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Black Pepper Pretzel Chicken and Avocado Bacon Salad. Chicken fingers with a black pepper rub, breaded in salty pretzel crumbs, oven baked, and tossed together with fresh greens, avocado, and crispy bacon. Add a creamy basil pesto dressing and cubes of spicy cheddar cheese to make this perfect! It’s simple to toss together and even more delicious than you can imagine. It’s that salty peppery pretzel chicken with that creamy basil dressing. Oh, and the spicy cheese. It all just hits so well.
This salad!! I’m so excited to share it! It’s finally the time of year when we can all visualize the road to summertime, it’s so close. Yes, it did snow here all weekend long, but I have confidence that in less than two months’ time, the grass will be green, our flowers will be blooming and summer will very much be upon us all!!
I’m so excited, ever since coming back from Miami where it was 80 degrees, I’ve been craving nothing but summer weather and fun summer food, like this salad.
This is my “snack bar” salad. The crusted chicken and creamy dressing, with both bacon and avocado, remind me of pool days in the sun. I would order the yummiest salads for lunch from the snack bar. Or if I was really lucky, at the club restaurant with my Nonnie.
Growing up my grandparents belonged to the local yacht club in our town. My brothers and I spent many summers at that pool. My Nonnie would often take me to lunch at their clubhouse restaurant. If I wasn’t ordering the chicken fingers and fries, grilled cheese, or club sandwich, I was ordering their breaded chicken salad.
I can’t fully remember what was on the salad other than breaded chicken and creamy dressing, but I just remember it being extra yummy. So this is my take on that salad. I think my pretzel crust chicken variation is even better.
The details
Start with the chicken. Finely crush the pretzels into crumbs and mix with my black pepper rub: smoked paprika, chili powder, black pepper, and salt.
Dip the chicken through beaten eggs, then through the peppery crumbs. Drizzle each piece with oil – the key to crispy oven-baked chicken, then bake.
For the dressing, I started out with a lighter pesto vinaigrette, but in the end, it just wasn’t doing it for me. I quickly consulted with my oldest brother Creighton, who loves dressings. He agreed, creamy all the way,
So I made a simple creamy pesto dressing with mayo, basil pesto, lemon, honey, and sea salt. So yummy, this was the right move.
Now toss the salad and fresh greens. I’m a big fan of shredded romaine topped with micro arugula and a mix of herbs, cilantro, and basil.
Then add the dressing and toss, toss, toss. Next, add the bacon, avocado, and my secret – cubes of spicy cheddar cheese. I grab mine at Whole Foods, it’s labeled Rattlesnake Cheddar and I’m obsessed with it.
I love to serve this with a side of sweet potato fries for a fun lunch or dinner. So great for these spring, and soon summer, months ahead!
Looking for other spring salad recipes? Here are some of my favorites:
Pesto Chicken Avocado Orzo Salad
Sesame Ginger Orange Chicken Salad
Pesto Chicken Caesar Salad with Tomatoes and Burrata
Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Chickpea Salad
Lastly, if you make this Black Pepper Pretzel Chicken and Avocado Bacon Salad be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Black Pepper Pretzel Chicken and Avocado Bacon Salad
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 650 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 pound boneless chicken tenders
- 2 cups salted pretzel twists, finely crushed
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- kosher salt
- extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 6 cups mixed greens
- 1/3 cup chopped pickles and or pepperoncini
- 1 cup cubed spicy cheddar cheese
- 1-2 avocados, sliced
- 4 slices cooked thick-cut bacon, crumbled
Creamy Basil Dressing
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 3-4 tablespoons basil pesto
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons honey
- chili flakes
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.2. In a bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Combine the pretzels, chili powder, pepper, paprika, and salt in a bowl. 3. Dredge the chicken through the crumbs, pressing to adhere. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.4. To make the salad. Combine the greens, cheese, pickles/pepperoncini, avocados, and bacon in a salad bowl.5. To make the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and whisk until smooth. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.6. Toss the chicken in with the salad. Add a little of the dressing. Enjoy!
Holy BLEEP this was fantastic!!!! The dressing… the chicken… the pickles OMG. I added tomato since we had some. And I doubled the dressing and added some olive oil to thin it out. It was soooooo good. My new fave HBH recipe and new fave hearty salad from any recipe ever. 10000000/10
Hey Nicole,
LOL awesome! I love to hear that this salad turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and your comment! xT
Well this was so delicious. Definitely will be making it again and maybe a few more times after that. We didn’t havw mayo so I just used greek yogurt but wow this whole salad was so good. I’ve sent it to 4 different people who’ve asked for the recipe so if you want a winner, make this.
Hi Sarah,
Thanks a lot for trying this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well! Happy Saturday! Xx
I can ALWAYS pull out a HBH recipe for a last minute dinner with friends, and it’s amazing. We LOVED this. My husband has made me put this pretzel chicken on just about everything lately 🤍
Hi there,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thank you so much for giving it a try! Have a great weekend:) xx
Teighan this salad is too good!!! I swear I’ve made it weekly since you posted this. I can’t get enough!!!
Hi Sarah,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thank you so much for giving it a try! Have a great weekend:) xx
So let me begin by saying this salad is FIIIIRE! I made it for my big family and everyone was going on and on about how delicious it was. Every little detail about this recipe is so well thought out. From the peperoncini to the pretzel crust on the chicken- don’t even get me started on the dressing. This is my new favorite salad. 10/10 would recommend!
Hi Sarah,
Happy Friday!!🫐🍓 I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for your comment and making it! xT
Well! This is going on regular rotation!!
Lol love to hear this Valerie!! Thanks so much for making this salad and sharing your feedback! Happy Friday! xT
Hello! What are some substitutes I can use for the mayo in the dressing?
Hi Emily,
You could use greek yogurt, that would work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
This was delicious! We might make it with a little more kick next time. Also added some corn to the salad. I’d make this chicken even without the salad!
Hi MaryHelen,
Happy Monday!!😎 I appreciate you making this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
This was delicious! But I did alter it because I didn’t have all of the ingredients that I thought I did. 🤦🏼♀️
I used cooked chicken that I already had in the fridge and tossed in some crunched up Trader Joes pretzel slims.
I thought I had regular pesto but didn’t 🙁
But I did have TJ’s red pepper and almond pesto so I used that in the dressing. Gave it an amazing pop!
Finally, only had spinach so I used that.
The flavors popped and it was pretty easy! Thanks for another great recipe!!
Hi Tami,
Happy Monday!!😎 I appreciate you making this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear that it turned out well for you! xT