This flavorful and colorful Chicken Quinoa Salad is meal prep friendly loaded with veggie goodness! Shredded rotisserie chicken is paired with a medley of tomatoes, carrots, peppers, onion, black beans and kale and tossed with fluffy quinoa and the most flavorful dijon dressing.
I whipped up this chicken quinoa salad last week and I’m not even exaggerating when I say that I’m fully OBSESSED with it! I ate it for lunch (ok and once for breakfast because I couldn’t wait) 4 days in a row and already cannot wait to make it again.
I quickly snapped a few photos so I can share the deliciousness with you today!
Made with simple whole foods and loaded with flavor, this make ahead quinoa salad is ready to rock your plate and jump start those meal prep goals you had for the week.
It’s positively faceplantable and easy to customize with what vegetables you have on hand so empty out that crisper drawer and meet me in the kitchen!
Chicken Quinoa Salad
This is one of those everything-but-the-kitchen-sink type salads that help you empty the crisper and use up all your assorted veggies while they’re still fresh.
This rockin’ recipe yields approx. 8 cups of salad.
For some leafy green goodness I used a trio of kale, parsley, and green onion. If they’re the only thing you’re missing at the moment, the salad can 100% be made without them! The tomatoes, bell peppers, black beans, and red onion are enough veggie goodness to carry the salad if needed.
Have some right away and save the rest for easy lunches! It’s *fantastic* for meal prep and has quickly become my go-to lunch during the work week! You can also bring this baller veggie loaded salad to your next party or potluck for a healthy and shareable gluten-free option.
Chicken Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 1 ½ cups water
- 2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken
- 15 oz black beans (1 can) drained and rinsed
- 6 sweet mini peppers or 1 cup chopped bell pepper
- 2 roma tomatoes
- ½ cup grated carrot
- ¼ cup chopped red onion
- 1 cup chopped kale
- 3-4 TBSP chopped green onion and parsley (optional but tasty!)
LEMON DIJON DRESSING
- 3 TBSP fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 3 TBSP avocado oil
- 1 TBSP white wine vinegar
- ½ TBSP coarse ground mustard (like grey poupon country dijon)
- ¾ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper plus extra to taste
Instructions
COOK THE QUINOA
- Rinse and drain quinoa using a mesh strainer/sieve.
- Bring a small pot to medium-high heat and lightly toast the quinoa to remove any excess water, stirring often. This step is totally optional but adds to the nuttiness and fluff factor of the quinoa!
- Next add water, set burner to high heat, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered with the lid slightly ajar, for 13 minutes or until quinoa is fluffy and the liquid has been absorbed.
- Once the quinoa is ready, fluff with a fork and lightly season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a large bowl and place in the fridge for a few minutes to cool it down.
CHOP THE VEGGIES
- While the quinoa cooks, prep the vegetables. Chopping the vegetables in to small pieces will help you get a little bit of everything in each bite.
- Finely chop peppers, tomatoes, shredded carrots, red onion, kale, and optional parsley/green onion.
- Drain and rinse black beans.
MAKE THE DRESSING
- Add dressing ingredients to a small mason jar, top securely with the lid, then shake well to emulsify.
SALAD TIME!
- To the bowl with the quinoa add chopped rotisserie chicken, black beans, and veggies.
- Add half the dressing and mix well. Give it a taste and add as much of the remaining dressing as desired. Additional salt and pepper can be added to taste. This salad is super versatile if you'd like to add more of your favorite ingredients.
- I like to save a little of the dressing for jazzing up the meal prepped bowls before serving or you’re adding a lot of extras (like extra chicken to get more protein) simply add any additional dressing to taste and you’re good to go!
Notes
Nutrition
Meal Prep Quinoa Salad Tips and Tricks
If you’re new to quinoa I’m here to let you in on a little secret: it’s a meal prep super star! You can cook up a few cups of fluffy quinoa and keep it in the fridge to add to salads, chilis, soups, and grain bowls all week long. Plain quinoa is also freezer-friendly if you’d like to stock your freezer with this tasty grain.
Here are a few of my favorite dishes to use it in:
As for the salad itself, this chicken and veggie quinoa salad can easily prepped for up to 4 days worth of healthy lunches.
It tastes great both cold and at room temperature so serve it up your favorite way and get ready to marvel at how much of a little meal prep rockstar you are for making this salad for the week.
Quinoa doesn’t dry out like refrigerated rice does and though it’s wonderfully fluffy, it’s also sturdy enough to be able to hold its own when mixed with the chicken, veggies, and dressing.
Special Diets and Swaps
This tasty salad is gloriously gluten-free and dairy-free.
For a vegan and vegetarian version, simply skip the chicken! I also have a collection of tons of vegetarian quinoa salads that you can try. I am constantly dreaming up new ingredient combinations to pair with quinoa.
Q: Can I use bell peppers instead of mini peppers?
Absolutely! Bell peppers and sweet mini peppers are absolutely interchangeable. I like to add a variety of color to the dish so I cut up assorted mini peppers. You can opt for just one or two colors of bell pepper if needed. For some briney pickled pepper flavor you can even add in some chopped pickled banana peppers to the mix.
Q: What if I don’t have rotisserie chicken?
I used shredded rotisserie chicken that I picked up on the way home from the gym on a super busy day. If you like to meal prep chicken for the week, totally use that! Making the chicken fresh to add to your salad? That works too!
Q: What if I don’t have black beans?
No black beans? No problem! Chickpeas make a delicious swap and taste great with the rest of the ingredients.
If you have any other questions or if you you get a chance to try this recipe, let me know! Leave me a comment here (LOVE checking those daily!) or tag @PEASandCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your tasty salad bowls.
I made this for lunch and it was so good. Thank you so much for sharing!