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    Home » All Recipes

    Easy Chicken Breast for Salad

    Published: Jun 2, 2023 · Modified: Jul 25, 2023 by Megan

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    Easy thinly sliced chicken breast is perfect for salads. They take 15 minutes to make, are the right portion size, and are perfectly seasoned.

    chicken on a salad

    I love cooking chicken in a skillet, but you can also cook thinly sliced chicken in an air fryer or oven.

    This chicken has no breading- if you want air-fried chicken with breading, check out my recipe for Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets.

    🥰 Why Thinly Sliced Chicken Breasts is the Best Chicken for Salads

    • ⏲ Time: Thinly sliced chicken cooks fast. These only take about 7 minutes to cook in a skillet!
    • 🍗 Perfect Size: Each piece of chicken is about 3-4 oz, which is the AHA recommended serving size.
    Jump to:
    • 🧀 Ingredients & Substitutions
    • 🔪 How to Cook Chicken for a Salad
    • 🤏 How to Season Chicken for a Salad
    • 🥗 Salads to add your chicken too!
    • ❓ Recipe Questions
    • Easy Chicken Breast for Salads
    • More Easy Ways to Cook Meat!

    🧀 Ingredients & Substitutions

    Ingredients for baked thin chicken

    Thin Chicken Breast: You can find precut thinly sliced chicken breast next to the regular chicken breast at the grocery store. You can also butterfly a regular chicken breast. Watch this video to see how it’s done.

    Seasoning: My go-to chicken seasoning blend is smoked paprika, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

    Oil: You will need to coat the chicken in oil to help help the spices stick to the chicken and keep it from sticking to the pan.

    Full ingredient list with quantities in the recipe card below

    🔪 How to Cook Chicken for a Salad

    1. Mix Oil & Seasoning: Mix one tablespoon of olive oil and the spices together in a small bowl.

    2. Season Chicken: Pat chicken dry and coat in seasoned olive oil.

    3. Heat Olive Oil: Add two tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat.

    4. Cook Chicken: Once the olive oil is warm, add chicken and cook for 4 min. Flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165F.

    chicken in skillet

    🤏 How to Season Chicken for a Salad

    Depending on your salad, you might want to change the seasoning. Below are 3 seasonings that will pair perfectly with any salad.

    Lemon Pepper Seasoning: good for Caesar salads, garden salads, or salads with berries

    • 2 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon dried thyme

    Cajun Seasoning: good for salads with a creamy dressing

    • 4 teaspoons of pre-made Cajun seasoning

    Smoky BBQ Seasoning: good for southwest salads, salads with ranch dressing, and house salads

    • 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon chili powder
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    • ½ teaspoons garlic powder

    🥗 Salads to add your chicken too!

    • Pear and Pecan Salad
    • Premade Caesar salad kit from the grocery store
    • Simple Italian Salad
    • Garden Salad
    • BLT Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

    ❓ Recipe Questions

    What seasoning do you put on chicken for a salad?

    There are so many ways to season the chicken. My favorite is a blend of smoked paprika, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Those flavors go great with most types of salads. Check out the How to Season Chicken for a Salad section above for more suggestions.

    How long will chicken last in the fridge?

    Cooked chicken will last 3-4 days in the fridge. That means you can make this chicken ahead of time and eat it cold with your salad or warm it up before adding it to your salad.

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    Easy Chicken Breast for Salads

    This easy seasoned chicken is perfect for salads. It takes 15 minutes, is the perfect portion size, andis juicy and full of flavor.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 8 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 7 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 Servings
    Calories: 195kcal
    Author: Megan
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    Ingredients
      

    • 1 pound Thinly Sliced Chicken Breast* See notes if you only have regular chicken breast.
    • 3 tablespoons Olive Oil divided
    • 1 ½ teaspoons Smoked Paprika
    • 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
    • ½ teaspoon Table Salt
    • ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
    • ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper or added to taste

    Instructions

    • Mix one tablespoon of olive oil and the spices together in a small bowl.
    • Pat chicken dry and coat in seasoned olive oil.
    • Add two tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat.
    • Once the olive oil is warm, add chicken and cook for 4 min. Flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165F.

    Notes

    If you have a regular chicken breast, you will need to cut it in half. If you aren't sure how to do it, watch this YouTube tutorial that walks you through the easy process. How to Cut Chicken Breasts into Cutlets

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 195kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Fiber: 0.3g
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    More Easy Ways to Cook Meat!

    • Smoked Sausage in an Air Fryer (3 Ways)
    • How to Make Shredded Chicken (Crockpot & Stove Top)
    • Baked Thin Chicken Breast
    • 5 Ways to Cook Salmon
    • How to Cook Chicken Sausage (3 Ways)
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