This crispy rooster salad is a fall favourite in my home! It options air-fried crispy rooster, honey crisp apples, a tremendous selfmade maple mustard dressing, and candied pecans. It’s a flavorful and protein-rich lunch or dinner that I completely can’t 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 throughout 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 Elements
- Apples: right here within the midwest, we’re all about honey crisp apples! The flavour is texture is simply the perfect. Be at liberty to thinly slice any apple of your selection ❤️.
- Pecans: the candied pecans add deliciously candy taste and a bit of crunch. it’s a terrific 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 all the time steals a rooster nugget or two after I’m making this recipe.
- Dijon mustard: mustard is the bottom of the salad dressing for this recipe! It’s a selfmade dressing that does require a couple of substances, however every little thing will be poured in a mason jar and shaken up earlier than dressing. I wish to make a double batch to maintain additional dressing readily available within the fridge.
- Maple syrup: you’ll use maple within the salad dressing and in addition within the candied pecans. It’s my go-to pure sweetener of selection.
- Spring combine greens: technically any lettuce or area greens will work for this salad, so select your personal journey right here. The crunch of romaine can be delish, and so would a softer butter lettuce.
Discover the record of full substances within the recipe card beneath.
Make Stovetop Candied Pecans
Making your personal candied pecans is tremendous fast and simple. All it is advisable to 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 check a couple of 😋😋.
Making ready and Air-Frying the Hen
Dredge a bit of rooster via the flour, then egg, after which the panko, ensuring the rooster items are totally 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 will not be touching. Cook dinner at 400º for 5-8 minutes (will depend on what kind of air fryer you’re utilizing) or till the rooster is golden brown and crispy. You’re on the lookout for an inside temperature of 165ºF.
Professional tip: Chances are you’ll have to 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’ll be able to press the straightforward button and simply deliver residence a rotisserie rooster from the grocery retailer (I’ve completed this extra instances than I can rely!).
Discover the total 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 area inexperienced and may get soggy fairly shortly. Plus, you don’t need your tremendous crispy rooster nuggets to get soggy both 😅😅.
Greatest Strategy to Retailer Leftovers
One of the best ways to retailer leftover servings of this salad is to maintain the dressing and rooster separate from every little thing else. Then, once you’re able to serve, you’ll be able to 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
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.
Add all the substances for the dressing to a bowl and whisk to mix. Put aside.
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.
Dredge a bit of rooster via the flour, then egg, after which the panko. Make sure it’s totally coated. Put aside and repeat till all of the rooster has been coated.
Switch the rooster to the air fryer and spray with avocado oil. Make sure the rooster items will not be overcrowded. Cook dinner at 400º for 5-8 minutes (will depend on what kind of air fryer you’re utilizing) or till the rooster is golden brown and crispy. Chances are you’ll have to cook dinner the rooster in batches. We’re on the lookout for an inside temperature of 165ºF.
Add the combined greens, cranberries, feta, and apples to a big salad bowl. High with rooster and candied pecans.
Gown the salad proper earlier than serving and revel in instantly.
- When you don’t have an air fryer, be happy to exchange 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
Diet data is robotically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.


