Chicken And Waffle Salad With Maple Dijon Vinaigrette
Chicken and waffle salad with maple dijon vinaigrette features all the classic Southern flavors but incorporates some veggies for a healthier spin. It makes it a great lunch option, and even doubles as a family meal.
It’s daunting trying to overhaul your lifestyle.
I hate depriving myself of my favorites.
After all, I am a Southern girl through and through and classics like chicken and waffles are my life blood.
But you know what does work for me?
Rather than cutting those dishes out, I try to find ways to add something that’s good for me (and my family!) into those dishes.
Meet this chicken and waffle salad.
It has all those Southern flavor combinations but also has a healthy serving of greens so there’s some nutritional value going on here.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need three easy sets of ingredients.
For the waffle croutons you’ll need:
- Waffles– Frozen toaster waffles
- Butter– Melted
To make the maple dijon vinaigrette you’ll need:
- Oil– I highly recommend using olive oil for this over other oils.
- Mustard– Dijon
- Maple syrup– Real maple syrup and not the fake stuff.
- Vinegar– Regular white distilled vinegar will work but you can use any you have on hand.
And finally for the salad itself you’ll need:
- Breaded chicken tenders– Bake them and cut them into bite sized pieces.
- Greens– Spring mix greens. You could substitute arugula or baby spinach if you prefer.
How to Make
Making this chicken and waffle salad is easy!
Start by making the waffle croutons by cutting the waffles into bite sized pieces using kitchen sheers.
Spread the pieces out onto a baking sheet and toss them with the melted butter to coat them.
Then bake them at 350 degrees, for 7-10 minutes, until toasted and golden brown.
While the waffles croutons are baking, make the maple vinaigrette by adding all the dressing ingredients to a large bowl and whisking until they are incorporated.
Then build the salad by making a bed of greens on a platter or in a large bowl.
Add the chicken pieces and waffle croutons to it.
Drizzle with the vinaigrette, tossing if desired to coat.
Enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
Like most salads, this is best enjoyed right after you make it.
If you do have leftovers store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Keep in mind the salad will lose its crispness as it sits in the fridge.
Tips and Tricks
- Use whatever frozen waffle brand you like but make sure they are plain and not blueberry or chocolate chip, etc.
- If you don’t have chicken tenders on hand to bake, you could substitute chicken nuggets or even rotisserie chicken.
- Double the recipe to feed a group!
Other Salad Recipes
Chicken and waffle salad is a delicious play on the Southern combination you’ll love if you are trying to work more veggies into your diet.
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other salad recipes?
Try these:
- Mexican Chicken Caesar Salad
- Easy Gyro Salad
- Balsamic Salad With Pasta
- Oriental Chicken Salad
- Fiesta Lime Shrimp Salad
If you’ve tried this CHICKEN AND WAFFLE SALAD, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Chicken & Waffle Salad with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For The Waffle Croutons
- 4 frozen waffles
- 2 tbsp melted butter
For The Maple Dijon Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup oil
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- salt & pepper, to taste
For The Salad
- 4-5 baked, breaded chicken tenders- cut into bite sized pieces
- spring mix greens
Instructions
To Make The Waffle Croutons
- Using sharp kitchen shears, cut your waffles into bite-sized pieces. Spread them out onto a baking sheet. Drizzle them with the melted butter & toss to coat. Spread out again and bake at 350 degrees, for 7-10 minutes, until toasted and golden brown.4 frozen waffles, 2 tbsp melted butter
To Make The Vinaigrette
- In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients. Using a whisk, whip all of the ingredients together until they're evenly incorporated.1/3 cup oil, 2 tbsp Dijon mustard, 3 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp vinegar, salt & pepper, to taste
To Make The Salad
- On a serving platter, or in a large bowl, make a bed of greens. Add the chicken pieces and waffle croutons to it. Drizzle with the vinaigrette. Toss, if desired, to evenly coat.4-5 baked, breaded chicken tenders- cut into bite sized pieces, spring mix greens
Notes
- Use whatever frozen waffle brand you like but make sure they are plain and not blueberry or chocolate chip, etc.
- If you don't have chicken tenders on hand to bake, you could substitute chicken nuggets or even rotisserie chicken.
- Double the recipe to feed a group!
Nutrition
recipe adapted from Life With The Crust Cut Off
Chicken & waffles in a salad? Well somehow you’ve made it work with that Maple Honey Dijon! So clever!
Thanks for sharing this at Fiesta Friday!
Mollie
Waffle crutons and baked chicken salad? What is there not to love!
Totally yummy!
Thank you for sharing at Fiesta Friday!
I love this idea, chicken and waffles are great together, I’ve seen several versions of this posted all over the net, your’s looks amazing! There are so many similar versions out there, and when you live in the south you see a million renditions of this, but I love the way you adapted the recipe and your presentation is awesome!