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    Framed Cooks » Recipes » Chicken and Turkey

    Shortcut Fried Chicken Salad

    Published: Apr 14, 2015 · Modified: Jul 1, 2025 by Kate Morgan Jackson · This post may contain affiliate links · 14 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    Your favorite already cooked chicken nuggets or chicken tenders makes this shortcut fried chicken salad recipe both super easy and super delicious!

    Shortcut fried chicken salad on a plate.
    Jump to:
    • Why we love this recipe 🥰
    • Ingredients you need 🍗
    • Ingredient notes and substitutions 📝
    • How to make this recipe 👩🏻‍🍳
    • Recipe FAQs 🧐
    • Want to round out your meal? 🍽️
    • Other main course salads we love 💚
    • We want to know what you think! 🤔
    • Shortcut Fried Chicken Salad

    Why we love this recipe 🥰

    This is my super speedy, super scrumptious version of the fried chicken salad that the Southern husband always orders whenever he sees it on any menu at any time.

    It’s basically a combo of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, ranch dressing (you can also use blue cheese) and the star of the show, little pieces of fried chicken, and before this recipe I never made this deliciousness at home because the thought of frying chicken for a salad always made me immediately need to take a nap.

    And then one day, lightening struck in my head.

    There are all kinds of places that RIGHT THIS  MINUTE are making some pretty dang good fried chicken, some in the perfect shape for a shortcut fried chicken salad.  Sometimes I use the KFC popcorn nuggets for this one, but my current favorite chicken nuggets come from always scrumptious Shake Shack.

    You can also use chicken tenders from your grocery store (we love the Tyson’s chicken strips), heat them up and and slice them into into nugget sized pieces.

    Once you have your hands on the chicken, it takes about 15 minutes to chop up the veggies, add the chicken, toss it all with some dressing and plate it up. Get ready for fried chicken salad heaven!

    Ingredients you need 🍗

    Ingredients for shortcut fried chicken salad on a counter.

    Ingredient notes and substitutions 📝

    • Chicken: We love this crispy chicken salad best with the chicken nuggets or tenders from our favorite take-out joints, but you can also use nuggets from the supermarket (heat them up first), or if you have more energy than I do, you can make your own chicken tenders at home with this easy recipe.
    • Dressing: We use ranch dressing, but blue cheese is also wonderful.
    • Veggies: Feel free to mix and match! The lettuce is essential (you can swap in iceberg lettuce if you like) but then add in any other veggies you love in your salads.

    See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.

    How to make this recipe 👩🏻‍🍳

    Fried chicken salad ingredients in a bowl.

    Put your chopped veggies and the chicken (either nuggets just the way they are, or tenders cut into bite sized pieces) in a large bowl.

    Fried chicken salad mixture in a bowl.

    Step Two: Toss the veggie and chicken mixture with some ranch dressing. And…you’re done. Seriously.

    Recipe FAQs 🧐

    Can I use supermarket chicken nuggets?

    You can! We love the fast food chicken the best for this recipe, but if you are a fan of the supermarket variety they will work just fine.

    Can I make my own chicken tenders for this recipe?

    Definitely! We love this recipe for buttermilk fried chicken tenders (and if you are making chicken tenders for a different meal, make extra and use them in this salad the next day!)

    Can this recipe be made ahead of time?

    Almost yes! You can assemble all the veggies and then add the chicken and the dressing at the last minute so things don’t get soggy. This is a great pot luck dish that is a guaranteed hit at any party!

    Have a question that I didn’t cover?

    Pop your question in the comments section below and I will answer pronto!

    Want to round out your meal? 🍽️

    This is a great all in one meal, but honestly, what is any fried chicken supper without some biscuits on the side? We love both our regular butter biscuits and these cream cheese stuffed biscuits.

    Some strawberry lemonade is the perfect drink. And for dessert, let’s keep the party going with some banana cream pie!

    • Butter biscuits in a basket.
      Butter Biscuits
    • Cream cheese Stuffed Biscuits on a cooling rack.
      Cream Cheese Stuffed Biscuits
    • Pitcher of strawberry lemonade.
      Strawberry Lemonade
    • Easy banana cream pie on a counter.
      Easy Banana Cream Pie

    Other main course salads we love 💚

    • The best steak Caesar salad on a plate.
      The Best Steak Caesar Salad Ever. Really.
    • All ingredients for corn chip taco salad ready for mixing in mixing bowl.
      Corn Chip Taco Salad
    • Lobster Caesar Salad in a serving bowl.
      Lobster Caesar Salad
    • Coconut shrimp salad on a plate with lemons.
      Coconut Shrimp Salad

    Looking for more salad inspiration? Here is our complete collection of salad recipes, both main courses and sides!

    We want to know what you think! 🤔

    If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section right below the recipe card.

    Print

    Shortcut Fried Chicken Salad

    Shortcut fried chicken salad on a plate.
    Print Recipe
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    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    5 from 1 review

    Your favorite already cooked chicken nuggets makes this shortcut fried chicken salad recipe both super easy and super delicious!

