your local supermarket. The lettuce and some veggies may be available in pre-chopped form, which is great for saving some time.
- Use shredded cheese – Grab shredded cheese at the grocery store for one less step when making this crispy chicken tender salad.
What to Serve with Chicken Tender Salad
Since this protein based dinner has the delicious flavors of fresh veggies and ranch, it will pair well with many of your favorite classic side dishes.
Choose one or several of these side dishes to create a wholesome, well-rounded dinner. There are both classic options and some healthy options to keep it light.
Side Dish Ideas
- Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
- Cowboy Baked Beans
- Garlic Cheese Bread or Pesto Cheese Bread
- Homemade Buttermilk Cornbread
Chicken Tender Salad Leftovers
If you have leftovers of this salad, they will save well as long as they are not tossed with the dressing. My advice is to dress as much salad as you know you will eat, then package any extra salad in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 1-3 days.
Recipe FAQ’s
How many calories are in chicken tender salad?
1/4 of this recipe, or a meal-size portion, contains aproximately 466 calories. See the full recipe for more nutrition information.
What part of the chicken is the chicken tender?
Chicken tenders are a section of meat on the inner portion of the chicken breast. Because they’re small, they cook faster than larger cuts of chicken. They’re juicy and, yes, extremely tender!
More EASY Salad Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my easy salad recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.
Chicken Tender Salad
Ingredients
- 2 romaine hearts, chopped
- 8 chicken tenders, chopped
- 1 beefsteak tomato, diced
- 1 cucumber, diced
- ¼ cup bacon bits, (homemade are best!)
- ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup croutons
- ¼ cup chopped toasted pecans
- ½ cup ranch dressing, more or less to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the chopped romaine to make the base of the salad.
- Top with chopped chicken tenders, tomato, cucumber, bacon, onion, cheese, croutons, and pecans.
- Drizzle with ranch dressing to taste and toss to coat the salad.
Recipe Notes
- Romaine hearts: Can substitute another sturdy lettuce such as iceberg.
- Chicken tenders: Swap in no-breading chicken tenders or grilled chicken if you prefer.
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