Your favorite already cooked chicken nuggets or chicken tenders makes this shortcut fried chicken salad recipe both super easy and super delicious!
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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 (we love the ones from Culvers) and take an extra five minutes to cut them 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
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
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.
Step Two: Toss the veggie and chicken mixture with some ranch dressing. And…you’re done. Seriously.
Recipe FAQs
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.
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!)
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!
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 these cream cheese stuffed biscuits.
And for dessert, let’s keep the party going with some banana cream pie!
Other main course salads we love
Looking for more salad inspiration? Here is our complete collection of salad recipes, both main courses and sides!
Could you leave us a review?
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.
PrintShortcut Fried Chicken Salad
Your favorite already cooked chicken nuggets makes this shortcut fried chicken salad recipe both super easy and super delicious!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 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
- 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.
- Place salad on plates, drizzle a little more dressing on top for garnish if you like and serve.
- 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.
Hayley says
So easy and SO delicious! A perfect lunch or easy dinner!
Thanks Hayley! So glad you liked it – yay for fried chicken!
Trudy L says
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.
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! :)
Darija says
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.
Thanks Darija! So glad you like it!
Laurie says
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.
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
Karen Nelson says
Or Dad look!(not Dadook!)
And see…STILL making me smile! :) :)
Karen Nelson says
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!❤️
It IS priceless! Thanks for your sweet words, as ever. You always make me smile!
Mindy says
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.
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