Marry Me Chicken Salad
A viral chopped salad with rotisserie chicken, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, shaved Parmesan, and a creamy Calabrian chili dressing. Ready in 25 minutes and good enough to make every week.
Ingredients
Salad
- 3 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded (about 1 lb rotisserie chicken)
- 1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped (about 8 cups)
- 1½ cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup julienne-cut sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained (reserve the oil)
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for topping
- ⅓ cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
- Flaky salt and cracked black pepper
Dressing
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise (or plain full-fat Greek yogurt)
- 3 tbsp reserved sun-dried tomato oil
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grate
- 2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, very finely chopped
- 1 to 2 tsp Calabrian chili paste
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop or shred the rotisserie chicken into bite-size pieces and set aside.
- Wash and dry the romaine well, then chop into half-inch ribbons. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Drain the sun-dried tomatoes and save the oil. Stack and thinly slice the basil. Slice the red onion thin.
- Whisk together the mayo, reserved sun-dried tomato oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, grated Parmesan, grated garlic, finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, Calabrian chili paste, and Dijon until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Add a teaspoon of water to loosen if needed.
- Add the romaine to a large bowl. Layer the chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, red onion, half the basil, and half the Parmesan on top.
- Pour three-quarters of the dressing over the salad and toss until evenly coated. Add more dressing to taste.
- Top with remaining Parmesan, basil, and a drizzle of reserved sun-dried tomato oil. Serve immediately.
Notes
- For a lighter version, swap the mayo for plain full-fat Greek yogurt one-to-one. Calories drop to about 460 per serving.
- No Calabrian chili paste? Use Trader Joe's Italian Bomba Sauce, sambal oelek, or ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes per teaspoon of paste.
- Make-ahead: store all components separately in the fridge for up to 4 days. Toss with dressing right before serving.
- The dressing alone keeps in a sealed jar for up to 5 days refrigerated.