This honey mustard chicken salad is easy to put together and is bursting with flavor. Plus, it’s hearty enough to be a complete meal for dinner and leave you fully satisfied.

Hearty and delicious salads are at the top of my list of favorite foods. Try out this greek broccoli pasta salad, this delicious cranberry feta bowtie salad with spinach, and this easy bacon ranch pasta salad.

A salad bowl with spinach, avocado, honey mustard chicken, tomatoes, onions and feta cheese.

Honey Mustard Chicken Salad Recipe

The honey mustard vinaigrette comes together with pantry items, and it doubles as the chicken marinade AND the salad dressing! Make this a quick and easy meal prep or weeknight dinner recipe! There’s nothing I love more than sitting down to a fully loaded salad for dinner time. I like my salads filled with meats, cheese, and all the toppings to consider it a complete meal and feel satisfied.

The best part about this recipe is that the honey mustard dressing comes together with items you most likely have on hand already, and it doubles as a chicken marinade and a salad dressing all in one! It coats everything, but I especially love it on the chicken. It makes it moist and tender, and I want to savor every last bite. This salad is definitely one that you don’t want to miss.

What Ingredients are in a Honey Mustard Chicken Salad?

This honey mustard dressing is one of my all-time favorites. It’s basically a vinaigrette. It has an olive oil and vinegar base. Then it’s loaded up with some sweet honey and mustard. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.

  • Homemade Honey Mustard Dressing: You can use the stuff from the store but haven’t I convinced you with my recipes that homemade is always best? This dressing is no exception! It uses dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar to get if that distinct, tangy taste.
  • Chicken Breasts: These will marinate in the dressing for about 2 hours making them tender, juicy and fill of flavor.
  • Spinach: You can also use any other lettuce that you have on hand.
  • Red Onion: Slice or chop these up, however you prefer to eat them
  • Grape Tomatoes: Slice these in half or quarters and put them in the salad. You can use cherry tomatoes too.
  • Large Avocado: The avocado slices goe so well with the creamy dressing!
  • Feta Cheese Crumbles: I can’t tell you how much I love adding feta cheese to every salad! It’s so delicious.

How to Make a Honey Mustard Chicken Salad

As I mentioned, the dressing doubles as a marinade! Take a small portion of the dressing that you made and drizzle it over the chicken. Thank goodness for easy recipes.

  1. Whisk the dressing: In a small bowl combine the ingredients for the homemade honey mustard dressing. Whisk together until completely combined.
  2. Marinate the chicken: Add the chicken breasts to a large resealable plastic bag or sealed container. Add ¼ cup of the honey mustard sauce to coat the chicken. Seal and refrigerate to marinate the chicken for at least 2 hours.
  3. Refrigerate: Cover and refrigerate the remaining dressing.
  4. Cook chicken: When ready to prep the salad, heat a large skillet over medium heat, and drizzle a small amount of extra virgin olive oil into the skillet. Add the chicken breasts. Cook on each side for about 8 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and shows 165 on a digital thermometer.
  5. Slice the veggies: Remove the chicken to a cutting board. Prepare the remaining salad ingredients.
  6. Cut the chicken: Slice the chicken into strips as desired for the salad.
  7. Combine and add dressing: Add all ingredients to a large bowl to create a salad and drizzle with the remaining honey mustard dressing. Top with salt and pepper if desired! The ingredients and the dressing make enough for 2 large salads.
2 pictures showing how to marinate the chicken and a picture of the salad ingredients in a bowl.

Additional Toppings

This is a hearty and delicious honey mustard chicken salad that can be changed up by adding different toppings. This makes a great lunch or dinner, so I like to keep this recipe on hand and make it all the time!

  • Diced Apples
  • Almonds
  • Walnuts
  • Bacon
  • Romaine Lettuce
  • Dried Cranberries
  • Sunflower Seeds
  • Gorgonzola Cheese
  • Corn

Honey mustard salad dressing being poured onto a salad.

Make the Dressing Ahead of Time

I love having this dressing in my fridge all the time, so I always make a batch ahead of time. Just store it in an airtight container or jar and it will last 2-3 weeks. This saves me a few minutes when making the salad and it also allows me to use it as a marinade in other recipes like this honey mustard salmon.

The top view of a honey mustard chicken salad with avocado, spinach, tomatoes, red onions and feta cheese.

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