Chick-fil-A Lemon Kale Salad

Maybe it’s a Sunday, and you are hankering for a delicious Chick-fil-A lemon kale salad.

Or you live in a state or country without Chick-fil-A and desperately want one of their most delicious menu items. 

Well, never fear, dear foodie. We have the perfect recipe for you!

We scoured the internet and experimented with ingredients until we found the perfect combination. 

This recipe is the perfect mix of meaty, refreshing, and citrusy.

It is ideal for a spring or summer’s day and comes together easily, so you probably already have the ingredients in your kitchen.

So let’s get to cheffing!

How to Make Chick-fil-A Lemon Kale Salad

Chick-fil-A introduced the lemon kale salad, quickly gaining popularity among Chick-fil-A fans and salad lovers.

The salad combines sizzling grilled nuggets with kale and romaine lettuce and tops it with parmesan cheese and lemon wedges. 

In addition, this salad was the first salad to hit the restaurant’s menu and also the first one to feature their signature chicken nuggets.

And the best thing about making this salad is that you can use leftover chicken. 

So here’s how to combine the ingredients to create this magical salad mix.

Ingredients

• Grilled chicken breasts (2 pieces)
• Romaine lettuce (4 cups chopped)
• Kale (½ cup)
• Parmesan cheese (½ cup)
• Lemon wedges (4)
• Panko breadcrumbs (½ cup) 
• Extra virgin olive oil (½ cup)
• Sugar (according to taste)
• Salt (according to taste)
• Garlic powder (according to taste)
• Dijon mustard (1 teaspoon)
• White balsamic vinegar (3 tablespoons)
• Lemon juice (1 tablespoon)
• Lemon zest (1 lemon)

Instructions

Most ingredients in this tasty salad are pantry staples. Furthermore, they are readily available at all grocery shops. 

The salad recipe tastes best with chicken filets, but if you like other meats, you can also use salmon or grilled steak.

So follow these step-by-step instructions to make your favorite salad: 

For the dressing and marinade:

Step 1:

In a jar, combine all the dressing ingredients, including extra virgin olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt, lemon juice, lemon zest, and garlic powder. 

Then, cover the jar with a lid and shake well. 

The mixture is lemon vinaigrette, which can last for a week in the refrigerator. However, always remember to shake it well before each use. 

Step 2:

Take a plastic zipper bag and put the chicken breasts in it.

Then, pour half the lemon vinaigrette into the bag with the chicken and keep it in the refrigerator for half an hour. 

For the salad preparation:

Step 1:

Take a baking tray and add the panko breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. Broil on high for 1 minute and keep checking, so it doesn’t burn. 

Once they are completely baked, add them to a bowl or plate.

Step 2:

Remove the chicken from the plastic bag and grill it in a skillet until tender and brown. And it will take around 7 to 10 minutes for the chicken to cook. 

If you like fried chicken more, coat the chicken lightly with flour and cook in one to two tablespoons of olive oil.

Then, take it out once it’s crispy and brown and cut the chicken into pieces. 

Step 3:

Wash the kale and romaine lettuce, let it dry, then add leafy veggies and parmesan cheese to a deep plate or bowl.

Then, top this mixture with grilled or fried chicken pieces. 

Step 4:

Sprinkle the baked bread crumbs in the salad bowl. And Put four lemon wedges on the edges of the plate or bowl and drizzle some more lemon vinaigrette on top. 

You can also sprinkle parmesan crisps, dijon mustard, and a little black paper to enhance the taste.

Enjoy the salad!

Ingredient Substitution

Are you in a hurry? Do you want to avoid going out to get the missing items from a shop? 

Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered.

You can replace some ingredients, and we’re sure you have them in your kitchen. 

So the following are the ingredients you can use as substitutes for a few ingredients in the Chick-fil-A Lemon Kale Salad:

Cabbage

Don’t have Romaine lettuce?

No problem, you can use cabbage as a substitute for Romaine lettuce. 

Also, some people will love cabbage more because it adds more color than a traditional green salad. Therefore, simply chop the cabbage and use it in the recipe instead of the Romaine lettuce.

Chopped Almonds 

Can’t eat Panko bread crumbs? Don’t worry; you can use chopped almonds as a substitute for Panko bread crumbs. 

As doing this will give a more nutty flavor to the salad.

Additionally, it’s a good substitution for those looking for a healthier option. 

Using spiced almonds will also add more flavor to the salad. 

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar adds brightness and a tangy flavor to salads.

If you don’t want to use white balsamic vinegar, you can use apple cider vinegar as a substitute. 

What to Serve with Chick-fil-A Lemon Kale Salad

It goes without say that is already the perfect side-dish for various foods.

For instance, pasta, penne, steak, and seafood. 

To make your meal more enjoyable, serve this salad with the following meals:

Seafood

Seafood such as shrimp, tuna, salmon, and sardines are perfect foods to pair with this kale salad. Grilled salmon is the best meal tp pair with kale caesar salad. 

Salmon has a nice, light flavor and is a healthy option for pairing with this salad. 

Grilled Portobello Mushroom

You have probably skipped the suggestion above because you think pairing seafood with this salad will be too umami for your taste. Why not try the grilled portobello mushroom? 

Grilled portobello mushrooms are easy to make; it will take only 30 minutes to bake and chow down along with the salad. 

Mac and Cheese

If you’re a Mac and Cheese fan, you’ll love the pairing this kale caesar salad with it.

Plus, preparing Mac and Cheese is easy, resulting in a hearty meal to relish. 

How to Best Store this Salad

If you don’t want to use the salad right away, you can just prepare the dressing and then store it.

Furthermore, you can keep the prepared sauce in the refrigerator for up to one week. 

If you have prepared the salad completely, you can store it in your refrigerator for up to three days.

The following are the ways to store it properly:

Air-Tight Container

Storing in an air-tight container will help the salad remain fresh for up to seven days.

Put the Chick-fil-A Lemon Kale Salad in an air-tight container and put it in the refrigerator. 

Remember not to freeze the salad, as it will ruin the texture and taste of the greens. 

How to Reheat for the Best Leftover Experience

If you want to eat this salad over the course of the week, you’ll obviously want to store the chicken and greens separately to make reheating easier.

If the chicken is too cold for you to eat after storage, you can reheat it in the following ways:

Best Method: Saucepan

You can use the pan-heating method to warm up the chicken.

Just add the leftover chicken into a pan and turn on low heat.

Use a wooden spoon and keep stirring the meat so that no part is overheated.

The chicken will warm up within a couple minutes. You’re not going for hot here!