This crispy rooster salad is a fall favourite in my home! It options air-fried crispy rooster, honey crisp apples, a tremendous do-it-yourself maple mustard dressing, and candied pecans. It’s a flavorful and protein-rich lunch or dinner that I completely can not get sufficient of.

Excessive in protein — I’m talkin’ 35g per serving!
GREAT salad for meal prep — I really like making this salad for lunch in the course of the week. Merely wait to decorate the salad til you’re able to serve 😋.
Minimal cook dinner time — the rooster is cooked within the air fryer, which implies tremendous minimal kitchen time is required for you. #yahwelcome
A Few Featured Components
- Apples: right here within the midwest, we’re all about honey crisp apples! The flavour is texture is simply the most effective. Be happy to thinly slice any apple of your alternative ❤️.
- Pecans: the candied pecans add deliciously candy taste and a little bit crunch. it’s an awesome complement to the savory rooster and maple mustard dressing.
- Hen: air fryer rooster bbs! I really like air frying rooster as a result of it will get it additional crispy with out frying + it requires minimal cook dinner time. My toddler at all times steals a rooster nugget or two once I’m making this recipe.
- Dijon mustard: mustard is the bottom of the salad dressing for this recipe! It’s a do-it-yourself dressing that does require a couple of components, however every little thing will be poured in a mason jar and shaken up earlier than dressing. I prefer to make a double batch to maintain additional dressing available within the fridge.
- Maple syrup: you’ll use maple within the salad dressing and likewise within the candied pecans. It’s my go-to pure sweetener of alternative.
- Spring combine greens: technically any lettuce or subject greens will work for this salad, so select your personal journey right here. The crunch of romaine could be delish, and so would a softer butter lettuce.
Discover the checklist of full components within the recipe card beneath.
Make Stovetop Candied Pecans
Making your personal candied pecans is tremendous fast and simple. All that you must do is warmth a big skillet over medium/low warmth. Add the pecans, maple syrup, and cinnamon to the skillet. Toss the pecans till they’re coated, and toast them till they start to brown.
Switch the pecans to a plate and allow them to cool — be happy to style take a look at a couple of 😋😋.
Making ready and Air-Frying the Hen
Dredge a chunk of rooster by the flour, then egg, after which the panko, ensuring the rooster items are absolutely coated. The flour –> egg –> panko order for dredging the rooster helps make each bit tremendous crispy and evenly coated within the breading.
Then, switch the rooster to the air fryer, ensuring the rooster items aren’t touching. Prepare dinner at 400º for 5-8 minutes (is dependent upon what kind of air fryer you’re utilizing) or till the rooster is golden brown and crispy. You’re searching for an inside temperature of 165ºF.
Professional tip: Chances are you’ll must cook dinner the rooster in batches relying on the scale of your air fryer.
Need to make a non-breaded rooster for this recipe? I like to recommend my juicy air fryer rooster breast recipe. Alternatively, you possibly can press the straightforward button and simply carry residence a rotisserie rooster from the grocery retailer (I’ve carried out this extra instances than I can depend!).
Discover the complete recipe directions within the recipe card beneath.
Add the Dressing and Serve
My #1 tip for this salad is to WAIT to decorate it till proper earlier than serving. Why? Spring combine is a fragile subject inexperienced and might get soggy fairly shortly. Plus, you don’t need your tremendous crispy rooster nuggets to get soggy both 😅😅.
Greatest Strategy to Retailer Leftovers
The easiest way to retailer leftover servings of this salad is to maintain the dressing and rooster separate from every little thing else. Then, if you’re able to serve, you possibly can reheat the rooster (both within the air fryer for a couple of minutes or within the microwave) and toss with the dressing to freshen issues up.

Extra Hearty Salad Recipes
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Start by making candied pecans. Warmth a big skillet over medium/low warmth. Add the pecans, maple syrup, and cinnamon to the skillet. Toss the pecans till they’re coated. Toast the pecans till they start to brown. Switch the pecans to a plate and allow them to cool.
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Add all the components for the dressing to a bowl and whisk to mix. Put aside.
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Subsequent, put together the rooster. In three separate bowls, add the flour to at least one, whisked eggs, maple syrup, and Dijon to the second, and panko bread crumbs and salt to the third bowl.
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Dredge a chunk of rooster by the flour, then egg, after which the panko. Make sure it’s absolutely coated. Put aside and repeat till all of the rooster has been coated.
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Switch the rooster to the air fryer and spray with avocado oil. Make sure the rooster items aren’t overcrowded. Prepare dinner at 400º for 5-8 minutes (is dependent upon what kind of air fryer you’re utilizing) or till the rooster is golden brown and crispy. Chances are you’ll must cook dinner the rooster in batches. We’re searching for an inside temperature of 165ºF.
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Add the combined greens, cranberries, feta, and apples to a big salad bowl. High with rooster and candied pecans.
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Gown the salad proper earlier than serving and revel in instantly.
- If you happen to don’t have an air fryer, be happy to switch the air fryer rooster with rotisserie rooster.
Energy: 574 kcal, Carbohydrates: 65 g, Protein: 35 g, Fats: 31 g, Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 28 g
Vitamin data is robotically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.
