ranch chicken salad
This was a big hit in our household, especially with our four year old, who loves ranch dressing. It’s a quick, easy recipe that can be pulled together when you’re short on time or looking for a satisfying meal that everyone will love. I like making this with chicken thighs providing an extra layer of savory goodness in this healthy-ish dish and cooking it in a skillet until browned adds a whole new dimension of flavor as opposed to the traditional method of preparing chicken for salad—poaching. This salad keeps well in the fridge for a few days for making a quick snack or lunch on wholegrain bread or with a side of crackers.
Ingredients
· 1 tablespoon quality olive oil
· 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
· sea salt to taste (we love Maldon for this recipe)
· ¼ cup Greek yogurt
· ¼ cup mayo (we love Duke’s)
· 1 lime
· ½ teaspoon dried dill
· 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Once pan is hot, add the olive oil then the chicken. Sprinkle with approximately ¼ t salt. Allow to cook for about 6 minutes then turn over. Sprinkle over another ¼ t salt to the cooked side and continue to cook another 6 minutes. The chicken should be turning a little brown and crispy. Once done (after about 12-15 minutes), turn off heat and allow the chicken to start to cool. Meanwhile, make the ranch dressing by adding the yogurt, mayo, lime, 1 t sea salt, dill, and garlic powder to a medium sized bowl. Remove the chicken from the pan and place onto a cutting board. Cut the chicken into ½ – 1 inch pieces and add to the bowl with the ranch. Stir to combine.
Serve by plating up over salad greens, spinach leaves, or spoon onto toasted bread for sandwiches. Top with your favorite toppings, like halved grape tomatoes, avocado or radish slices. Enjoy!