• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • What’s In The Pan?
  • About
    • CONTACT
    • Privacy Policy
    • Work with me
    • Featured On
    • About me
  • Recipes
  • Holiday
  • Privacy Policy
  • CONTACT
  • Nav Social Menu

menu icon
go to homepage
  • About Me
  • Holiday
  • Popular
  • Pasta
  • Chicken
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • About Me
    • Holiday
    • Popular
    • Pasta
    • Chicken
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Healthy Chicken Salad with Spinach and Arugula

    Apr 27, 2021 · 4 Comments

    362 shares
    • Facebook
    • Email
    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Say hello to the Healthy Chicken Salad with Spinach and Arugula! This nutritious chicken salad is perfect for a picnic, an office potluck, or a barbecue! With a few simple tricks, you can make juicy chicken salad with very little fuss.Healthy Chicken SaladHealthy Chicken Salad with Spinach and Arugula is the kind of nourishing salad that is infinitely adaptable and is always welcome on the table, no matter the day or season. What really makes this salad great, though, is how interchangeable the ingredients are. Swap arugula for romaine lettuce or baby kale and use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs!

    Benefits of Arugula and Spinach

    In our busy lives we long for wholesome foods to add to our menu repertoire! We want both health benefits and satisfy our taste buds.

    Arugula’s and spinach’s popularity has as much to do with their health benefits as its taste. Arugula as being particularly high in cancer-fighting agents, while the delicious spinach is a nutrient-dense food that is high in fiber and phytochemicals. Perfect for your juicy salad!

    • Cancer Fighting Powerfoods! Arugula especially is one of the brassica family vegetables along with broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage that is high in cancer-fighting agents.
    • Rich in Chlorophyll.
    • Both spinach and arugula are hydrating Leafy Greens that are is low in sugar, calories, carbohydrates, and fat.
    • Good for Bone Health.
    • Help Reduce Inflammation in the Body!

    How to Make Chicken Salad Dressing

    The base of this nourishing chicken salad dressing is honey and Dijon mustard! And I use apple cider vinegar to cut through the sweetness of honey. However, you can omit apple cider vinegar, if you wish. Just take my word for it (or try it for yourself) – the vinegar definitely helps to balance off the sweetness of honey.

    While the chicken rests off of the heat, combine honey, dijon mustard, garlic, a little bit of apple cider vinegar (optional) and sea salt. Mix everything, then divide the dressing into two parts. We will use half of the dressing to marinate the chicken, and the remaining half to add to the salad.Condiments such as oil, salt, mustard

    How to Cook Juicy Chicken

    I love to cook the chicken thighs on the stovetop — hello, easy chicken! If you’d prefer to bake your chicken, you can still take advantage of some of the suggestions presented here.

    I am sharing my method below:

    • Marinate the chicken half an hour before cooking. This way, the honey mustard marinade has a chance to improve the flavor and texture of the chicken. This is especially true if using chicken breasts. They are pretty lean, so marinating before cooking is essential for making the most flavorful chicken.
    • Sear on one side, then flip. First, patiently sear one side of the chicken thighs for about 4 minutes until browned then flip them, and turn down the heat to medium.
    • The second side will slowly turn golden brown, and the reduced heat from the pan will gently cook the middle. This ensures juicy chicken and nice browning!

    Chicken thighs in a cooking pan

    What Does Marinating Do to Chicken

    • Marinade prevents the chicken (especially chicken breasts) from drying out and making it chewy. It also helps in tenderizing the chicken and makes it juicier.
    • Marinating even for half an hour helps reduce the time of cooking.

    Equipment You Will Need for this Nutritious Chicken Salad

    • Small bowl to combine dressing ingredients. You can use a small measuring cup as well.
    • Whisk or fork to mix the dressing.
    • Plate or baking dish to marinate the chicken.
    • Skillet to sear the chicken in. I recommend using non-stick, stainless steel, or cast iron skillet.
    • Measuring spoons. We want to be able to come up with the same flavor and texture each and every time!

    What Kind of Skillet to Use

    I recommend using a good quality LARGE stainless steel pan, such as this 12 inch pan that comes with a lid. Or, you can also pan sear chicken in a large non stick skillet, such as this 12 inch ceramic pan.

    Both hold heat incredibly well and are easy to cook with. I cooked most of the recipes on this site with one of these two skillets.

