Name: Cajun Chicken Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast ((can use thighs too)); 1 tbsp cajun seasoning ((Make your own Cajun Spice Blend using the recipe in the description above)); 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 lime juiced; 1 tbsp extra light olive oil; 2 cups lettuce of your choice ((I use a cabbage slaw salad mix)); 1-2 small radish (sliced thin (optional)); 4 strawberries (sliced thin); 1 tbsp toasted sliced almonds; 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 1/4 teaspoon salt ((adjust to taste)); 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper ((adjust to taste)); 1 teaspoon honey dijon mustard

Summertime!! Like many of you, summer is my family’s favorite season! It means more road-trips, hiking, picnics and a ton of fresh, delicious and colorful salads. My husband and I have a salad for lunch almost everyday. Since we both prefer chicken as our protein, we get creative with seasonings, mix-ins and salad dressings to avoid monotony. Cajun Chicken Salad is one of our most loved salad.

Cajun Chicken Salad:

I start with grilling Cajun spice rubbed chicken, to toast those earthy spices. I use a cabbage spring mix for this salad, which provides a nice cool contrast to the Cajun seasoning. But, you can use any lettuce mix you like. I add toasted almond chips, which provide a nice crunch, and strawberries, which compliment and balance this salad with their sweetness. The chicken is so moist and flavorful that I don’t even use a salad dressing most of the time. But when I do, I like to have an Apple Cider-Honey Mustard Vinaigrette with it. This salad is perfect for any weather really, and the best part is, it’s Low-carb.

Cajun Spice Blend:

Cajun Cuisine, which is best known for it’s spicy and earthy flavor tones, is a regional cuisine from the southern part of Louisiana. The first time I had Cajun chicken was in New Orleans, the real deal. I fell in love immediately. It was more than a decade ago, when my husband was attending a conference in New Orleans, and I tagged along. I visited the flea market at the famous French market, where I bought my first Cajun Spice blend. I was so eager to try it, that the first thing I did when we returned home was to grill some chicken and shrimp using this spice blend. It was UNBELIEVABLY good. Based on the ingredients on that spice pack, I started putting together my own blend.

The spice mix that I put together, tasted authentic and most of all, I was able to adjust the heat level in the mix. When I make a new batch, I store it in an air-tight container, and keep it in my spice drawer, away from heat and light.

When I make it from scratch, here’s what I use:

1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
1 teaspoon Fennel Powder, crushed or powdered
1 teaspoon Cumin Powder
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
3/4 teaspoon Dried Thyme
1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
2 teaspoons Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

And, for days when I need short-cuts, here is a brand of Cajun Spice Blend that I really like: Frontier Organic Cajun Seasoning

It’s got the perfect balance of spices and heat for my family’s taste. It’s salt free, which I love, because I can customize it. I use 1 tablespoon of seasoning per pound of chicken. For fish and seafood, I would reduce that to 2 teaspoons per pound of meat.

Wet-Rub for the Chicken:

I make a quick and easy wet-rub for the chicken by combining olive oil, Cajun seasoning, salt and juice of lime. Rub the chicken and if I have time, I pop it in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes. If I am running short on time, I put it in the refrigerator while I prepare the salad and the dressing. That still gives it time to absorb the spice blend.

Cook it anyway you like: Oven, Skillet, Grill, Instant Pot

This Cajun chicken can be cooked in many ways; in the Oven, on an Outdoor grill, on the stove-top in a Skillet, or, in the Instant Pot, the electric pressure cooker. If you scroll down, the Instructions for each method are mentioned in the Recipe/Instruction card.

Baked chicken breasts are a terrific make-ahead entree that you can use throughout the week for sandwiches, salads, or even pair with a master Indian curry sauce or master pasta sauce to create a complete dish.

Customize this Chicken Salad Recipe

This salad is like a blank canvas! You can change the base of this salad to pretty much anything you like. Use your favorite kind of spring-mix. Add sliced peppers, granny smith apples, blueberries or cucumbers. Don’t like salads, no problem! Make a burger out of it! Melt some pepper jack cheese on the chicken, sandwich it between two toasted buns with mayo and honey-dijon, and enjoy a Grilled Cajun Chicken Burger!

Cajun Chicken Salad