Chicken Quinoa Salad with Sriracha Dressing

This chicken quinoa salad is a fantastic healthy meal idea which, with a little preparation, can be put together in minutes. Enjoy it warm, cold, for lunch at home or at work.  You can quickly make grilled chicken to add to this salad or use chicken leftovers if you prefer.

This quick and easy, healthy chicken quinoa salad comes with a fiery, creamy sriracha dressing that’s low in fat and bursting with flavour.  Add freshly chopped spinach for even more goodness and almond flakes for a bit of sweet nutty crunch.

Why you will love this recipe

• I kept this quinoa chicken bowl recipe uncomplicated so you can add your own twist to this dish, such as serving it with more vegetables, for example.  Add cubed avocado, red pepper or cucumber or even roasted vegetables if you like.  You could also swap the almond flakes for sunflower seeds.
• If you cook the quinoa and make the dressing ahead this salad takes minutes to prepare.
• The salad itself can be made ahead and refrigerated for several hours so it’s a great lunchbox idea.

Quinoa is a super versatile salad ingredient, suitable to combine with lots of flavour combinations.  A while ago I posted an easy recipe for quinoa black bean salad, which also comes with and healthy, creamy dressing.  You might also like this citrusy orange quinoa beets salad or quinoa fruit salad.

What meat to use 

I used strips of grilled chicken breast but you can use steamed chicken as well as chicken dinner leftovers.  These can include both white as well as dark meats.  I often use the meat from chicken noodle soup in this kind of salad.  In fact this chicken quinoa recipe comes together even quicker if you use ready to eat chicken.  Simply combine with the other ingredients and serve!

This chicken and quinoa salad can be made ahead and refrigerated for several hours so it’s a great lunchbox idea.

Another recipe using leftover chicken you might also like is creamy lemon chicken potato bake.

How to make chicken quinoa salad

1.Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a bowl.

2. Blitz briefly with a hand blender for a smooth, creamy finish.

3. Combine the cooked quinoa with the spinach and cherry tomatoes. Add 1 tablespoon of oil, season to taste and stir. Set aside. If you are using ready-to-eat chicken add it into the bowl.

4. Cut each chicken breast into 3-4 long strips, season and drizzle with a little oil. Heat up a griddle pan and grill the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side on a fairly high heat. Add to the salad or wait for the meat to cool first. Scatter the toasted almond flakes, drizzle a desired amount of the dressing over the salad and serve!

Top tips

• Use chicken leftovers, both white and dark meats, or grill the chicken as per Instructions
• Make the dressing ahead, store in a jar and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
• The dressing will be creamier if you use a and blender rather than just a spoon or fork to combine the ingredients.
• I recommend using baby spinach as it’s crispier and tastier than regular, mature spinach.
• You can cook the quinoa ahead, according to package instructions, and, once cooled, refrigerate it, covered, for up to 3 days.
• Herbs: I kept this recipe simple but you could serve it with chives or cilantro.
• Serve warm or cold.
• Not suitable for freezing.

You might also like

• Broccolini Salad with Quinoa & Papaya
• Romanesco Salad with Quinoa & Herbs
• Coronation Chicken Pineapple Salad

You might also enjoy this collection of 13 one-pot chicken recipes as well as 15 easy vegan salads.

Keep in touch!

Have you made quinoa and chicken salad with spinach? I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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Quick Chicken Quinoa Salad with Sriracha Dressing

This chicken quinoa salad is a fantastic healthy meal idea which, with a little preparation, can be put together in minutes. Enjoy it warm, cold, for lunch at home or at work.  You can quickly make grilled chicken to add to this salad or use chicken leftovers if you prefer.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: International, Low fat

Prep Time: 8 minutes

Cook Time: 6 minutes

Total Time: 14 minutes

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 443kcal

Author: Monika Dabrowski

Ingredients

• 400 g skinless chicken breast or chicken leftovers, see Notes below400 g skinless chicken breast or chicken leftovers, see Notes below
• 2 cups cooked quinoa2 cups cooked quinoa
• 50 g fresh spinach finely chopped50 g fresh spinach finely chopped
• 12 cherry tomatoes halved12 cherry tomatoes halved
• 5 tbsp almond flakes dry toasted5 tbsp almond flakes dry toasted

For the sriracha dressing

• 2 tbsp sriracha sauce2 tbsp sriracha sauce
• 4 tbsp good vegetable oil plus 1 tbsp to combine with the quinoa4 tbsp good vegetable oil plus 1 tbsp to combine with the quinoa
• 2 tbsp water2 tbsp water
• 3 tbsp thick yogurt/Skyr3 tbsp thick yogurt/Skyr
• 2.5 tbsp lemon juice2.5 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp maple syrup1 tsp maple syrup
• 1 small garlic finely chopped1 small garlic finely chopped
• 1/3 tsp onion granules1/3 tsp onion granules
• Fine sea salt to tasteFine sea salt to taste

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients and briefly blitzing the mixture using a hand blender until smooth and creamy.  Set aside.
• Combine the cooked quinoa, spinach and cherry tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of oil, season to taste and stir thoroughly.  Add the ready-to-eat chicken (if using) and stir.
• Cut the chicken breasts into 3-4 long strips each.  Season and brush with a little oil.  Heat up a griddle pan and grill the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side over a fairly high heat.  Chop and add into the salad or wait for it to cool first, then combine with the salad.
• Dry toast the almond flakes.  Drizzle a desired amount of the dressing over the salad, scatter the almond flakes and enjoy!

Notes

• Use chicken leftovers, both white and dark meats, or grill the chicken as per Instructions.
• Make the dressing ahead, store in a jar and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
• The dressing will be creamier if you use a and blender rather than just a spoon or fork to combine the ingredients.
• I recommend using baby spinach as it’s crispier and tastier than regular, mature spinach.
• You can cook the quinoa ahead, according to package instructions, and, once cooled, refrigerate it, covered, for up to 3 days.
• Herbs: I kept this recipe simple but you could serve it with chives or cilantro.
• Serve warm or cold.
• Not suitable for freezing.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 443kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 322mg | Potassium: 855mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1452IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 3mg

*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.

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