Quinoa Salad with Chicken for Weight Loss | Quinoa Chicken Salad with Olive Oil Dressing

Quinoa is loaded with all the good things that you must consume for your healthy body; this quinoa salad with chicken is one level up with high protein & loads of fiber and your body & soul will thank you for it!

Quinoa is one of the staples in my meal plans. I have started including this whole grain into my healthy diet a couple of years back and since then there is no looking back.

Quinoa is a new entrant in the Indian kitchens and thanks to its many health benefits, it has quickly become popular among fitness enthusiasts like me!

If you also are looking for different ways of cooking and enjoying quinoa, you have arrived at the right page! I know it can be a bit confusing when you first start with this grain.

To have a great quinoa dish, you first need to make sure you are cooking the quinoa right – fluffy & non-sticky. But unfortunately, cooking quinoa is not something that we can learn to cook from our moms!

But don’t worry! Here you will get to know the perfect step-by-step process of how to cook the quinoa perfectly!

What is new in my quinoa salad with chicken?

I had shared a creamy no-mayo chicken quinoa salad a few months ago which was made with a yogurt based salad dressing.

So of course I have to offer something new this time for you all! And hence comes my quinoa salad with chicken which is infused with a simple yet immensely flavorful dressing.

You just need 4 ingredients to make this very basic salad dressing and I am sure you already have used this dressing in many of your salads if you are a pro-salad lover like me!

All you need is a good quality extra virgin olive oil which is the key flavor base of this quinoa salad with chicken. Then add a good drizzle of fresh lemon juice topping it off with salt & pepper!

Give the dressing a good whisk and voila! You have got your beautiful refreshing salad dressing that’s perfect for any summer salad!

You can use a mason jar too to shake up this easy dressing and use as much or as little as you prefer, saving up the rest for later use!

Ingredients for quinoa salad with chicken

Quinoa: This whole grain is the showstopper of this quinoa salad with chicken! Use a good quality quinoa to make a scrumptious bowl of quinoa salad and you will thank yourself for it!

Cooking quinoa is always listed under my meal prep tasks over the weekend where I boil about a cup of quinoa which lasts me a good 5 meals without starting to smell funny!

The brand of quinoa I have been using for the past 2 years is True Elements, but there are also alternative brands that are equally good!

Chicken: To make a wholesome salad, you will need a good source of protein which would not add tons of fats and that’s where air fryer chicken breast comes to your rescue!

I absolutely love a juicy & tender chicken breast that comes out freshly baked from my trusty air fryer and it makes its way to at least 75% of my meals (Yes, chicken breasts are not boring & dry if not overcooked!)

Veggies: To keep things simple and let the quinoa & chicken shine out in this quinoa salad with chicken, the veggies I used here are minimal!

The salad trio i.e. cucumber, tomatoes and onion get their place in this high protein salad to complete the fiber requirement in this balanced meal!

Just to make it exciting, I used cute little cherry tomatoes instead of regular tomatoes, but by all means you can use regular ones!

Spices: To spice up my chicken breast, I added chilli powder & my holy grail Italian seasoning as these duo creates an insanely delicious combination!

I keep getting asked what Italian seasoning is! Food Network has a detailed page explaining this handy spice mix and how you can make it on your own!

Aromatics: This salad itself doesn’t need a lot of aromatics as the main magic is imparted by the simple yet powerful salad dressing.

However, you will need to add flavors to your air fryer chicken breast which in turn will infuse your quinoa salad with that beautiful flavor.

But you need not complicate things too much – just a dash of garlic powder will do the trick! You can also add onion powder if you feel like it!

Seasoning: You will need to season your quinoa salad with chicken in two layers – first in the spice rub for chicken breast and secondly in the salad dressing.

How to cook quinoa perfectly?

First, take a cup of quinoa in a large strainer and wash it under running water. This will ensure the bitterness in quinoa is gone.

Then let it rest over a bowl to let the excess water drip off. Now toast the quinoa in a teaspoon of olive oil or ghee in a saucepan for just a couple of minutes.

Then add 2 cups of water to the saucepan and bring it to full boil. Cover the saucepan with a lid, reduce the flame to lowest and let the quinoa boil until all the water is absorbed.

It would take about 15 minutes; once the quinoa is cooked, there will be no water left in the pan. Fluff up the quinoa using a fork and switch off the flame.

Cover the saucepan with the lid and let it sit for another 10 minutes or so to allow any moisture to soak up and you are left with fluffy & perfectly cooked quinoa ready to be used in any recipe!

How to make quinoa salad with chicken?

Step 1: First prepare the chicken breast for air frying by marinating it with olive oil, garlic powder, chilli powder or paprika, Italian seasoning and salt & pepper to taste.

Step 2: Massage the spices & seasoning on both sides of the chicken breast to coat it really nicely.

Step 3: Once you are happy, air fry the chicken breast at 190 C for 10 minutes flipping once halfway through.

Pro tip: Check out my air fryer chicken breast video for a step by step recipe!

Step 4: While the chicken is being air fried, prepare the salad dressing by whisking vigorously all the 4 dressing ingredients – olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper.

Step 5: Also cut the cucumber into bite sized pieces, halve the cherry tomatoes and finely chop the onion.

Step 6: Get the chicken breast out of the air fryer once done and chop it into bite-sized pieces too.

Step 7: Now it’s time to assemble the quinoa salad with chicken! In a large mixing bowl, add cooked quinoa, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, onion and chopped chicken breast.

Step 8: Give your prepared salad dressing a nice shake and drizzle half of it over the salad. Using a pair of salad mixers, give the quinoa salad with chicken a good toss.

Step 9: Do a taste test after mixing for a while and add the remaining salad dressing based on your preference. Give a thorough mix!

Pro tip: I used the entire salad dressing for the quantity of salad ingredients mentioned here in this recipe.

Step 10: Now that you are happy with the mixing of your quinoa salad with chicken, cover the bowl with a plastic wrap or a plate.

Step 11: Let it sit for about 30 minutes to allow quinoa, chicken and other ingredients to soak up all the flavors of the salad dressing.

Step 12: Finally serve the quinoa salad with chicken and veggies at room temperature or maybe slightly cold! Enjoy!

More Weight Loss Recipes from Flavor Quotient

• Tandoori Chicken Thighs in Air Fryer
• High Protein Chicken and Veggie Traybake
• High Protein Chicken Salad Sourdough Sandwich