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This Crispy Chicken Salad is a combination of crispy, succulent fried chicken strips and a refreshing medley of salad ingredients tossed with a creamy BBQ Ranch Dressing. This fusion of textures and flavors creates a balanced dish that is both satisfying and wholesome.
I love that this crispy chicken salad recipe is a meal in itself! For more filling salad favorites try my Bacon Avocado Chicken Salad, Cobb Salad, and Shrimp Avocado Salad.
Why We Love This Recipe
Whether you’re looking for a quick and easy weeknight dinner, a refreshing lunch option, or a crowd-pleasing salad for gatherings and picnics, this Crispy Chicken Salad recipe fits the bill.
The contrast of the golden-brown, succulent chicken with the crisp lettuce, vibrant vegetables, and tangy dressing is a crowd-pleaser for sure. You can fry the chicken tenders for a perfectly juicy interior and a crunchy exterior, or bake them, air fry them, or purchase them already breaded and fried.
The salad portion is where you get to really play around with vibrant colors and textures, and create the perfect-for-you salad. Add your favorite toppings or make a salad bar and let everyone make their own salad that’s perfect for them.
This is a salad that can be the entire meal and fill you up, or it can be a main course that’s served with a sandwich, quesadillas, or garlic knots.
Essential Ingredients
- Chicken Tenders or Breasts – Boneless, skinless chicken breasts can be used but will take longer to fry. Or, if you don’t want to break out the skillet for frying, pick up some breaded frozen chicken strips and bake or air fry them, or grab a few at your grocery store’s deli section.
- Buttermilk – To marinate the chicken tenders and make them nice and juicy.
- Seasonings – Dry ranch dressing mix, paprika, salt, pepper
- Flour – for dredging the chicken.
- Panko Breadcrumbs – Regular breadcrumbs can also be used, but won’t have the same extra crispy result.
- Oil for frying – Canola, peanut, and vegetable oil are the best for frying the chicken, as they have a high smoke point and won’t burn before the chicken is cooked.
- Fresh Mixed Greens or Chopped Lettuce – I like Romaine lettuce because it’s nice and crisp, with is perfect for this dish.
- Toppings – You can really go with anything you like, but a crispy chicken salad usually has things like hard boiled eggs, crispy bacon, shredded cheese, cucumber, and tomatoes. I like to also include corn and avocado.
- BBQ Ranch Dressing – Mayo, Buttermilk, BBQ Sauce, and Dry Ranch seasoning.
How To Make This Fried Chicken Salad Recipe
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
Make the buttermilk marinade – Combine buttermilk and seasonings in a resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken and marinate for at least 2 hours.
Make the Dressing – In a medium bowl whisk together the ranch seasoning, mayo, buttermilk, and BBQ sauce. Keep sealed and refrigerated until ready to use.
Bread the Chicken – Mix flour, panko, and seasonings in shallow dish. Remove chicken from the buttermilk and coat in the panko.
Fry the Chicken – Heat oil to 350℉. Fry chicken pieces until golden brown with an internal temperature of 165℉. Drain on paper towels and rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Assemble the Salad – Arrange lettuce onto a large serving platter, then pile on the other salad toppings. Top with sliced fried chicken. Dress the salad right before serving.
Recipe FAQs
The key to good fried chicken is first marinating your chicken. Buttermilk adds both flavor and moisture, making the chicken extra tender and moist. It’s also important to have the oil at the right temperature so the chicken can fully cook without getting burnt on the outside.
Soaking chicken in buttermilk helps tenderize the meat by breaking down the proteins, giving it a more tender and juicy texture. It also adds moisture, enhances flavor and improves browning and crispiness.
It’s important to use an oil that has a high smoke point when frying chicken. Vegetable oil, canola oil, or peanut oil are good oils for frying. Do not use olive oil as it has a lower smoke point.
Absolutely! Save yourself the time and effort of frying and pick up some already cooked chicken tenders from the grocery store deli, or bake up some frozen chicken tenders. You can also use grilled or baked chicken as an alternative to fried.
The salad, veggies, and dressing can be prepped in advance, but wait to toss everything together until you are ready to serve. The fried chicken is best when served fresh but can also be made up to a day in advance and heated in the oven or air fryer.
