Honey Mustard Chicken Salad
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4 servings
 
A delicious main dish salad with an unbeatable combination of honey mustard chicken, smoky bacon, creamy avocado, juicy tomatoes and spicy red onions on a bed of fresh crisp greens.
Ingredients
  • ⅓ cup honey
  • 3 tbsp whole grain mustard
  • 2 tbsp smooth Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • salt, to taste (if desired)
  • 1 pound skinless chicken breast
  • 4 cups romaine lettuce, washed and torn into bite size pieces
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced
  • 1 avocado, peeled and sliced
  • ¼ red onion, sliced thinly
  • 4 slices bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces
  • 2 tbsp water
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the first 6 ingredients until combined. Pour half into a shallow dish and set aside. Place the remaining marinade in the refrigerator.
  2. Rinse the chicken breasts and pat dry with a paper towel. Cut each breast in half by placing each breast on a cutting board and with your hand flat on top of it, use a sharp knife held parallel to the cutting board to slice into one side of the breast, starting on the thicker side. (This creates thinner cuts of chicken, which will cook more quickly and uniformly.)
  3. Place the chicken in the shallow dish with the marinade, turning to coat each side. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
  4. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat with 1-2 tsp of olive oil. Cook the chicken breasts for about 3-5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside to let it rest while you prepare the salad.
  5. Wipe the pan with a paper towel, then cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Drain on a paper towel.
  6. Combine the salad greens, tomatoes, avocados, and sliced onions in a large bowl. Slice the chicken into strips and place atop the salad. Sprinkle with the bacon bits.
  7. Whisk water into the reserved dressing, 1 tablespoon at a time, to thin slightly. Add additional salt or pepper as needed, to taste. Drizzle over the salad.
Notes
It is important to thin the chicken breasts by cutting them in half. Otherwise, it will take longer to cook through, and you may have burned/charred honey mustard on the outside of your chicken.
You will likely have some burnt honey on your pan despite using thinner cuts of chicken for faster cooking time. This has happened every time I have made this dish, but don't worry - it doesn't burn on the chicken itself or taste charred at all. The chicken turns out with a lovely golden brown every time. I usually have to wash/scrape the burnt honey out of my pan between chicken batches, however.
The whole grain mustard pops and splatters a lot while cooking, so it makes a bit of a mess. I have not tried this on the grill, but I imagine it would work out great, with less mess to clean up afterwards!
Recipe by Laura's Cozy Kitchen at https://www.laurascozykitchen.com/honey-mustard-chicken-salad/