Southern-Fried Chicken Salad

This is one of those dinners that feels a little more put together… but is still easy enough for a busy weeknight 💜
Crushed cereal gives the chicken that crispy, satisfying crunch — without the extra heaviness — and paired with a fresh, simple salad, it’s a meal that actually works in real life.

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 tsp each salt and coarsely ground black pepper, divided
• 4 cups corn flake cereal
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 2 1/2 tbsp canola oil
• 4 medium stalks celery
• 2 medium carrots, peeled
• 2 medium red apples such as Fuji
• 3 green onions with tops
• 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1/4 cup toasted pecan halves, coarsely chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Flatten chicken to 1/2-in. (1-cm) thickness using flat side of Meat Tenderizer. Season chicken with 1/4 tsp (1 mL) each of the salt and black pepper. Place half of the cereal into Manual Food Processor; cover and pump handle until finely chopped. Place cereal crumbs into first Coating Tray. Repeat with remaining cereal.
2. For dressing, combine yogurt, honey, mustard, vinegar and remaining 1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt and black pepper in Small Batter Bowl; whisk well. Pour 1/4 cup (50 mL) of the dressing into second Coating Tray; set aside remaining dressing. Dip chicken into dressing in Coating Tray; dredge in crumbs, pressing firmly to coat. (Discard any remaining dressing in Coating Tray.)
   
3. Heat oil in (12-in./30-cm) Skillet over medium heat 1–3 minutes or until shimmering. Cook chicken 4–6 minutes per side or until centers are no longer pink. Cut chicken into strips on clean Cutting Board.
   Air Fryer Option (my go-to 💜):
   Preheat air fryer to 375°F. Lightly spray coated chicken with oil and cook for 10–12 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and cooked through.
   
4. Meanwhile, slice celery using Chef’s Knife. Cut carrots into julienne strips using Julienne Peeler or the rapid prep mandoline. Cut strips into 1-in. (2.5-cm) pieces. Dice apples into 1/2-in. (1-cm) pieces. Thinly slice green onions. Combine celery, carrots, apples, green onions, lettuce and 2/3 cup (150 mL) of the remaining dressing in large Mixing Bowl; toss gently. Transfer salad to serving platter; top with chicken, remaining dressing and pecans, if desired.

✨ Melanie’s Tips to Make This Easier

💜 Skip the extra steps when you need to
Short on time? Use frozen chicken tenders or pre-cooked chicken instead of breading from scratch. It still works and still tastes great.

💜 Use the air fryer to make it even easier
Skip the skillet and use the air fryer instead — less mess and less hands-on time
While the chicken cooks, you can prep the rest of your ingredients (chop veggies, mix the dressing, etc.), so everything is ready at the same time.🙌

💜 Crush the cereal the easy way
Use a food chopper to quickly crush your cornflakes — it’s faster, more even, and keeps the mess contained.

💜 Prep once, use twice
Make extra chicken while you’re at it and use it for wraps or salads later in the week. One step now = easier dinners later 🙌

💜 Don’t overthink the veggies
No time to chop everything? Grab a bagged salad mix or pre-cut veggies and call it done. Dinner still counts 💜

💜 Make it work for your family
Skip the nuts if needed or swap for something you already have — sunflower seeds or even croutons work great for crunch.

💜 Shortcut the dressing
You can absolutely use a store-bought honey mustard if that’s what makes this doable on a busy night.

💜 This is a “build your own” kind of dinner
Serve everything separate and let everyone build their own bowl — less complaints, easier dinner 😉

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