Variations
- Lighter Version – You could also use a more simple grilled or stovetop chicken for this recipe if you are trying to save calories.
- Store Bought Shortcuts – To really make this a fast salad, you can use store bought chicken tenders, prepared according to package directions.
- Other Dressings – Honey mustard, blue cheese, or a buttermilk ranch dressing would also be good with this salad.
Storage
For best results, remove the chicken from the salad and store separately. You can store the leftover, undressed salad in the fridge for up to 3 days and the chicken for up to 4 days. To re-crisp the chicken, put it into a 375℉ oven for 10-12 minutes, or until heated through and crispy.
Helpful Tips
- Thin Sliced Chicken – Make sure to use thinly sliced chicken (like chicken cutlets) or chicken tenderloins as they will cook fast and more evenly than a regular chicken breast. If you can’t get chicken cutlets, you can slice them in half horizontally or pound them out with a mallet.
- Chicken browning too fast? If your chicken is getting too brown on the outside, but isn’t cooked all the way on the inside you can finish it off in a 375℉ oven until it reaches 165℉.
- Work in batches – When frying the chicken, fry a few at a time so you don’t crowd the pan.
- Properly Heated Oil – Ensure the oil is hot enough before adding the chicken to achieve a crispy exterior.
- Add the Dressing Last – Toss the salad with the dressing just before serving to prevent it from becoming soggy.
More Salad Recipes
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
- Buffalo Chicken Salad
- Chicken Taco Salad
- Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad
- Creamy Taco Pasta Salad
- Caprese Chicken Salad
Crispy Chicken Salad
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1 pound chicken tenderloins
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons dry ranch dressing mix divided
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon salt divided
- 1 teaspoon pepper divided
- Canola oil for frying
For the Salad:
- 4 cups romaine lettuce or fresh mixed greens chopped
- 2 hard boiled eggs chopped
- 6 ounces bacon cooked and chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar jack cheese
- 1/2 medium english cucumber diced
- 5 green onions sliced
- 1 avocado diced
- 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels thawed
- 2 roma tomatoes diced
For the BBQ Ranch Dressing:
- 1 tablespoon dry ranch seasoning
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce
Instructions
- In a large bowl or gallon zip-top bag, combine the buttermilk, 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning, paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Add the chicken tenders, seal, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- While the chicken marinates, make the dressing. Whisk together the ranch seasoning, mayo, buttermilk, and BBQ sauce in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- In a shallow dish, combine the flour, panko, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning.
- Remove the chicken from the buttermilk a few pieces at a time. Let the excess drip off, then press firmly into the panko mixture to coat evenly. Set on a plate.
- Add about 1 inch of canola oil to a cast iron skillet or deep pan. Heat over medium-high to 350°F. Fry the chicken in batches, 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Do not crowd the pan.
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a paper towel-lined plate and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice before serving.
- Arrange the lettuce on a large serving platter. Add the eggs, bacon, cheese, cucumber, avocado, corn, green onions, and tomatoes. Top with sliced chicken and dress right before serving.
Notes
- Marinate time matters. At least 2 hours is the minimum. Overnight gives the best flavor and tenderness.
- Oil temperature. Keep the oil at 350°F throughout frying. A fry thermometer helps. Too low and the coating gets greasy. Too hot and the outside burns before the inside cooks.
- Fry in batches. Work in small batches with space between pieces to keep the oil temperature stable and the coating crispy.
- Panko vs. regular breadcrumbs. Panko gives the crispiest result. Regular breadcrumbs work but produce a softer coating.
- Shortcut option. Pre-cooked deli chicken tenders or frozen chicken strips work great. Prepare according to package directions and slice before topping the salad.
- Dressing make ahead. The BBQ ranch dressing keeps in the fridge for up to a week. Make it ahead and dinner comes together in minutes.
- Storage. Store the chicken and undressed salad separately. Salad keeps up to 3 days; chicken keeps up to 4 days. Reheat chicken in a 375°F oven for 10-12 minutes to re-crisp.
- Dress at the last minute. Add dressing right before serving to keep the greens from wilting.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
