Chicken & Broccoli
Salad
A hearty, protein-packed salad that works as a complete meal. Tender seasoned chicken, crisp broccoli, sweet grapes, crispy turkey bacon, and toasted sunflower seeds tossed in a tangy Greek yogurt dressing. Make it ahead and let it chill — it gets better as it sits.
- Salad
- 1.5 lb chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 head broccoli, chopped into small florets
- ½ cup red grapes, halved
- ½ cup purple onion, finely chopped
- ⅛ cup sunflower seeds, toasted
- 4 slices turkey bacon, cooked crispy & crumbled
- Chicken Seasoning
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- Greek Yogurt Dressing
- 1 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 packet Splenda or sweetener of choice
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
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1
Cook the turkey bacon & toast the seeds
Cook the turkey bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat for 3 minutes per side until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel to drain, then crumble. In the same pan over medium heat, toast the sunflower seeds for 1–2 minutes until golden and fragrant. Set both aside to cool.
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2
Season & cook the chicken
Toss the chicken pieces with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Heat the same skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cooked through to 165°F. Set aside to cool slightly — adding hot chicken to the salad will wilt everything.
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3
Make the dressing
In a small bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, red wine vinegar, Splenda, salt, and pepper until smooth. Taste and adjust — the grapes will add natural sweetness to the finished salad so the dressing should be pleasantly tangy.
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4
Combine
In a large bowl, combine the broccoli, halved grapes, red onion, crumbled turkey bacon, and cooled chicken. Pour the dressing over the top and toss well to coat everything evenly. Add the toasted sunflower seeds and toss once more.
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5
Chill & serve
Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. This chill time is important — the broccoli softens slightly, the flavors meld, and the dressing thickens into a proper coating. Give it one final toss before serving cold.
- Let the chicken cool before mixing: Adding hot chicken directly to the salad will wilt the broccoli and make the dressing runny. Give it 10 minutes on the counter first.
- The grapes do the sweetening: One packet of Splenda is all you need in the dressing — the halved grapes bring plenty of natural sweetness to every bite without the dressing tasting artificially sweet.
- Use the same pan for everything: Cook the bacon first, toast the seeds in the residual fat, then cook the chicken. One pan, less cleanup, and the chicken picks up extra flavor from the pan.
- Make ahead champion: This salad keeps beautifully in the fridge for up to 3 days — the flavors actually improve overnight. Add the sunflower seeds fresh each day to keep them crunchy.
- Rotisserie shortcut: Skip cooking the chicken entirely and use shredded rotisserie chicken breast — just season it with a pinch of garlic powder and salt before adding to the salad.