Arugula Chicken Salad

It’s heating up and let’s just say that salads for meals are sounding better and better. While I love a salad for dinner, it can’t just be a ‘starter’ salad. These salads need to be loaded with protein, full of flavor, and filling. And this arugula chicken salad is a new favorite, checking all those boxes.

Last summer, I discovered the ease and joy of grilling extra chicken. Well, having my husband grill extra chicken because that’s how we divide and conquer delicious dinner in our house. Extra chicken is great in leftovers, sliced cold for my lunch, and perfect in salads.

This whole setup actually comes together quickly – just 15 minutes when you have the leftover chicken and just need to cut some fruit and make the dressing.

Arugula Chicken Salad Ingredients & Instructions

As with any salad, there are lots of ways to add variety. Let’s start here with my delicious take on the arugula chicken salad and then we’ll get into all those great options so you can make yourself the perfect salad!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Arugula

A no-brainer here, but the arugula is key. Arugula has a more robust flavor than many salad greens, making it a great base for a meal-sized salad.

Arugula is a bit divisive in my family since it can have a peppery flavor and it can be very stemmy. You can always trim the stems if that’s an issue around your table.

If you don’t love arugula, there are a few options. First, I’d recommend mixing arugula in with a milder-flavored lettuce. Then you still get some of the peppery crunch without being overwhelmed.

Or you can skip the arugula altogether. My go-tos for simple salads are spring mix and spinach – often a mix of the two is good. Romaine and Iceberg are fine, but they don’t have as much flavor and don’t ‘do’ much for the salad.

Seasonal Fruit

We’re in summer mode at the moment, so I’ve been putting apricots and strawberries on the salad. As we get further into summer, I’ll probably do more peaches and nectarines before moving to figs and then persimmons. This arugula chicken salad works year-round—just swap in whatever fruit is in season. If you’re not sure what’s currently in season, check out my guide to seasonal produce.

Cooked Chickenlemo

I said we’re making this an easy meal, and having the chicken already cooked is about 90% of the battle. I like to use leftover grilled chicken, but rotisserie chicken, precooked chicken, or canned chicken are fine options.

Or if you’re feeling fancy, cook the chicken to enjoy it warm with the salad – it’ll be a tasty addition.

Cheese

The recipe below calls for ciliegine, which is basically small mozzarella balls. They’re about the size of a cherry and are usually pretty easy to find in the deli section of your grocery store. They’ll be in a small plastic tub as they need to sit in water to stay fresh.

No ciliegine? No problem. Any mozzarella cheese is fine. A burrata would be delicious. And, honestly, goat cheese is never a bad idea. In fact, you can keep this arugula chicken salad recipe feeling fresh by easy swaps with the cheese like that!

Dressing

Because the arugula is so flavorful, I just do a simple dressing here that’s scrumptious and balances all the flavors well. It calls for olive oil, honey, fresh lemon juice, tahini, and salt.

If you can’t find tahini or don’t want to buy it, substitutes include sunflower butter or cashew butter (more below). For a true substitute in flavor, mix the nut/seed butter with sesame oil. You can also omit the tahini, the dressing just won’t be as creamy or as strongly flavored – but it will still be enjoyable.

How to Make Arugula Chicken Salad

Make the Dressing

I like the make the dressing first so the flavors can marry a bit (and so the salt and honey can dissipate evenly). Just combine the ingredients in a small bowl with a whisk, or (if you’re like me), add them all to a small upcycled jar and shake it all together!

Assemble the Salad

I think there are two ways to assemble a salad – layering or mixing. The layering is simple – lettuce, toppings, and dressing. The mixing requires mixing them all together before combining with the dressing. It’s your salad, so you do you!

Dress the Salad

Add the dressing, top with almonds, and enjoy!!

Best Chicken for Arugula Salad

This arugula chicken salad works with almost any cooked chicken, making it a great recipe for using what you already have on hand.

The only thing I’d stay away from is a heavily seasoned chicken since the arugula and dressing are already pretty flavorful – you don’t want to have competing flavors going on in your mouth.

Grilled chicken adds a smoky flavor that’s especially delicious in the summer, while rotisserie chicken makes this salad incredibly quick and easy.

