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Healthy chicken salad recipe with quinoa and roasted veggies-2
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5 from 2 votes

Chicken Salad Recipe With Quinoa And Roasted Veggies

You can make this easy chicken salad recipe in less than 30 minutes. And apart from being so simple and healthy, it is also crazy delish.
Course dinner, lunch, Salad
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 2
Calories 1261kcal
Author Mihaela

Ingredients

  • 1 medium sweet potato peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
  • 1 large red onion cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb (400g) Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
  • 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder divided
  • 1/2 Tbsp dried oregano
  • Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
  • 2 oz (60g) baby spinach
  • 1 avocado thinly sliced
  • 1 cup (170g) quinoa rinsed in cold water
  • 3 Tbsp chopped roasted peanuts to garnish
  • juice from 1 lemon

Ingredients for the peanut butter sauce:

  • 2 Tbsp drippy peanut butter
  • 2 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • juice from 1 lemon
  • 1-2 Tbsp water
  • 1 Tsp garlic powder

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C/375°F. Spread the sweet potatoes and red onions on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season with paprika, oregano, half the garlic powder, salt and pepper and toss to coat. 
  • Free up some space in the middle of the tray and place the chicken breast. Rub it with salt, pepper, the rest of the garlic powder and a bit of olive oil.
  • Bake it in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the inside and until the sweet potato gets tender.
  • Add 1 cup quinoa with 1.5 cups salted water to a saucepan and bring it to the boil. Turn the heat down to low, cover and simmer until all liquid is absorbed (about 12-15 minutes). Once cooked, let it cool, then use a fork to fluff and separate the grains
  • Meanwhile, make the peanut butter sauce. Whisk together soy sauce, lemon juice, peanut butter, honey and garlic powder until evenly combined and smooth. 
  • Divide quinoa between bowls. Top with roasted veggies, sliced chicken, baby spinach, and avocado. Squeeze half a lemon over each bowl, sprinkle with chopped peanuts and drizzle the peanut butter dressing on top.

Video

Notes

TIPS:
  1. You need to bring the chicken to room temperature before putting it in the oven. Don't try to bake it right out of the fridge (or frozen) as it will come out very dry. You might want to follow this golden rule when you cook meat in general. Especially for large pieces of meat.
  2. Mix well the veggies, spices, and oil to get them all coated. Even if it gets messy, don't be afraid to use your hands. It's part of the cooking experience and you'll get used to it really quick.
  3. You can replace Quinoa with other grains like cooked brown rice, barley or couscous. Change and mix things as your taste buds tell you to.
  4. Save the peanut butter sauce recipe for future use. It is so versatile, and you can use it with many dishes, like roasted veggies, noodles, pasta, fresh veggies or in sandwiches.
  5. If you want this healthy chicken salad to have fewer calories, then replace the peanut butter sauce with this easy dressing:
  • 2 Tbsp Olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar
  • 1 Minced garlic clove
  • Salt & Pepper.

Nutrition

Calories: 1261kcal | Carbohydrates: 126g | Protein: 79g | Fat: 54g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 1556mg | Potassium: 2991mg | Fiber: 25g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 20686IU | Vitamin C: 85mg | Calcium: 223mg | Iron: 10mg