Healthy Autumn Chicken Salad
By the QuiteRecipes team (Jamy & Kaïna) | Food Service Professional, Early Childhood Expert & Parents
A flavorful autumn salad combining grilled chicken, sweet pears, cranberries and toasted pecans.
A chicken salad that tastes like the season: roasted squash, warm spices, and crisp greens all in one colorful bowl. We keep it hearty enough to feel like lunch and bright enough that nobody minds eating their vegetables. It is fall on a plate, and dinner makes itself special.
🥄 Ingredients
- 🫗 1 lb (approx. 450g, 2 large) chicken breasts, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
- 🫗 Garlic salt and black pepper, to taste
- 🫗 1 tbsp olive oil (for cooking)
- 🫗 1 large head (8 cups) romaine lettuce, rinsed, dried and chopped
- 🫗 2 pears, cored and sliced
- 🫗 1 cup dried cranberries
- 🫗 1 cup pecans, lightly toasted in a dry pan
- 🫗 1/2 cup (4 oz) feta cheese, crumbled
- 🫗 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 🫗 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 🫗 1 garlic clove, pressed or finely chopped
- 🫗 1/2 cup olive oil
- 🫗 1/4 tsp salt
- 🫗 1/8 tsp black pepper
Nutrition Facts*
*Nutritional information is an estimate and may vary based on ingredients, brands and portion sizes. Values are provided per serving.
👨🍳 Instructions
**Cook the chicken:** Season the chicken with garlic salt and pepper, then brown it in olive oil until fully cooked.
**Prepare the dressing:** In a small bowl, mix the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper until smooth.
**Assemble:** Arrange the romaine lettuce on a large platter. Add the sliced chicken, pear slices, cranberries, pecans and feta cheese.
**Serve:** Drizzle with dressing just before serving.
🎥 Video Tutorial
Healthy Autumn Chicken Salad
Video credit: embedded from YouTube. All rights belong to the original creator, who allows sharing on other websites.
💡 Chef Tips
To get well-flavored pecans, toast them for a few minutes in a dry pan until they release their aroma, watching carefully to avoid burning them.
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About the Authors
This recipe and guide was developed, tested, and approved in our home kitchen and daily life. Jamy is a retired Food Service District Manager and Early Childhood Program Manager who spent his career overseeing multi-site restaurant operations, large-scale culinary production, and daycare menu management. Kaïna brings the ultimate real-world test: making sure it brings ease and joy to our kids on a busy weeknight.
Read more about our professional background and philosophy →