Pan-Seared Chicken with Chopped Salad
Simply seasoned, pan-seared followed by a short roast in the oven, leaving you with a tender piece of chicken, golden brown and loaded with flavor. Top it with an extraordinary medley of color from the garden and you’ve got an unbelievable meal and that’s really easy!
Equipment
- Ovenproof large skillet or sauté pan
Ingredients
- For the chicken:
- 2 to 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- For the salad:
- 5 to 6 Romaine leaves, chopped
- 1 to 1-½ cups chopped broccoli
- 1 to 1-½ cups chopped cauliflower
- 1 to 1-½ cups chopped small tomatoes, about 8 to 10 tomatoes
- 1 to 1-½ cups chopped avocados, about 1 to 2 large avocados
- 1 to 1-½ cups chopped cucumbers
- ½ to ¾ cup chopped red onion
- 1 to 1-½ cups chopped mushrooms, about 6 to 8 mushrooms
- ½ to ¾ cup chopped red bell pepper
- ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
- 4 to 5 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
- Your favorite dressing for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350-degrees.
- For the chicken:
- Coat both sides of the chicken with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Generously sprinkle each piece with the kosher salt and pepper on both sides.
- Place the chicken breasts between double sheets of waxed paper. Set them on a large sturdy surface and using a flat mallet pound the chicken until each piece of chicken is even and about ½” thick.
- Let the chicken rest for about 15 minutes before cooking.
- Warm the remaining olive oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat.
- Sear the chicken until golden on each side, about 5 minutes per side. Finish cooking the chicken in a 350-degree oven for an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and cover the chicken with foil. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes while you make the salad.
- For the salad:
- Place the chopped romaine in a large serving bowl along with the chopped vegetables and the crumbled blue cheese. Add the salad dressing and toss to mix well.
- To serve:
- Place a whole chicken breast or slices of the chicken on a serving plate and top with a generous amount of the chopped salad. Garnish with a sliced hard-boiled egg. You can also slice or chop the chicken and serve it on top of the salad or toss it into the salad.
Notes
Many packaged boneless chicken breasts are three to a pack, so serve three with a whole chicken breast or slice the chicken and portion out to serve 4.
You can toss everything in a large bowl or spread things out on a platter and let your guests customize their own plate. The ingredients for the salad can certainly be tweaked to suit your taste.