Autumn Chopped Chicken Salad may just become your new favorite fall salad! Every bite is loaded with crisp pears, tangy cranberries, toasted pecans, feta, and juicy chicken.
We love Fall Salads like our popular Apple Broccoli Salad and Beet Salad with the same dressing you see here (it’s really THAT good!). This Chicken Salad has all of the best flavors of Autumn and it’s a feel-good salad.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Fall Chicken Salad Recipe
This Fall Chopped Chicken Salad is easy, healthy and loaded with the best ingredients. It is paleo (if you use a goat/sheep milk feta), gluten-free and guilt-free, with all the flavor. This salad is perfect as a main course or side salad.
I sent text messages to all of my sisters telling them about this salad before it was posted – sometimes when things are just THIS GOOD, I just can’t help but share and I’m so excited to share it with all of you! Don’t judge my use of strange descriptors. I didn’t plan to share this screenshot with the world until just now.
Ingredients for Chicken Salad & Balsamic Vinaigrette:
We love that the entire salad can be prepped ahead of time for parties and arranging. Just shake and add the homemade balsamic vinaigrette just before serving.
Seriously, friends, the dressing takes this salad to the next level. It couldn’t be easier and is a keeper of a recipe. You’ll want it on all of your Fall salads!
How to Make Chopped Chicken Salad:
This salad really requires very little effort. Cutting the chicken breasts in half cuts the cooking time in half and a salad spinner will make the lettuce prep easy peasy. Do you use a salad spinner? They are a wonderful tool and you’ll never have another soggy salad!
- Step 1: Season and sauté chicken and toast pecans
- Step 2: Chop and spin dry Salad – place in a large bowl.
- Step 3: Slice Pears and Cooked Chicken Breast and arrange over romaine lettuce in strips along with cranberries, feta and pecans.
How to Make Balsamic Vinaigrette:
The simple balsamic vinaigrette will win you over. It has the perfect combination of flavors and all you need is a mason jar to shake and serve. My friend Natalia shared this dressing recipe with me and it worked perfectly on this salad.
Combine dressing ingredients in a small mason jar. Cover with lid and shake vigorously to combine. If any separation occurs, shake again just before using. Drizzle balsamic vinaigrette over the salad, adding it to taste then toss to combine. We usually use about 3/4 of the dressing. Leftovers are a great problem to have! 😉
P.S. I prefer pressed garlic for this using a garlic press – you get more garlic flavor in the dressing.
you
Can I Substitute Feta Cheese?
If you aren’t a fan of feta cheese or don’t have it on hand, try goat cheese instead. It has a similar, wonderfully tangy flavor that pairs really well with all of the ingredients and dressing in this salad. We use goat cheese and feta interchangeably in this salad.
Can I Use Rotisserie Chicken?
YES! We love the easy substitution of using chopped rotisserie chicken to make this a Rotisserie Chicken Salad. It becomes a no-cooking required salad that comes together quickly and is just as impressive. During the holidays, you can use leftover turkey to make it a Thanksgiving-worthy Turkey Salad.
More Chicken Salad Recipes:
We love chicken salads around here because they are a meal in themselves and are perfect for to-go lunches and meal prep!
- Avocado Chicken Salad – our most popular salad
- Chicken Potato Salad – A twist on the classic “Olivier”
- Chicken Mango Avocado Salad – Cheesecake Factory copycat!
Watch Natasha Make Chicken Salad:
I hope this Chopped Chicken Salad and Balsamic Dressing become a new favorite for you!
If you enjoy our videos, please subscribe to our Cooking Channel and click the bell icon to be the first to know when we post a new video. THANK YOU for subscribing! We love to connect with you on our Youtube Channel.
Autumn Chopped Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Autumn Chopped Chicken Salad Ingredients:
- 1 lb chicken breasts (2 large), trimmed and halved lengthwise
- 1/2 tsp Garlic salt , (or to taste)
- 1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 head romaine lettuce, (8 cups chopped) rinsed and dried
- 2 pears, cored and sliced
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup pecans, lightly toasted on a dry skillet
- 1/2 cup feta cheese (4 oz), crumbled
Balsamic Vinaigrette Ingredients:
- 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove, pressed or finely minced
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, (regular olive oil also works)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise so you have 4 thin cutlets. Season chicken cutlets on both sides with garlic salt and black pepper. Place a large skillet over medium heat with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add chicken cutlets and sautee 3-4 minutes per side or until fully cooked through. Transfer to a cutting board and let chicken rest while preparing the salad then slice the chicken into strips.
- Meanwhile, in a medium dry skillet, toast pecans over medium heat for 5 minutes, tossing frequently or until pecans are fragrant and lightly golden. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine chopped romaine, sliced pears, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, crumbled feta and cooked sliced chicken.
- Combine dressing ingredients in a small mason jar. Cover with lid and shake vigorously to combine. If any separation occurs, shake again just before using. Drizzle balsamic vinaigrette over the salad, adding it to taste then toss to combine.
Nutrition Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
This Autumn chicken salad is absolutely delicious; one you will make again and again!
