Our Cajun Chicken Salad will blow you away with its tastebud-awakening flavours and variety of textures. Try it as a healthy yet oh so tasty weekday dinner option to fall in love with.
We have marinated chicken breasts in our own Cajun spice mix and grilled them until they are crisp yet juicy. Then added a huge colourful array of bright vegetables and drizzled everything with our creamy, decadent Cajun dressing for a sensational dinner salad.
What is Cajun?
Cajun cuisine came about when the descendants of Acadians and French Catholic colonists fled to New Orleans after being banished by the British from Canada.
It was based on French rural cooking and is real comfort food made with ingredients that could be found in the swamplands. Cajun food is full of complex flavours, usually spicy but not necessarily hot.
The Cajun Trinity
The Cajun Trinity is a variation to the classic French mirepoix (usually made with onions, celery, and carrots). The Cajun version consists of onions, celery and capsicum/bell pepper, this combination is the base of most Cajun savoury dishes.
Some Serving Ideas
I just love this salad as a light lunch or dinner on its own as the protein and the healthy fats in the avocado keep me satisfied for hours. But this is also a great salad to serve as part of a buffet or barbecue with grilled meats.
Let’s talk ingredients & substitutions
- Chicken thigh fillets – is the protein in this salad which we marinated in Cajun spices and balsamic which makes the fillets tender. We then grilled them until golden and smoky. You can replace with chicken breasts, tenderloins or even salmon fillets.
- Butter lettuce – forms the base for this salad, I like it here for its soft smooth texture. It can easily be replaced with any lettuce that takes your fancy, romaine/cos will also work well here.
- Cherry tomatoes – for a pop of colour and sweetness. You can easily add any tomato variety you have on hand just cut them into small bite-sized pieces.
- Celery – for crunch and also forms part of the Cajun trinity.
- Red pepper – for juicy sweetness, and the second part of the Cajun trinity.
- Corn – for sunny colour and soft buttery flavour. It can be replaced with diced carrot if you prefer.
- Red onion – the final part of the Cajun trinity adding some crimson colour and spice. You can replace with any onion you have in your pantry. French shallots and green onions are also good here.
- Avocado – for creaminess and healthy fats to boost the satiety of this salad.
- Creamy Cajun dressing – so wonderfully decadent and zingy it truly brings this salad together. You can replace with bottled Cajun if you prefer or our smoked paprika dressing will also go great here.
You Will Need:
How to make this salad
1MARINATE CHICKEN
Add the fillets spices, oil and balsamic in a bowl, mix well to combine and leave to one side to marinate while you are preparing your ingredients.
It is not necessary to place them in the fridge as adding cold chicken to a hot pan lowers the temperature in the pan and you will not be able to get a good sear on the fillets. Just keep them in a cool place but not in the fridge, it won’t take long to prepare the rest of the ingredients.
ADD THIGHS & MARINADE TO BOWL MIX WELL TO COMBINE, SET ASIDE
2PREPARE VEG
Remove the root from your butter lettuce, gently wash the leaves under cold running water. Then either pat dry with a clean kitchen towel or for extra dry leaves, spin dry in a salad spinner.
Wash your cherry tomatoes, pat dry and slice in half.
Wash your celery stalks carefully to remove any dirt that may be lodged. Cut off the white part of the celery, remove the leaves and discard.
Using a vegetable peeler, de-thread your celery (no need to do this if you don’t have the time). Then chop finely into small dice or thinly slice in a food processor.
Open you can of corn and rinse well in a colander under cold running water.
Wash your capsicum/pepper remove the core and seeds, pat dry then slice into small strips.
Remove the papery skin from your onion, rinse, then thinly slice lengthwise.
CUT OFF THE ROOT OF YOUR BUTTER LETTUCE WASH LEAVES UNDER COLD WATER THEN DRY HALVE CHERRY TOMATOES A FEW AT A TIME OR INDIVIDUALLY FINELY DICE CELERY BY HAND OR IN FOOD PROCESSOR CUT PEPPER INTO STRIPS THINLY SLICE ONION
3COOK YOUR CHICKEN FILLETS
Heat a non-stick pan on medium to high heat.
Take your fillets and add to your hot pan. Sear on each side for approximately 3 minutes. Remove to a plate and allow to rest for a couple of minutes, then slice.
ADD THIGHS IN BATCHES TO HOT PAN COOK UNTIL CHARRED & COOKED THROUGH REMOVE TO PLATE TO REST SLICE THIGHS AFTER 10 MINS
4MAKE THE DRESSING
Wash your parsley, shake to remove excess water, dry and roughly chop.
Add everything to a small food processor, season and then blitz together until everything is well combined.