    Honey Mustard Chicken Salad

    Healthy Chicken Salad Assembly

    While the chicken rests off of the heat, combine spinach, arugula, cherry tomatoes, onion, avocado and corn kernels in a large bowl. Add a bit of water to the remaining salad dressing and drizzle it over. Now add sliced chicken and sprinkle with bacon. Enjoy!Honey Mustard Chicken Salad with Arugula and Spinach on a plate

    Storage Instructions

    I recommend refrigerating in an airtight container and it will last about a week in the refrigerator. I like to refresh the flavor with a little salt and pepper, and an extra scoop of Dijon mustard.Honey Mustard Chicken Salad with Arugula and Spinach

    Optional Substitutions and Add-ins

    • As some of us do not enjoy pungent onions, we can always use green onions instead, or omit them altogether.
    • You can add a variety of nuts to this chicken salad recipe. I would go with walnuts and cashews.
    • Chicken salad with additional veggies will add more flavor and texture. How about adding cucumbers? Or celery?
    • And don’t forget to add crumbled goat cheese or lovely feta!

    More Healthy Chicken Salad Recipes

    Honey Mustard Brussels sprout Salad

    Cucumber Tomato Salad with Avocado

    Creamy Macaroni Salad

    Hungry for Other Chicken Recipes?

    • Skillet Chicken in Mushroom Sauce
    • Herb Roasted Chicken in Creamy White Wine Sauce
    • Chicken in Mustard and Wine Sauce
    Print Recipe
    5 from 3 votes

    Honey Mustard Chicken Salad with Spinach and Arugula

    A simple formula for a healthy salad with wholesome ingredients!
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: arugula, chicken and spinach, chicken salad, honey mustard
    Servings: 4 people
    people
    Author: Olya

    Equipment

    • Skillet
    • Small and large bowls
    • Measuring spoons
    • Whisk

    Ingredients

    Dressing

    • ⅓ cup honey
    • 3 tablespoon whole grain mustard
    • 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon garlic, (minced)
    • sea salt

    Salad

    • 4 chicken thighs, (boneless and skinless, or chicken breasts)
    • ¼ cup bacon
    • 2 cups baby spinach
    • 2 cups arugula
    • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, (sliced)
    • 1 avocado, (sliced)
    • ¼ cup corn kernels
    • ¼ red onion, (sliced)
    • 2 tablespoon water, (to thin salad dressing)

    Instructions

    • Combine the dressing ingredients in the bowl. Pour half the dressing into a plate to marinate the chicken for at least half an hour (if possible, you can cook them right away as well). Refrigerate the remaining dresing to use on a salad.
    • Pat chickens dry with a paper towel. Heat a large pan over medium heat with about a teaspoon of oil and sear chicken thighs on each side until golden and cooked through. Set aside on a plate (or cutting boad) to cool. Once cooled, slice chicken into strips.
    • Add bacon to the same pan and cook it until crispy. Once cooked, chop it.
    • Add spinach, arugula, tomatoes, avocado slices, corn, onion strips and chicken to a large bowl. Whisk 2 tablespoons of water into the remaining dressing and drizzle over the salad. Sprinkle the bacon over the top and season with a little extra salt and cracked pepper.
    Nutrition Facts
    Honey Mustard Chicken Salad with Spinach and Arugula
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 574 Calories from Fat 360
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 40g62%
    Saturated Fat 9g56%
    Trans Fat 1g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 7g
    Monounsaturated Fat 21g
    Cholesterol 121mg40%
    Sodium 437mg19%
    Potassium 781mg22%
    Carbohydrates 34g11%
    Fiber 5g21%
    Sugar 26g29%
    Protein 23g46%
    Vitamin A 2011IU40%
    Vitamin C 20mg24%
    Calcium 68mg7%
    Iron 2mg11%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only. This information comes from online calculators. Although whatsinthepan.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

    Video

    « Easy Cinnamon Rolls
    How to cook onions »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Dayne Conn says

      September 16, 2021 at 11:34 pm

      I absolutely love this recipe. It’s so good, yet healthy.

      Reply
      • Olya says

        September 17, 2021 at 9:43 am

        Yes!!! Thank you Dayne.

        Reply
    2. Karina says

      September 06, 2021 at 5:20 pm

      super delish. Not sure why I haven’t come across this recipe before!

      Reply
      • Olya says

        September 06, 2021 at 5:35 pm

        Thank you Karina!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Click on stars to rate the recipe!




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Olya! Welcome to the online home of my recipes that will make you look like a pro, yet without having to spend too much time in the kitchen! More about me →

    Most Recent:

    • Italian Sausage and Spinach Pasta
    • Homemade Peach and Blueberry Puff Pastry Tart
    • Lemon Chicken and Rice
    • Brussels Sprouts and Ravioli in Maple Butter Sauce
    JOIN ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Me
    • Work with me

    Copyright © 2021 Whatsinthepan.com