This Lemon Kale Chicken Caesar Salad Copycat Recipe Tastes Like Chick-fil-a's (8 Ingredients) Copycat Recipes Salads Chicken Recipes Dinner Lunch Fruit Gluten-free Budget Recipes

We all need a good kale salad and chicken salad recipe in our lives. After my first bite of Chick-fil-a's lemon kale Caesar salad with chicken, which is now no longer on the menu, I was recreating it in my head – and the copycat recipe turned out dang good!

This easy kale lemon chicken salad recipe is quick, light, bright and tasty, which makes it the perfect spring and summer recipe. Here is your shopping list for this easy kale salad recipe: boneless/skinless chicken breasts (read about the health benefits of protein), panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, fresh kale (check out the health benefits of kale), romaine lettuce (romaine is one of the healthiest lettuces you can eat), Parmesan cheese and lemons for serving.

The healthy high-protein salad recipe starts with a refreshing lemon vinaigrette. To make the vinaigrette you will need olive oil, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard and two cloves garlic, minced. Simple!

The chicken is cooked, then all the ingredients come together on your dinner plate. So healthy, fresh and delicious! Serve this salad for lunch or dinner.

Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Marinating Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 to 15 minutes
Total Time: 50 to 55 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 1 recipe lemon vinaigrette (divided) or your favorite lemon vinaigrette
• 2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs (for a gluten-free salad, use gluten-free panko)
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• chopped kale
• chopped romaine lettuce
• shaved or grated Parmesan, for garnish
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for garnish

Here's how to make it:

1. Make the lemon vinaigrette. Here's the easy lemon vinaigrette recipe. You could also use store-bought lemon vinaigrette.
2. Put the chicken breasts into a plastic zipper bag. Pour in about half of the lemon vinaigrette. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
3. Put the panko into a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until it begins to get light brown. Add about 1 tablespoon of the lemon vinaigrette into the pan and stir to coat. Taste and add more vinaigrette or a squeeze of lemon if you want it more lemony. Turn off the heat and allow to cool a few minutes before stirring in the grated Parmesan. Set aside.
4. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill or cook in a skillet until browned and cooked through, about 7 to 8 minutes. Cool and slice into pieces. If you prefer "fried" chicken, remove the chicken from the marinade and dredge lightly in flour. Cook in a little olive oil until crisp, browned and cooked through.
5. To assemble the salad, pile kale and romaine onto a plate. Top with the sliced chicken. Drizzle with the remaining lemon vinaigrette. Sprinkle with the lemon panko and shaved Parmesan. Finish with a little freshly ground black pepper and garnish with lemon wedges.
6. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

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