    • Author: Kate Morgan Jackson
    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Total Time: 15 minutes
    • Yield: 4 servings
    • Category: Dinner
    • Method: No Cook
    • Cuisine: American

    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 24 of your favorite already cooked chicken nuggets or 8 chicken cooked chicken tenders, either warm or a room temperature
    • 1 head romaine lettuce, rinsed and chopped into large pieces
    • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
    • 1 cucumber, diced
    • 1/4 cup Ranch or blue cheese dressing

    Instructions

    1. Put all ingredients into a large bowl. Drizzle about 1/4 cup ranch dressing over the top and toss gently with clean hands (yes hands – they are the best salad tossers you have) until everything has a light coating of dressing.
    2. Place salad on plates, drizzle a little more dressing on top for garnish if you like and serve.
    3. Wasn’t that the easiest salad recipe EVER?

    Notes

      • Chicken: We love this crispy chicken salad best with the chicken nuggets or tenders from our favorite take-out joints, but you can also use nuggets from the supermarket (heat them up first), or if you have more energy than I do, you can make your own chicken tenders at home with this easy recipe.

      • Dressing: We use ranch dressing, but blue cheese is also wonderful.

      • Veggies: Feel free to mix and match! The lettuce is essential (you can swap in iceberg lettuce if you like) but then add in any other veggies you love in your salads.

    Did you make this recipe?

    Share a photo and tag @FramedCooks on Facebook or Instagram…we want to see it!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Hayley says

      February 01, 2024 at 1:28 pm

      So easy and SO delicious! A perfect lunch or easy dinner!

      Reply
      • Kate Morgan Jackson says

        February 01, 2024 at 3:37 pm

        Thanks Hayley! So glad you liked it – yay for fried chicken!

        Reply
    2. Trudy L says

      April 16, 2015 at 11:53 pm

      Magnificent idea! I can’t wait till next week so I can put this on the menu (already made and shopped for this week’s)! And I love reading your introductory remarks leading up to the recipe–they always entertain me. I’m so glad Southern people know how to enjoy food, and not have to be health food Nazis. Eating fried chicken and frito pie makes however long we’re going to live more fun than if we had only eaten what is the current superfood. Also, I like puffy Cheetos, but I don’t always have a bag for Cheeto emergencies because when the bag comes into the house, I eat them in like 2 days, then I’m out of Cheetos again. Your daughter is wonderful.

      Reply
      • Kate says

        April 17, 2015 at 8:03 am

        Thanks Trudy – and sounds like we are sisters in menu planning. I do mine on Saturday, shop on Sunday and then don’t have to spend one second thinking about what’s for dinner! And YES! Food needs to be fun – it’s one of the great joys of life. Long live Cheetos! :)

        Reply
    3. Darija says

      April 16, 2015 at 12:14 pm

      Easy and delicious recipes are always welcome, right this amazing salad. Thank you for this idea. I love yummy and how much is can possible to be healthy meals. Again thank you for this recipe and continue with this your creative ideas.

      Reply
      • Kate says

        April 17, 2015 at 8:05 am

        Thanks Darija! So glad you like it!

        Reply
    4. Laurie says

      April 15, 2015 at 8:29 am

      Kate, Who doesn’t love a fried chicken salad, right? After decades of making dinner from scratch almost every night, I now look for shortcuts and easy dinners too. In fact tonight it’s leftovers from a steak dinner being turned into an omelet dinner. What I really wanted to say though was congratulations to your daughter and your family on her recognition. I am also a member of the “Proud Mama Society” with an only daughter in a Southern football school as well and she gives me much to be proud about :) Keep cooking Kate.

      Reply
      • Kate says

        April 15, 2015 at 10:00 am

        Laurie, thanks so much for this! Congrats to you too on your wonderful bunny – they are the best things we have ever cooked up, right! xx

        Reply
    5. Karen Nelson says

      April 14, 2015 at 2:21 pm

      Or Dad look!(not Dadook!)

      Reply
      • Kate says

        April 15, 2015 at 9:59 am

        And see…STILL making me smile! :) :)

        Reply
    6. Karen Nelson says

      April 14, 2015 at 2:19 pm

      Kate..
      Recipe tip=good

      Southern Daughter and her award=PRICELESS!!

      Isn’t it nice to see our daughters becoming wonderful young women? You and her Dadook so proud as you should be and she
      Looks over the moon, as she should be!
      Congrats to you all!❤️

      Reply
      • Kate says

        April 15, 2015 at 9:58 am

        It IS priceless! Thanks for your sweet words, as ever. You always make me smile!

        Reply
    7. Mindy says

      April 14, 2015 at 11:16 am

      I totally buy frozen breaded chicken for this exact reason. Yes, the list of ingredients is long, and most of them are impossible to pronounce, but crispy chicken salads are delicious. I bake it, so it’s kinda healthy, right. ;) I love the idea of having everything ready to go, then having The Dad pickup the chicken on his way home from work. Win win! Congratulations on raising a “winner.” I can only hope we do as well with our own three.

      Reply
      • Kate says

        April 14, 2015 at 1:43 pm

        Every once in a while I think we are totally allowed to take fried chicken shortcuts! And thanks for your sweet words – I have no doubt that you have three winners around your supper table! xo

        Reply

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    Kate from Framed Cooks

    Hi, I’m Kate! I’m a recipe writer, food photographer and devoted bacon lover. I’m so glad you’re here!

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