This honey mustard chicken salad has double the honey mustard flavor — it uses a simple, 3-ingredient mix of honey, mustard, and olive oil to make a tasty salad dressing that doubles as a marinade for the chicken.
About This Recipe
This recipe makes about 4 servings of salad, complete with chicken, corn, avocado, tomatoes and more! It's satisfying as a stand-alone meal for lunch, dinner or meal prep.
The key to the big flavors in this salad is using whole grain dijon mustard (the kind with the seeds in it)! In the grocery store, you can find whole grain mustard next to the other varieties of mustard in the condiment aisle.
If you've never had whole grain mustard, it has a strong mustard flavor that balances perfectly with the sweet honey in this recipe. This salad definitely has plenty of mustard flavor but it's not overpowering because of how it's used.
Ingredient Notes
Here's a few popular ingredient additions and substitutions for this recipe:
Lettuce: this recipe calls for romaine lettuce but you can swap this out for your favorite lettuce or mix.
Corn: fresh, canned, or frozen (de-thawed) are all tasty.
Mustard: use whole grain dijon mustard in this recipe (here's an example of what it looks like). If you like, you can also mix in 1 - 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard to make the dressing even sweeter & creamier.
Chicken: this recipe calls for 2 chicken breasts but you could add more chicken if you like or swap it out for chicken thighs.
Tips for This Recipe
Mixing the Dressing/Marinade
This recipe uses the same mix of honey, mustard and olive oil for the dressing and to marinate the chicken (half for each). Be sure to stir this well so that the honey and mustard seeds are fully mixed.
For a creamier dressing: add 1 - 2 tablespoons of dijon mustard to your mix.
Cooking the Chicken
After you marinate your chicken add it to a large skillet with olive oil. The chicken should have some of the marinade and mustard seeds still covering it.
How to know when it's done: you'll want to cook the chicken, covered, for about 5 - 6 minutes on either side, until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle. The internal temperature of cooked chicken is 165°F.
If you find that your chicken or the mustard seeds on it are blackening too quickly, turn down the heat or add a splash of more oil.
How to Marinate the Honey Mustard Chicken
Once you've mixed your marinade, add your chicken and turn it in the marinade until it's covered.
How to store it: you'll want to store your chicken and marinade in an airtight container in the fridge. This could be a Ziploc bag, tupperware, or a bowl covered in plastic wrap.
How long to marinate it: the longer you marinate your chicken, the more flavor it will have. If you're short on time, 30 minutes is about the minimum amount of time that you should marinate it. Four hours (and up to 8 hours) is best.
Storage
How to Store Leftovers
Store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container. This recipe will stay good for 3 - 4 days; but if you've already mixed in the dressing it will be soggy after a few hours. Store your dressing separate to keep the lettuce fresh.
How to Meal Prep This Recipe
To meal prep this recipe, store your dressing in a separate container and add it just before eating.
For best results, use a compartmentalized meal prep container or large mason jar and keep the lettuce at the bottom of the jar or separate from the other salad ingredients.
Similar Recipes
If you like this recipe, you'll love these similar chicken salad recipes:
- Classic Cobb Salad
- Southwest Chicken Salad
- BBQ Chicken Salad
You can also check out our collection of main course salads here: Main Course Salads.
If you try this recipe, I would love to hear your thoughts! Please leave a comment at the bottom of this page. And if you share a photo on social media, I'd love to see it! You can tag me on: Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok.
Honey Mustard Chicken
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This salad has double the honey mustard flavor — it uses a simple, 3-ingredient mix of honey, mustard, and olive oil to make a tasty salad dressing that doubles as a marinade for the chicken.
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 - 8 cups romaine lettuce
- 2 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup corn (canned or fresh)
- ½ cup sliced red onion
Dressing & Marinade:
- ⅔ cup whole grain dijon
- ⅔ cup olive oil
- 6 tablespoons honey
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Make the dressing/marinade: in a small bowl, mix together the dijon, olive oil, honey, salt & pepper. Set aside half of the mixture to use as dressing.
- Marinate the chicken: use the remaining half to marinate the chicken breasts in an airtight container in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or longer (up to 8 hours) if possible.
- Cook the chicken: heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook, covered, 5 - 6 minutes on each side. The chicken should be cooked through and no longer pink in the middle.
- Mix: add all of the salad ingredients to a large bowl. Drizzle the dressing on top and toss to mix. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ of recipe
- Calories: 572
- Sugar: 18.1g
- Sodium: 733mg
- Fat: 34.1g
- Saturated Fat: 6.7g
- Carbohydrates: 31.5g
- Fiber: 5.9g
- Protein: 41.1g
- Cholesterol: 92mg
Keywords: honey, mustard, chicken, avocado, lettuce, salad, romaine, dressing
Sandra
This was such a delicious salad, and will be one of my go-to meals! Thank you for the clear instructions. You make all your salads truly easy!
★★★★★