Chicken Quinoa Salad

3.75 from 27 votes

Chicken quinoa salad is a fresh, filling, gluten-free meal made with Italian-seasoned baked chicken, hearty black beans, crisp vegetables, and a bright homemade lemon dressing. Everything comes together from scratch in just 30 minutes. It holds up beautifully in the fridge for up to 4 days, making it one of the best meal-prep recipes on this blog.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken quinoa salad, quinoa, quinoa salad

Servings: people

Author: Olivia Ribas

Ingredients

For the Chicken

4 small free-range organic chicken breasts
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
Salt and pepper

For the Quinoa

1 cup quinoa well-rinsed
2 cups water
Salt and pepper

For the Dressing

2 tablespoons lemon juice fresh squeezed
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper

For the Salad

¼ cup red onion chopped
1 cup cucumber chopped
1 cup red bell pepper chopped
1 cup black beans cooked
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400ºF.
In a medium glass bowl, add chicken and olive oil. Mix well. Add spices and toss everything together, then set aside. Place chicken on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Roast for approximately 15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Let it cool down and slice before serving.
In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and add quinoa. Cover the saucepan with a lid and let it cook for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat, uncover, fluff with a fork, and set aside to cool for at least 5 minutes.
In a mason jar or small bowl, pour the freshly squeezed lemon juice and olive oil. Add salt and pepper and whisk everything.
In a large bowl, add cooked quinoa, red onions, cucumber, red bell pepper and black beans. Stir really well. Pour the dressing on top and mix everything again. Taste and adjust the seasoning if you think it's necessary. Garnish with fresh parsley if you prefer. Serve immediately with sliced chicken and enjoy!
Meal prep: Place an even amount of chicken quinoa salad into 4 glass containers. Cover with a lid, and place in the fridge for up 4 days. You can also store your salad in one, large container if desired.

Video

Notes

To store: Tightly wrap the salad, once cooled, and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. Without the chicken, the salad base will keep for an extra day or two.

To reheat: This salad is best served cold or at room temperature. If you prefer warm chicken, reheat the sliced chicken separately in the microwave for 60 to 90 seconds before adding to the cold salad.

To freeze: Tightly wrap and freeze the cooked chicken and cooked quinoa separately for up to 3 months. Do not freeze the fully assembled salad as the fresh vegetables become mushy when thawed.

Nutrition