Gluten-Free Paleo Crispy Chicken Summer Salad

Inspired by the best chef's salad in Phoenix at Ingo's Tasty Food.

Sep 12, 2023

A few years ago I lived across the street from Ingo’s Tasty Food and La Grande Orange in Phoenix.

I never tried Ingo’s until my last week in that townhouse when my roommates recommended it…

BIG mistake. I had it 3 times that week and missed out on a lot of eating pleasure (although, I’m sure my bank account thanked me).

Here’s what you need to get from Ingo’s if you go. My roommates Lindsay and Leslie taught me what the good good is, so this is all thanks to them:

The chef’s salad (it should be a romaine-based salad, with white beans, pickled red bell peppers, almonds, cheese, avocado, and dates) ADD CRISPY CHICKEN. Do not skip the crispy chicken. It makes the salad 10x better. One time I forgot to add it and I nearly cried. Also, the dates make this salad. Don’t omit.
Potato chips WITH SPICY AIOLI. You need the spicy aioli. The other two sauces just don’t cut it compared to this one. Ask for a spicy aioli side, they don’t automatically provide you with it.

That’s it. That’s what I get. Just don’t forget the crispy chicken or the spicy aioli or sadly, you likely will be disappointed.

Now that I live hundreds of miles away from Ingo’s, I have to get this salad fix at home.

That’s where this creation came from. Using a rendition of all of the components that Ingo’s adds, this is my version (Erin’s Version 💁🏼‍♀️).

The only thing I’m uncertain about is the type of dressing Ingo’s uses. It’s a light vinaigrette of some sort so I did my best to make something light and easy!

The chicken I make is a paleo air fryer crispy chicken. You could totally use store-bought fried chicken or make actual fried chicken if you prefer. This is my healthier creation, but I would absolutely splurge on a homemade crispy fried chicken from time to time.

I like to prep all of these ingredients and store them cut up separately so I can put together a salad whenever I want, keeping the romaine separate so it stays fresh and crisp.

This is one of the more time-consuming recipes on my blog so far because of the homemade crispy chicken, but it’s absolutely worth it in my opinion.

Gluten-Free Healthier Crispy Chicken Salad Recipe

You’ll need to make the crispy chicken, make the salad dressing, and prep the rest of the salad ingredients.

Crispy Chicken Salad Recipe:

Ingredients:

The below measurements are for a single salad.

For the salad:

2 cups romaine, thinly chopped in ¼ inch size pieces
2 tablespoons chopped Mama Lil’s picked red bell peppers (see notes)
1 ½ pitted dates, finely diced
2 tablespoons Marcona almonds, chopped (see notes)
¼ cup Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
½ small avocado, diced
A handful of manchego cheese (or omit for dairy-free. More times than not I omit.)
1-2 pieces paleo air fryer crispy chicken
3-4 tablespoons Simple Herb Vinaigrette (recipe above)

For the Simple Herb Vinaigrette Dressing:

½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup white wine vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons honey
3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 ¼ teaspoons garlic powder
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
1 ½ teaspoons dried parsley
1 ½ teaspoons salt
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper

What To Do:

Mix all dressing ingredients in a Tupperware or Mason jar with their lids on. Stir or shake until combined. Use right away and store extra in the fridge, shaking well before use.
Cut the chicken into bite size pieces.
Toss together all salad ingredients. Drizzle with salad dressing.
Enjoy!

Notes:

Mama Lil’s Substitute: Mama Lil’s is what Ingo’s actually uses and so do I. They’re great. If you don’t want to buy these, just use any pickled red bell peppers or red bell peppers, diced. Regular will just be missing a little zing from being pickled. You could also pickle some bell peppers yourself.
Marcona Almonds Substitute: I find Marcona Almonds at Trader Joe’s. If you can’t find them, just use roasted, salted almonds, or omit — though the almonds do add your crunchy element to the salad.

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