We have a friendly competition in our house when it comes to who makes the crispiest chicken cutlets. With each of us claiming to make “the best”.
And we like using crispy chicken in lots of different ways like layered in a sandwich with vodka sauce (!).
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What follows is one of these ways: the result from a big fridge raid in an on-the-fly, main course salad recipe with chicken cutlets (also sometimes called chicken Milanese).
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A clean-out-the fridge salad
Rummaging through the fridge (at least ours) results in lots of half-eaten veggies and open condiment and pickled veggie jars. Sometimes they’re even within expiration. From my experience, a successful main course salad requires a balance of flavor, texture, and…color. We eat with our eyes, right?
On this occasion, we scored big in all the categories and I wouldn’t change a thing because the crunchy, savory and tangy components in this salad were that good. Here’s where we ended up:
- Crunchy. Cucumbers and celery.
- Sweet heat. Peppadew peppers.
- Richness. Slightly undercooked hardboiled egg and some optional sharp Cotswold cheese.
- Fresh. Cherry or grape tomatoes
- Tangy. And finally, some quick 10 minute pickled red onions. I love to keep a jar of these on hand because they add so much to pizza or sandwiches.
- Creamy. Using my Italian ranch dressing recipe for inspiration, I quickly made a creamy ranch dressing that seriously rivals the famous one with the green and white label.
Step by step for a chicken cutlet salad
In addition to starting with some cold, leftover chicken cutlets, mix up a batch of creamy dill ranch dressing. Worse comes to worse? Use a really good quality store-bought.
Make the pickled red onions. Add thinly sliced red onions to a jar along with some black whole peppercorns, some sugar, and a healthy splash of white vinegar. Pour boiling water over everything in the jar until the onions are submerged. Let sit for about 10 minutes or until the onions become hot pink in color.
While the onions pickle, chop up your ingredients. That means halve the tomatoes, dice the cukes and celery and even mince up the peppadews.
Assemble the salad
- Slice the chicken cutlet on an angle and place in the center of the greens.
- Place a bunch of really crispy leafy greens in a large bowl.
- Surround chicken with clusters of the veggies and maybe some sharp cheddar.
- Tuck in halves of hard-boiled egg.
Optional: dill ranch dressing
Making simple salad dressings at home is kind of my super-power. And this creamy dill ranch might be one of my best. Post forthcoming but in the meantime, enjoy the sneak peak in the recipe card below!
It starts with a bit of Greek yogurt and mayo and lots of pantry spices. Fresh dill is a bonus if you have it on hand!
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Quick Chicken Cutlet Salad with Homemade Ranch Dressing
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Ingredients
For the pickled onions
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 Tablespoon whole peppercorns
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 2 Tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 cup boiling water, or enough to cover the onions
For the salad
- 2 prepared chicken cutlets
- 3 cups crispy green leaf lettuce, Boston, bibb, your choice
- ½ pint grape tomatoes, halved
- ⅓ English cucumber, diced small; about ⅔ cup
- 3 sticks celery, diced small; about ⅔ cup
- ½ cup peppadew peppers, can use cherry peppers; drained and diced
- 2 hardboiled eggs, prepared to your liking
For the ranch dressing (or use store-bought)
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup mayo, I use Duke's
- 1 ½ teaspoon dried dill, or 1 T fresh, minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- splash of milk
Instructions
Make the pickled onions
- Slice the onions super thin and then add them to a jar along with some whole peppercorns and about a tablespoon of sugar. Add a couple of tablespoons or a healthy splash of vinegar. Pour over hot water until the onions are submerged.Sit for 10 minutes. Refrigerate in a sealed container up to a week.½ red onion, 1 Tablespoon whole peppercorns, 1 Tablespoon sugar, 2 Tablespoons white vinegar, 1 cup boiling water
Assemble the salad
- Divide the greens between two bowls. Slice the chicken on an angle and center on the greens, fanning them out.3 cups crispy green leaf lettuce, 2 prepared chicken cutlets
- Chop the remaining veggies and place in clusters around the chicken. Halve the eggs.½ pint grape tomatoes, ⅓ English cucumber, 3 sticks celery, ½ cup peppadew peppers, 2 hardboiled eggs
Make the dressing
- In a medium bowl, whisk the mayo and yogurt together until combined. Whisk in the seasoning and dill.½ cup plain Greek yogurt, ½ cup mayo, 1 ½ teaspoon dried dill, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon garlic salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Add in a splash of milk or enough for your desired consistency. Whisk again until creamy. Taste and correct the seasoning to your taste.splash of milk
