Apple, Bacon & Pecan Salad with Garlic Balsamic Dressing

I don’t consider myself a salad person, but I am definitely a bacon person. This recipe sounded like a nice change of pace and the fresh produce made me feel a tad less guilty about the bacon. And the pecans and olive oils are healthy fats, right? Okay, I’m reaching but the ingredients for this salad sounded tasty, so I had to give it a whirl.

A yummy way to eat those greens! Add in a little smokey bacon, some sweet crisp apple and a yummy dressing!

Recipe Author: Lauren at Lauren’s Latest
Get the recipe

The Ingredients

I had everything but the produce and chicken on hand, and the ingredients I needed were easy to find and reasonably priced. I was even able to find pecan pieces, so no chopping required. All I had to do was toast them in my toaster oven with the dial set between 2 and 3 and let them cool.

Definitely try to find a Fuji apple. They are sweet and crisp without being too tart, and the peel didn’t have a bitter taste.

Apple, Bacon & Pecan Salad With Garlic Balsamic Dressing Ingredients
Red leaf lettuce, Fuji apple, chicken, bacon, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard, and spices

The Process

I made a cumin-based spice rub for the chicken (recipe follows) and cooked it in a skillet with some olive oil (20 minutes total, turning a few times). I let the chicken cool for about 10 minutes, then I popped it into the refrigerator to await topping my salad. The time I spent slicing the chicken is included in the salad prep time. Everything was completed in 10 minutes.

There isn’t any special equipment needed for this recipe (always a bonus), but an apple corer is nice to have and makes preparing the apples very fast. I used a cocktail shaker for the salad dressing. It was more effective than whisking and less clean up than my mini-prep blender.

Toasted Cumin and Black Pepper Rub

Toasted Cumin and Black Pepper Rub

The Hungry Pinner
This toasted spice rub is an easy way to add flavor to beef and chicken. Make up a batch, and keep it in a sealed container so it's handy for quick dinners.
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • ¼ cup Cumin Seeds
  • 2 tbsp Dried Oregano
  • 1 tbsp Black Peppercorns
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp sugar

Instructions
 

Stove-top Method

  • Add all ingredients to a skillet and toast on medium for about 2 minutes, stirring from time to time so the spices cook evenly. Spices should darken and become aromatic when ready.
  • Allow to cool, then grind in a spice grinder. makes enough rub for 4 chicken breast quarters.

Toaster Oven Method

  • Add all ingredients to a rimmed tray that will fir into the toaster oven. Set dial between 2 and 3, and toast. Spices should darken and become aromatic when ready.
  • Allow to cool, then grind in a spice grinder. makes enough rub for 4 chicken breast quarters.

Notes

Adapted from The National Chicken Council

So how was it?

Clear & Accurate Directions
Accurate Time(s)
Appearance
Taste
This salad was an awesome combo of flavors. The savory chicken and pecans, slightly spicy mustard, tangy vinegar, smokey and salty bacon, and sweet apples worked so well together. I'm not a salad person and my husband is. We both loved this recipe, and Apple, Bacon & Pecan Salad with Garlic Balsamic Dressing will become a regular on our table. Bonus: I can see making this salad without the chicken to accompany another main course.
The Hungry Pinner
The Hungry Pinnerhttps://www.hungrypinner.com
I'm Candice, and I'm The Hungry Pinner. I created this blog to share my love for cooking and my experiences with the MANY recipes I've found on Pinterest over the years. Join me as I blog my way through those recipes to find out if they are worth trying yourself.

Popular

This post may contain affiliate links to products available to purchase through Amazon. These purchases earn a small commission that funds The Hungry Pinner. There is never any additional cost to you.

More Recipes Like This

3 COMMENTS

  1. Hi, I like your article. I recently completed an Blog Post on storing gammon. I love to make my own meat for Christmas!. I will be making a basic ice cream to go with it. The kids will be off school and I am positive they are going to love it.

LEAVE A REPLY

Comments are welcome! Please be aware that all comments are reviewed before they are posted and will not appear immediately.

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This salad was an awesome combo of flavors. The savory chicken and pecans, slightly spicy mustard, tangy vinegar, smokey and salty bacon, and sweet apples worked so well together. I'm not a salad person and my husband is. We both loved this recipe, and Apple, Bacon & Pecan Salad with Garlic Balsamic Dressing will become a regular on our table. Bonus: I can see making this salad without the chicken to accompany another main course. Apple, Bacon & Pecan Salad with Garlic Balsamic Dressing