Halloumi and Crispy Chicken Salad

How does one even explain halloumi cheese? This salad is filled with warm, crispy halloumi cheese and air fried breaded chicken. It’s the perfect throw together dinner after a busy work day.

When I traveled to DC we discovered Nando’s, a chicken joint that they do not have in New Jersey. I got this amazing salad with chicken, corn and this unique cheese. I could not for the life of me figure out what it was or where to find it.

I went grocery shopping one day and stumbled upon halloumi cheese in the produce section. The picture on the wrapper looked exactly like the cheese on that salad, I knew that I had to get it. I also knew that I had my Just Bare Chicken Breast Chunks at home so I would be able to create a delicious salad.

Ingredients for the Halloumi and Crispy Chicken Salad:

• Just Bare Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast Chunks: You can find these at the frozen section of the grocery store, I get them at my Costco! If you do not have a Costco membership I’m not sure what you’re waiting for!
• Halloumi Cheese: The star of the dish, I find this by all of the other cheeses in the produce section of the grocery story. Here is the brand that I used.
• Chopped Romaine Lettuce: I buy the heads of romaine lettuce, chop them finely, and clean them! These are so much better, more fresh, and crunchy… don’t buy the bagged I promise!
• Arugula: I like arugula enough to be able to add it to my salad, but I do not want to have a salad of only arugula, so I combine romaine and arugula, it’s perfect! 
• Lite Goddess Dressing: This is my favorite dressing, it is a vinaigrette so not too creamy but semi creamy at the same time.. If that makes sense. It also has apple cider vinegar in it so it has a great tang! I highly recommend finding this!

So there is not too much when it comes to putting this all together but let’s walk through it together.

How to construct the halloumi and crispy chicken salad:

1. First and foremost chop up your romaine lettuce, don’t buy the soggy bagged romaine! I clean about two heads of lettuce to last me for a few days. Use a salad spinner to make sure it’s nice and dry, I will link the one I have here.
2. Once the lettuce is all cleaned and dry, add the desired amount into a bowl, top with arugula and set aside.
3. Now is the time to air fry the chicken, take out a serving or the desired amount, and air fry it at 400 for 10 minutes. In 5 minutes you can go ahead and shake it up if you would like.
4. While the chicken is air frying, slice up one serving of halloumi cheese into tiny rectangles. Place it on a small frying pan and crisp both sides over medium heat. About 3 minutes each side.
5. Chop up the chicken when it is done cooking and fully crispy.
6. In a large salad bowl add a few handfuls of romaine and top it off with some arugula. Top the lettuce with the chicken and cheese.
7. Drizzle on the dressing and enjoy!

7 steps to make a salad, but I swear it is easy. Just requires a small amount of cooking. I would not recommend making the cheese too long before eating the salad otherwise it gets pretty hard. The only real prep you can do for this meal is to clean the lettuce! You will want the chicken and cheese as fresh as possible to yield the tastiest salad.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Halloumi Cheese?

It is a semi hard cheese with a flexible texture but it stays together while cooking, so you can warm it and it will not melt all over the place which makes it perfect for this salad.

What is special about Halloumi Cheese?

It originated in Cyprus, and has a unique tangy flavor. I think it tastes like a mix of mozzarella cheese and feta, and it is great to top on salads because you can grill it and it keeps its shape! The perfect topper.

Can you eat raw Halloumi Cheese?

It can be eaten raw but I would recommend grilling it and sautéing it to get the full experience of its delicious and unique flavor.

Where can you find Just Bare Lightly Breaded Chicken Bread Chunks?

I found these at Costco, the bag is huge, don’t shy away, I am the only one who eats these in my house because my mom is a vegetarian. Seriously, anything you can add these too will make it 10x better.

How many calories are in the halloumi and crispy chicken salad?

If you use the same amount of the ingredients as I do there are 280 calories in this salad. If you track macros there are 10 grams of carbs, 17 grams of fat, and 22.5 grams of protein. 

How do you find the nutrition information for halloumi and crispy chicken salad?

Search HNFit Halloumi and Crispy Chicken Salad in My Fitness Pal and the entry will come up for easy logging. 

If you make this please tag me on Instagram @haleynicolefit and post a picture or leave a review down below!

Other recipes you will like:

• BBQ Grilled Chicken Bowl
• Greek Bowl
• Healthy Chicken and Broccoli
• Wonton Bowl