Leftover baked chicken breast is another great option for meal prep, and air fryer chicken creates juicy, flavorful pieces with very little effort.

You could also do chicken deli meat slices (or sub in turkey).

If you’re cooking chicken specifically for this recipe, I recommend simple grilled or baked chicken seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder so the peppery arugula and fresh dressing can shine.

Arugula Chicken Salad Tips, Variations & FAQs

One of my favorite things about this chicken and arugula salad recipe is how easy it is to adapt. Change the fruit with the seasons, swap the cheese, add grains, or use whatever cooked chicken you have on hand. Here are some of our favorite ways to customize it.

Easy Variations

Mediterranean Arugula Chicken Salad

Swap the mozzarella (cigliene) for feta cheese and add cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and red onion for a Mediterranean-inspired arugula chicken salad.

Avocado Arugula Chicken Salad

Top with diced avocado for extra creaminess and healthy fats that make the salad even more satisfying.

Fall Salad with Apples & Pecans

Finish with dried cranberries, pecans, and chopped apples for a fall-inspired version that’s perfect for cooler months.

Add Whole Grains

This salad would be really good with some quinoa or farro added – more protein, more fiber, and a good topping variety. I do it in my favorite kale quinoa salad in the fall and winter.

For more ideas, see this lengthy list of salad topping ideas.

How to Balance Arugula’s Peppery Flavor

As I mentioned, some people (my mom) don’t like the peppery, stemmy nature of arugula. There are some tricks to balancing the peppery flavor of arugula, however, and they’re all easy.

The first is to add sweet ingredients to your salad. This can look like fresh fruit or dried fruit. You can also make a sweeter dressing.

Creamy ingredients like various cheeses are also a welcome balance in arugula salads.

And then a bright, light dressing is key. Fresh citrus juice is my go-to. I’d shy away from balsamic vinaigrettes and anything to heavy or creamy.

Make-Ahead and Storage Tips

The one thing arugula does really have in its favor is that it’s a sturdy, leafy green, so it can handle a bit of making ahead.

To make the salad ahead of time, make the dressing, but store it separately – don’t dress the salad until you’re near eating time.

For meal prep, you can combine the lettuce, chicken, and fruit 1-2 days ahead of time. Add cheese and almonds day of and dressing when eating.

If you’re serving this for dinner or taking to a get-together, you can mix all the ingredients (except the salad) up to a few hours ahead of time without worry. Just keep it refrigerated and dress it before eating.

What to Serve with Arugula Chicken Salad

My go to with salad meals at home is a yummy piece of toast – simple and just right. At restaurants, I usually order french fries! Any yummy bread or potato option is good, however! For a heartier meal, you can certainly add a soup – hot or chilled. This chilled tomatillo soup is a great one for summer and Tuscan white bean soup is an easy one for those colder months!

Frequently Asked Questions

What goes well with arugula and chicken?

Fruit and cheese! This arugula chicken salad recipe calls for apricots and strawberries – perfect summer fruits. Swap out the fruit for what’s in season and therefore more sustainable and full of flavor. For seasonal inspiration, check out my guides to spring produce, summer produce, fall produce, and winter produce.

Can I use spinach instead of arugula?

Yes, but I’d actually recommend a spring mix with spinach mixed in.

Is arugula healthier than lettuce?

Yes. It’s actually in the same family as kale and broccoli, so it has higher levels of calcium, iron, and potassium. It also has more protein and fiber, so it’s a good one to at least add to your lettuce mix.

Can I make this salad ahead of time?

Yes. The dressing can be made ahead of time and various components of the salad can be mixed ahead of time.

What dressing goes best with arugula?

A bright dressing is best with arugula to balance the lettuce’s peppery flavor. Recipes with fresh citrus juice are great!

You May Also Like:

If you’re trying to eat more seasonally, salads are one of the easiest ways to enjoy fresh produce throughout the year. Here are a few more resources and recipes to help you make the most of what’s in season:

• 13 Delicious Summer Salads
• Arugula Pear Salad (perfect for fall)
• 50 Best Salad Toppings
• White Balsamic Dressing (very easy recipe)
• How to Make a Balsamic Glaze