Name: Chicken Club Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 6 slices bacon; 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, (6 to 8 ounces each); coarse salt and ground pepper; 3 plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces; 0.5 small red onion, finely chopped; 2 celery stalks, sliced crosswise ¼ inch thick, plus ½ cup celery leaves (optional); 0.5 cup light mayonnaise; 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar; lettuce leaves, for serving such as romaine

Prep Time:

15 mins

Cook Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

45 mins

Servings:

4

Our easy recipe for chicken club calad has all the elements of the classic sandwich you know and love, just minus the bread. To make it, you’ll cook bacon and boneless chicken breasts together in the oven to streamline prep. Meanwhile, a colorful and crunchy mix of diced plum tomatoes, red onion, and celery is combined with mayo and white wine vinegar–it's the easiest dressing ever. Then, after the crumbled bacon and diced chicken are added, the salad is served over crispy romaine leaves.

Chicken Club Salad Ingredients

Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are our pick for this recipe as they cook up quickly and are easy to cut into chunks. To streamline prep even further, you can swap in four cups of chopped rotisserie chicken.

Bacon: Cooking bacon in the oven is our preferred method, as it results in less mess—and requires less attention—than frying it on the stovetop. If you don't eat pork, you can use turkey bacon instead.

Tomatoes: Juicy, thin-skinned plum tomatoes are an ideal variety for this salad, but you can use whichever type look the most ripe and delicious. Unless you're working with cherry or grape tomatoes, be sure to remove the seeds and ribs, which can make the dressing watery and the salad soggy.

Red onion: Diced red onion adds crunch and a subtle bite to the salad mixture. If you prefer a milder flavor, let the diced red onion sit in a bowl of cold water for 10 to 15 minutes; drain and pat dry before combining with the other ingredients.

Mayonnaise: One-half cup of light mayonnaise helps form the creamy, tangy dressing. You can use regular mayonnaise instead, or swap in an egg-free mayonnaise substitute if desired. For a less rich dressing, replace half the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt or sour cream.

White-wine vinegar: A touch of white-wine vinegar adds a bright, tangy lift to the dressing. If you don't have any on hand, swap in red-wine vinegar or even apple cider vinegar in it's place.

Romaine lettuce: We like the taste and crunch of romaine lettuce in this recipe, but you can certainly use another type of lettuce like Boston, green leaf, or iceberg. Keep the leaves whole, as suggested below, or chop them up for a more fork-friendly approach.

Make Ahead

You can prep the chicken, bacon, and vegetables up to one day ahead of time. Refrigerate them separately (the vegetables can be combined), then toss in a bowl and stir in dressing ingredients before serving over lettuce. To re-crisp bacon, microwave it on a paper-towel-lined plate for 20 seconds, or until sizzling and crispy.

Spoon the salad mixture into petite romaine or butter lettuce leaves and serve as a starter or snack for company.

Ingredients

6 slices bacon
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, (6 to 8 ounces each)
coarse salt and ground pepper
3 plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces
½ small red onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, sliced crosswise ¼ inch thick, plus ½ cup celery leaves (optional)
½ cup light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
lettuce leaves, for serving such as romaine

Directions

Preheat oven; cook bacon:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lay bacon in a single layer on prepared sheet; bake until it begins to render its fat, about 10 minutes.
Turn bacon and add chicken; continue to bake:

Turn bacon over, and slide to one side of sheet. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and place on baking sheet. Bake until bacon is browned and crisp and chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
Crumble bacon; combine remaining ingredients:

Transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate, and let drain; crumble. Let chicken cool completely. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, celery, celery leaves (if using), mayonnaise, and vinegar.
Chop chicken, add to bowl, and serve:

Cut chicken into 1/2-inch chunks, and add to bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Serve chicken salad over lettuce leaves, and sprinkle with bacon.

Storage

Leftover salad mixture can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two days; we don't recommend storing the lettuce as it will become soggy the longer it sits.