This hearty and satisfying club sandwich salad with chicken is a deconstructed version of a club sandwich, with golden buttery croutons, juicy chicken, and bacon on a bed of romaine and vegetables.
It's topped with a creamy dressing so delicious you'll want to put it on everything.
I feel like a club sandwich is what you order when you end up in a strange diner on a road trip at 10 pm, after watching a bunch of unappetizing plates go by you. Even when it's made with pressed meat instead of fresh chicken, it's pretty hard to mess up too badly.
It might be made with cheap sandwich bread, unripe tomatoes, and iceberg lettuce, but hey, there's always bacon and mayo to make up for it.
The flavors just work and a club sandwich is always more than the sum of its parts. I guess that's why it's such a classic!
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So I thought it would be cool to deconstruct it into a salad form. This club salad with chicken ended up totally exceeding my expectations! It was filling and satisfying in a way that few salads are to me, and the flavors worked just beautifully.
Is this club salad with chicken "healthy"?
I will admit that, as salads go, this is not your most "low fat" option. But to me, "healthy" means a lot more than low fat. It means fresh, high quality, nourishing ingredients, lots of vegetables and a bit of lean protein.
This salad has all of that. So what if there's a little bacon and mayo thrown in there too ;). P.S.: If low CARB or keto is your thing, it is definitely that... if you skip the croutons (but OH the croutons...<3).
How to make a club salad with chicken
This club salad with chicken was also really quick to put together. I started with the croutons, which are just pieces of baguette, toasted in a frying pan with a bit of butter. Normally I make croutons in the oven, but they were perfect this way. Golden and crunchy but still with a bit of chew.
After that, I cooked up some bacon in the same pan. Whenever I cook with bacon, I like to make it first so I can use the oil in the pan for anything else that needs to be cooked (I could have used it for the croutons but I love buttery croutons!).
So with the oil from the bacon, I cooked some chicken breast (you could use a store-bought rotisserie chicken instead for a little shortcut!).
Then it's just a matter of whisking up this ultra fast but oh-so-delicious 4-ingredient-plus-salt dressing, and tossing it all with some lettuce, tomatoes, and red onion.
THIS WAS SO GOOD. I am dying for you to try this. For real.
If you love salad for dinner like we do, head over to my salad category for more inspiration like these favorites!
Asian Chicken Salad with Sriracha Peanut Dressing
Roasted Sweet Potato and Baby Kale Salad
Enjoy! xx
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Club Sandwich Salad with Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 hearts of romaine sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- ¼ small red onion thinly sliced
- ¼ french baguette or other bread
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 6 strips bacon sliced into ¼ inch pieces
- 2 chicken breast halves
- salt and pepper to taste
Dressing
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 4 teaspoons whole grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Distribute the lettuce, tomatoes and red onion between 4 plates.
- Make the croutons: In a medium size skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the bread pieces and toast, stirring frequently until golden brown, (about 5 minutes). Remove the bread from the skillet and set aside. Return the pan to medium heat.
- Cook the bacon: In the same skillet, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until brown and crispy, (about 5 minutes). Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Drain most of the fat from the pan, leaving about 1 tablespoon. Return the pan to medium heat.
- Cook the chicken: Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Cook the breasts, about 6 minutes per side, cooked through and no longer pink in the center. Remove chicken from the pan and allow the chicken to rest on a cutting board while you prepare the dressing.
- Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, whole grain mustard, maple syrup and lemon juice until smooth and creamy. Season with salt to taste.
- Assemble the salad: Divide the croutons and bacon evenly between the four plates, and drizzle each with the dressing.
Lewis Johnson
The perfect lunch.
Ann
Thanks Lewis! I couldn't agree more 🙂
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome
This salad look hearty and refreshing!! Thanks for sharing at the What's for Dinner party!!
Ann
Thanks Helen!
Marie
This salad is one delicious and complete filling meal! Love the homemade crotons too. Pinning this recipe!
Ann
Thank you so much Marie!! 🙂
Savita
Love salads! This one is such a gorgeous salad. I'm weak to my knees to try this. Yumm!
Ann
Thank you so much Savita! It really has it all 🙂
Chichi
This salad is fully loaded with goodness. Looks so yum and I literally tried to take a bite off my screen. ❤️❤️
Ann
Thank you !! I’m so excited about it!
Tilly
I just want to drink/bathe in that dressing!
Ann
Haha, that sounds pretty fabulous actually!
camila hurst
This recipe is just so delicious!! Looks fresh and tasty! Love the dressing!
Ann
Thank you Camila!