Taste and adjust seasonings according to your taste.
ADD DRESSING INGREDIENTS TO BLENDER BLITZ TO COMBINE
5ASSEMBLE
Arrange butter lettuce on the bottom of your salad bowl or platter.
Add all the chopped veggies in a mixing bowl, season with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Pour over half the dressing and toss well to combine everything.
Place the veggie mix on top of your lettuce leaves, then add the sliced chicken.
Rinse peel and remove the pit from your avocado then slice into thin slices and fan on top of your chicken, add a pinch of Cajun spices for some colour.
Place the remaining dressing in a small jug, serve your salad with the dressing on the side.
ADD ALL VEG TO MIXING BOWL POUR OVER DRESSING MIX VEG WITH DRESSING SLICE YOUR AVOCADO & FAN ARRANGE LETTUCE ON PLATTER SPOON OVER VEG MIX ADD SLICED CHICKEN ADD SLICED AVOCADO ADD SOME CAJUN SPICE TO GARNISH & SERVE
Can I make it ahead?
- You can marinate and cook the chicken thigh fillets a few days in advance and cut up prior to assembling the salad.
- The dressing can also be made several days in advance and kept covered in the fridge.
- You can cut up all your veggies, keep in separate containers and simply assemble the salad just before serving.
- Assemble the salad up to one hour in advance then drizzle the dressing on top just before you are ready to serve.
How to meal prep for weekday lunches
- Cook the chicken fillets and prepare the vegetables, make sure you have liberal doused the avocado with lemon juice to prevent it from browning.
- I would also leave the lettuce leaves to add to your salad the day before otherwise, it will become limp.
- Arrange everything else in individual covered containers and keep in the fridge.
- Place the dressing in a separate container to add to your salad just before eating.
Looking for More Dinner Salad Recipes?
(Times are an estimate and will depend on your skill level)
Equipment
- Non-stick pan
- Small Food Processor or High-speed Blender
Ingredients
- 6 Chicken thigh fillets
- 1 tbsps Cajun spice
- 4 tbsps balsamic
- 4 tbsps olive oil
- ¼ butter lettuce (leaves to line your platter)
- 250 grams cherry tomatoes (approximately 1 punnet)
- 300 grams celery, diced (4 stalks to make 2 cups diced)
- 170 grams red capsicum/pepper (1 medium red capsicum/pepper)
- 420 grams corn kernels (1 can or 2 cups)
- 60 grams red onion (½ an onion or 1 small)
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayo
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 2 tbsps parsley chopped
- 2 tsp Cajun spice (just use 1 if you don't like spicy food)
- 1 clove garlic minced
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper
- 200 grams avocado (1 medium)
- Pinch Cajun spice
Instructions
- Add the fillets spices oil and balsamic in a bowl, mix well to combine and leave to one side to marinate while you are preparing your ingredients.
- It is not necessary to place them in the fridge as adding cold chicken to a hot pan lowers the temperature in the pan and you will not be able to get a good sear on the fillets. Just keep them in a cool place but not in the fridge, it won’t take long to prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Remove the root from your butter lettuce, gently wash the leaves under cold running water. Then either pat dry with a clean kitchen towel or for extra dry leaves, spin dry in a salad spinner.
- Wash your cherry tomatoes, pat dry and slice in half.
- Wash your celery stalks carefully to remove any dirt that may be lodged. Cut off the white part of the celery, remove the leaves and discard.
- Using a vegetable peeler, de-thread your celery (no need to do this if you don’t have the time). Then chop finely into small dice or thinly slice in a food processor.
- Open you can of corn and rinse well in a colander under cold running water.
- Wash your capsicum/pepper remove the core and seeds, pat dry then slice into small strips.
- Remove the papery skin from your onion, rinse then thinly slice lengthwise.
- Heat a non-stick pan on medium to high heat.
- Take your fillets and add to your hot pan. Sear on each side for approximately 3 minutes. Remove to a plate and allow to rest for a couple of minutes, then slice.
- Wash your parsley, shake to remove excess water, dry and roughly chop.
- Add everything to a small food processor, season and then blitz together until everything is well combined.
- Taste and adjust seasonings according to your taste.
- Arrange butter lettuce on the bottom of your salad bowl or platter.
- Add all the chopped veggies in a mixing bowl, season with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Pour over half the dressing and toss well to combine them well.
- Place the veggie mix on top of your lettuce leaves, then add the sliced chicken.
- Rinse peel and remove the pit from your avocado then slice into thin slices and fan on top of your chicken, add a pinch of Cajun spices for some colour.
- Place the remaining dressing in a small jug, serve your salad with the dressing on the side.
Video
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