Delicious Fusion: Chicken Tuna Salad Recipe
Is your New Year resolution to eat healthier, as well? This time, I decided against restrictive diets, but to eat more conscious, nutritious, and still super delicious.
I am not a fan of meal prep, because many times I don’t feel like eating what I got ready for that day. Conversely, I ADORE salads, as they are ready in a swift, filling, and you can play with flavors as much as you want.
I will share a few recipes with you that I like the most. I think you will love them, too, so here’s the recipe for Chicken Tuna Salad.
This salad is abundant in lean proteins, fiber, and healthy fats! You can definitely pair it with any leafy greens you prefer, I went for corn salad as it’s my favorite! Plus, I added crispy cucumber, spring onion, and mint to freshen things up. To round up the whole meal, I needed some carbs, so I chose quinoa.
How to Make Chicken Tuna Salad?
To prepare this salad, you will need at most 15 minutes! Grilling chicken is the most work you’ll do, so you get the point. Here are the ingredients to make my favorite combo!
- Chicken – For salads, I always opt for the most boring part of the chicken – breasts. There, they work the best, hands up! They pair with any flavor and are low in fat.
- Tuna – Canned tuna comes in handy when you need a quick lunch. I really don’t mind eating it, but I choose only tuna in olive oil or its own juice. Of course, if you have fresh tuna – even better.
- Corn salad – I opted for mâche for its mild and nutty taste. And the best thing is – you don’t need to chop it, it’s already bite-size!
- Cucumber – Cucumber in salads is top-notch to add some crunch and freshness due to its high water content.
- Spring onion – To add some spice, I like to slice up some spring onion. Plus, they have a sweet aftertaste that pairs with chicken and tuna flawlessly.
- Quinoa – Quinoa is a fine source of fiber and protein, and simple to incorporate in salads. It has a mild flavor, so it goes well with almost anything.
- Herbs – Fresh herbs skyrocket the taste of salad. I added mint and dill here, but I think parsley would be smashing, as well.
- Spices – I didn’t experiment much with spices. I used salt and pepper, of course, and marinated chicken in some cayenne pepper, curry, and garlic powder.
- Olive oil – There is no salad without a splash of olive oil. I just love its grassy taste!
- Lemon – Lemon adds some tanginess to the salad, and magnifies the absorption of nutrients in your body.
- Greek yogurt – Greek yogurt makes top-tier salad dressing. It is creamy, and slightly tangy, but low in calories!
- Seeds – I love mixing in some seeds in salads for healthy fats. My today’s choice were pumpkin seeds and toasted sesame.
Let’s make this quick lunch together!
Step 1: Grilling the Chicken
I like to slice the chicken breasts into bite-size chunks before grilling. Season it as you wish, I used salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and a tad of curry. Massage all the spices well and grill it over medium heat until crispy on the outside and soft inside. It takes about 3 minutes per side.
Step 2: Cooking the Quinoa
Cook quinoa over medium heat in salty water in a 2:1 ratio, in favor of water. I simmer it for about 5 minutes, until it soaks up all the water, and leave it an additional 15 minutes covered in a pot. Also, I usually cook more and store it in the fridge for 4 days, so it’s always ready to go. For this salad, it’s better if it’s cold.
Step 3: Making the Salad Dressing
This is my favorite salad dressing to freshen things up! I mixed Greek yogurt, lemon juice, salt, pepper, dill, and garlic powder. It adds the missing creaminess in a swift!
Step 4: Assembling the Salad
Wash all the veggies thoroughly: corn salad, cucumber, and spring onion. In a large bowl, add salad and chopped cucumbers and onions. I like to use cucumbers with peel.
Join quinoa, grilled chicken, and tuna. Chop a handful of mint very finely and sprinkle on top. Drizzle fresh lemon juice and olive oil, as well, and season it to your taste. I do salt and pepper only.
To finish all up, trickle the Greek yogurt dressing and mix it all up. You’re only left to serve it and enjoy! YUM!
How to Store Chicken Tuna Salad?
Chicken tuna salad will be good for up to 4 days in the fridge, of course. To be honest with you, I don’t like storing the salad already drizzled with dressing, as it turns out kind of mushy. I usually store it separately.
Use airtight containers to keep the freshness in.
Recipe Alternations
It would be tasty to add some sweet corn to the salad if you like a bit of sweet and savory contrast. I usually incorporate cherry tomatoes, but they will release juices if you’re planning on storing the salad.
Iceberg salad, butter lettuce, white and purple cabbage, and kale, are all amazing bases if you want to substitute corn salad. For those who like sour flavors, add some pickles, pickled onions, cabbage, or carrots.
Next time, I will lose the quinoa and add red beans instead. Also, avocado and goat cheese would be amazing. Cooked pasta is an ideal addition to chicken tuna salad, I like spiral whole grain the most! Also, crisped tortilla chips or croutons are flavorful additions.
For those who would rather experiment with flavors, add slices of crispy apple or some grape. Adding celery, crisped bacon, almonds, walnuts, dry grapes, or cranberries is a great idea, too. Instead of chicken breasts, try rotisserie chicken, it has a lot of more flavor but compliments the other ingredients finely.
This dressing is plain, I must admit, but to spice things up, be free to mix up some Dijon or spicy brown mustard. Vinegar, sriracha, honey, jalapeños, ginger, and orange can be incorporated into the dressing for a twist!
What are your favorite salad combos?
Chicken Tuna Salad
Equipment
- 1 grill pan
Ingredients
- 1 chicken breast
- 1 can tuna (in olive oil)
- 2 cups corn salad
- 1 cup cucumber (chopped)
- ½ cup spring onion (chopped)
- ½ cup quinoa (cooked)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp curry
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ cup fresh mint (chopped)
- 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds (toasted)
For the Dressing
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 2 tsp dill
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
Grilling the Chicken
- Slice the chicken breasts into bite-size chunks before grilling. Season with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, curry. Massage all the spices well and grill it over medium heat until crispy on the outside and soft inside. It takes about 3 minutes per side.
- Cooking the Quinoa
- Cook quinoa over medium heat in salty water in a 2:1 ratio, in favor of water. I simmer it for about 5 minutes, until it soaks up all the water, and leave it an additional 15 minutes covered in a pot.
- Making the Salad Dressing
- Mix Greek yogurt, lemon juice, salt, pepper, dill, and garlic powder. Mix to combine.
Assembling the Salad
- Wash all the veggies thoroughly: corn salad, cucumber, and spring onion. In a large bowl, add salad and chopped cucumbers and onions.
- Join quinoa, grilled chicken, and tuna. Chop a handful of mint very finely and sprinkle on top. Drizzle fresh lemon juice and olive oil, as well, and season it to your taste.
- Trickle the Greek yogurt dressing and mix it all up.
Notes
- sweet corn
- cherry tomatoes
- iceberg salad/butter lettuce/cabbage/kale
- pickled vegetables
- beans
- avocado
- goat cheese
- pasta
- croutons
- crisped tortilla
- apples or grapes
- celery
- crispy bacon
- almonds or walnuts
- raisins or cranberries
- mustard
- vinegar
- sriracha
- honey
- jalapeños
- ginger
- orange
