Chicken Cabbage Salad

This Chicken Cabbage Salad recipe features grilled chicken and zucchini, crisp vegetables, and a homemade lemon dressing. Whip up this easy and delicious meal in just 20 minutes!

 

When the weather gets warmer, all I crave are salads! They’re an easy way to make a balanced meal with minimal effort. Plus, they’re so refreshing on hot days and won’t heat your kitchen!

I use cabbage as the base for this recipe because it’s hearty and holds up well in the fridge. This makes it ideal for meal prep, just like my Chopped Red Cabbage Kale Salad.

Chicken cabbage salad is also super versatile, so feel free to add whatever salad ingredients your family loves! To save time, you can use pre-shredded coleslaw mix or rotisserie chicken. There are tons of ways to make this recipe work for you!

How To Make Chicken Cabbage Salad

Grilled Chicken Ingredients

• Chicken breast — I like cabbage salad best with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Leftover rotisserie chicken is also a good time-saving option!  
• Olive oil — Extra virgin olive oil is my go-to, but any neutral oil will do.
• Seasonings — I’m using Italian seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

Cabbage Salad Ingredients

• Cabbage— You can either shred it fresh or use a pre-shredded coleslaw mix. I used red and green cabbage.
• Carrot — For a pop of color and a little sweetness.
• Onion — I like a mix of green and red onions for the different flavors.
• Zucchini — Sliced into a thick half-coin shape.

Salad Dressing Ingredients

• Lemon juice — Freshly squeezed juice always offers the best flavor. You can substitute it with fresh lime juice, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or rice wine vinegar instead.
• Olive oil — Opt for quality extra virgin olive oil with a good flavor.
• Crushed red pepper — Add as much or as little as you like.
• Seasonings — kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.

Optional: Dijon mustard is also a great ingredient to add to your salad dressing.

Instructions

Grill the chicken and zucchini:

• First, heat a grill or grill pan and brush it with olive oil.
• Cook the zucchini until it’s tender, but still crisp.
• Then, pat the chicken dry and evenly season both sides.
• Grill the chicken for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until it reaches 165°F.
• Allow the chicken to rest before slicing it for the cabbage salad.

Make the dressing:

• Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, and seasonings in a mason jar.
• Then, shake the jar until the dressing is well combined.
• Taste and adjust the seasonings, if necessary.

Assemble the salad:

• Add the salad ingredients to a large bowl.
• Then, drizzle it with salad dressing and toss it well.
• Top the cabbage salad with sliced chicken breast, and enjoy!

How to Store Leftovers

To Store: It’s best to store the cabbage salad, dressing, and chicken in separate containers. This will keep the salad fresh and crisp for up to 3 days in the fridge.

To Reheat: You can serve the leftover chicken cold or reheat it in the microwave. 

What To Serve with Chicken Cabbage Salad

Bread: This salad is even better with homemade garlic bread on the side.

Fries: I LOVE chicken cabbage salad with crispy air fryer sweet potato fries.

Soup: My zucchini summer soup recipe complements the salad flavors so well!

Veggies: Use the leftover vegetables to make cabbage steaks or zucchini casserole.

Recipe Variations

Swap the chicken: This salad is just as good with steak, sausage, or shrimp!

Seasonal veggies: Sub the zucchini with your favorite seasonal vegetables.

Toppings: I like to top my quick and easy chicken cabbage salad with sesame seeds, fresh herbs, or crispy onions for even more flavor.

Need to use up that extra cabbage? Try my Cabbage and Sausage or One Pan Chicken and Cabbage next! They’re both light on dishes and big on flavor!