Q: Do you have a go-to salad for Fall?
Let me know about it in a comment below! Speaking of chicken salads, don’t miss our chicken avocado salad which won the hearts of our readers with over 150 million views! Explore more of our favorite salads here.
This salad and dressing is absolutely excellent!❤️
My new favorite go to salad!
Meant to give this 5 stars excellent salad and dressing❤️❤️❤️
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Ann!
My daughter and I make a lot of your recipe’s you are a great cook enjoy watching you I wish you had your own show thank you
Thank you for your kind words and good comments, Joann. We appreciate it!
You did it again 👏 👏. This is such a delicious salad and the dressing is so amazing. I’m going to try it with chopped dates next time because I can’t find cranberries with no added sugar. Thanks for sharing the recipe for this delicious salad.
You’re very welcome! Thank you for the wonderful review.
I love this salad but do not like pears. I opted for apples and loved it just as much. Still had the crunch of the apple and yet tasted delicious
That’s a great substitute. Thanks for sharing, Char.
This is one of my new favourite salads. Salads and veggies are rarely exciting to me, but this one is! I do it with turkey, and really like that I can prep the different ingredients in advance. It’s delicious and always impresses guests… though I also cook just for myself. Miam ! Thanks a lot for this new favourite!
You’re most welcome! I’m glad this is now your new favorite salad recipe.
Do you think roasted chickpeas would work in place of the chicken?? I loved it with chicken but looking for a vegetarian option while still having protein.
Hi Nikki, I haven’t tested that to advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Trying my best to eat better. I’m not a salad lover, but this salad is delicious! I didn’t have pecans, but I subbed in some shelled and toasted pumpkin seeds. I also added some maple syrup to the vinaigrette.
Can’t wait to try this again in a few days with some leftover turkey instead of the chicken.
Thanks for a great, healthy recipe!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Natasha, thank you for making healthy eating so easy. The kids gobbled up this salad and my husband said it tasted like a salad from a nice restaurant. I love balsamic vinegar, but due to one of my kids, I had to switch it out for apple cider vinegar, added a tiny bit of honey, and it worked well. You led me to discover the deliciousness of garlic in dressings – it makes any salad heartier and absolutely satisfying.
Hello Monica. Thanks for sharing your good comments with us, I’m happy to know that your kids love this recipe too!
Autumn chopped chicken salad is one of the very best salads. Top notch dressing. It’s crunchy and flavorful.
Love all your recipes ❤️
Thank you for your great review, Joshna!
I find it difficult to make a good salad because salads just sound too boring and you can’t make them as good as the restaurants do. This salad is definitely a great salad to make if you want that dining out quality! It was soooo good!!!
Thanks for your awesome comments and feedback, Josh!
Can you substitute the he Dijon mustard. We have an allergy. What would you use as substitute
Hi Deanna, I think yellow mustard would be okay if you’re not allergic to it?
This is SO good! I did add a small bit of honey to the dressing to give it some sweetness, but it was so good. I loved the flavors together. Put the leftovers (without dressing) in a container for the next day’s lunch and it kept very well. Thanks!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Kari!
This sounds divine. Just wondering how far ahead this could be prepared without adding the dressing, due to the pears already being sliced. How long before they turn brown? By the way, I LOVE your recipes & videos!
Hi Connie, since it has lettuce in it, it won’t keep for more than 6 hours after adding the dressing since the salt in the dressing will wilt the lettuce. If you prep the salad in advance and then add the dressing just before serving, it will keep longer. Also, note that the pears will discolor slightly as they stand. If serving for a party and the look of the pears is important, I would add pears just before serving as well. 🙂 I hope this helps.
This recipe looks delish! I was wondering if it would work if I substituted apples for the pears and if there is another nut I could use instead of pecans? Walnuts? Almonds? If so, do they have to be toasted? Thanks!
Hello Andrea, that sounds like a good plan. Although I haven’t tried those ingredients yet to advise, I think it’s worth experimenting with. If you try that, please share with us how it goes.
¡HOLA NATASHA! MI NOMBRE ES VIDAL DE LA CIUDAD DE MEXICO,COMO INICIADOR EN LA COCINA ME HA SIDO MUCHA UTILIDAD ESTAS RECETAS,PUES AHORA ESTOY COMIENDO MUY SALUDABLE.
Great to hear that, Vidal. Keep up the good work!
Even though the picture looked delicious, I halved the ingredients and made full recipe dressing for my picky eaters. It was absolutely a hit at my household……I should have made a full recipe.
That is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great!
I love all your delicious recipes. You are the best.
Also they are so easy to make. Thank you for sharing them.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
I haven’t made this salad yet. Do you think it would be a good addition for Christmas Dinner? I have a few vegetarians in my family, is there something I could replace the Chicken with, or just don’t add it at all?
By the way, my kids love watching your videos, not to mention my husband only likes recipes I make from you!! Thanks so much!!
Hi Megha, I think this salad can be a great addition to your Christmas menu. I think you can omit the chicken and it would still be delicious.