Crispy Chicken Salad
This Crispy Chicken Salad is so easy to make at home and tastes just like the version from Friendly's! Serve it with honey mustard and fried chicken strips over lettuce with tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, cheese, and crispy tortilla strips!
Servings: 1 salad
Calories: 691kcal
Ingredients
Chicken Strips
- 1 small boneless skinless Chicken Breast see notes
- 1 egg
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 Tablespoons breadcrumbs Italian or Panko
- ¾ teaspoon seasoned salt
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup vegetable oil or canola
Salad
- 5 Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 Egg
- 1 ½ cups Iceberg Lettuce preferably a mix with carrots and red cabbage
- ¼ cup Cheddar Cheese shredded
- ¼ Monterey Jack Cheese shredded
- 2 Tablespoons honey mustard
- 1/3 cup Tri-Colored Tortilla Strips
Instructions
Chicken Strips
- Prep Work: Whisk 1 egg in a small bowl and set aside.
- Combine the flour, breadcrumbs, and seasonings on a plate and set aside.
- Cut the chicken breast in half to create 2 thinner pieces of equal size. Slice each half into strips about ½ inch thick. Note that they will plump up slightly when cooked.
- Bread the Chicken: Pat the strips completely dry and dip them in the whisked egg. Use your fingers to slide off the excess, if it’s too wet it will leak through the breading. Transfer to the breading mixture and coat generously. Give each one an extra dip in the breading right before frying.
- Frying: Heat 1 cup of vegetable oil in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. If possible, use an oil thermometer to wait until the oil reaches 350 degrees.
- Once the oil is heated, carefully add the chicken strips, leaving space around each one so that they don’t touch each other. You’ll need to fry in batches. Use kitchen tongs to carefully turn the chicken over once the first side is golden brown, 3-4 minutes per side.
- Set fried chicken aside on a cooling rack to keep it crispy underneath. Add more chicken to the pan as soon as you take some out.
Hard Boil the Eggs:
- Submerge the eggs in 2 inches of cool water in a pot on the stove-top. Gradually bring them to a boil.
- Once the boil is reached, cover the pot and remove them from the heat. Let them sit for 12 minutes.
- Peel, and slice in half or in fourths.
Assemble the Salad
- Add the lettuce to a large plate or salad bowl. Top with tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, and cheese.
- Slice the chicken strips into bite-sized pieces and sprinkle them on top.
- Drizzle with honey mustard, top with tortilla strips, and serve!
Notes
- 1 small boneless/skinless chicken breast is equal to about ½ pound and makes approximately 6 strips.
What To Add to Crispy Chicken Salad
This recipe contains the same ingredients used in Friendly's crispy chicken salad. Here are some delicious optional additions:- Avocado, Cucumbers, Bell Peppers, Onions, Olives, Parmesan Cheese, Bacon.
- While you're at it, try my recipe for homemade croutons!
- Popcorn Chicken is great in this salad instead of tenders.
Pro Tips
- Bread the chicken right before you fry them for crispiest results. Otherwise the moisture from the chicken/egg will leak through the breading. This will make them soggy and can cause your breading to fall off when frying.
- Adjust the heat as needed throughout the cooking process. The oil gets hotter as the chicken browns and cooks, don’t be afraid to turn it down a little. Making slightly temperature adjustments throughout will ensure everything cooks evenly. If your oil gets too dirty, add a little more oil to clarify it a bit. (Note that this will temporarily cool the oil down.)
Nutrition
Calories: 691kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Cholesterol: 403mg | Sodium: 920mg | Potassium: 947mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1755IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 285mg | Iron: 4mg