More Chicken Salads
Chicken, Bacon & Broccolini Salad
Elevate your salad game with our irresistible Chicken, Bacon & Broccolini Salad featuring a rich blue cheese dressing. Succulent grilled chicken, savoury bacon, and broccolini mingle in a harmonious blend of tastes and textures. Whether it's a quick lunch or a hearty dinner, this recipe is a tasty way to enjoy a wholesome medley of ingredients.
Ingredients
- 400g chicken breast
- 6 rashes streaky bacon
- 1 bunch broccolini
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 2 heads of gem lettuce, torn
- 200g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4 tbsp blue cheese dressing
- A sprinkling of shaved pecorino or parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C.
- Lightly dress the chicken breast with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Lightly dress the broccolini in olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
- On two baking trays, spread out the chicken, bacon and broccolini.
- Cook in the hot oven for 20 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy and the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
- Once cool enough to handle, chop the chicken, bacon and broccolini into bite-sized pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss together the chicken, bacon, broccolini, tomatoes and gem lettuce with the blue cheese dressing.
- Divide across four plates, and sprinkle with shaved pecorino.
Notes
Depending on the thickness of your chicken breast, you may need to cook it an additional 5-10 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 452Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 115mgSodium: 695mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 8gSugar: 6gProtein: 45g
Please note, this nutrition information is to be used as a guide only. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
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Chicken, Bacon & Broccolini Salad Recipe
A Surprise Hello
Before we get into the brilliance of this chicken, bacon and broccolini salad, I have to tell you about the odd little joy life tossed my way. Out of the blue, I got a friend request on Facebook from someone I hadn’t spoken to since I was twenty. Not because of a big falling out or anything dramatic like that – we had simply drifted apart, like people do. What’s wild is that we’d lived practically around the corner from each other at least three times since then and never once crossed paths! It was as if the universe had been saving the moment.
We messaged, we laughed, and we finally caught up over a couple of wines. And no, not the hideously sweet goon bags of our teenage years – we’re grown-ups now, thank you very much. But the second we sat down, all the years just melted away. We were giggling about all our high school antics and, more importantly, reminiscing about the hours we used to spend in the kitchen together. Cooking weird things. Burning even weirder things. Making a total mess and loving every minute of it. That kind of friendship is rare.. and it roots itself in your bones and never really lets go.
Timing-wise, though, it was bittersweet. Just as we rekindled things, I was packing up my life to move to Adelaide. Typical! But somehow, reconnecting with someone from my past made me even more sure that I was ready for this next chapter. I left that catch-up feeling full, not just from the wine and cheese but with a sense of joy I didn’t even know I needed. It felt like a little blessing, perfectly timed, even if inconvenient.
The Big Move
So here we are. Adelaide!! A brand-new city, a fresh new chapter, and a kitchen that hasn’t been renovated since the 70’s. It might sound a bit impulsive, and okay, maybe it was, but this move had been brewing in me for a while. I visited Adelaide earlier this year and fell head over heels in love – the light, the landscape, the sea air. And don’t even get me started on the produce!! This place felt like it had been waiting for me, made just for me. Brisbane has never been my vibe, and when the lease was up and my job had me pulling my hair out, I thought: why not just go?
Moving interstate is never as simple as it sounds. There were boxes, too many takeaways, and even more bubble wrap-related meltdowns. But the moment I arrived, I felt something shift – it was like my shoulders finally dropped, and even though I was surrounded by unpacked chaos and not a single decent chair to sit on, I felt at home. And the best part? That creative itch came rushing back. For weeks, I’d had zero interest in recipe development when suddenly, I couldn’t stop thinking about flavour combos and scribbling ideas on the backs of packing boxes. And that’s how we landed with this chicken, bacon and broccolini salad!
It turns out that change really does spark inspiration. With my kitchen in disarray and none of my usual tools at hand, I had to get scrappy. But there was something really freeing about that – no pressure to get it perfect. Just me, my ingredients, and the joy of cooking and it reminded me of why I started all of this in the first place. Not for polished photos or trending hashtags, but for the love of food and the way it can anchor you, even in the most chaotic moments.
Chaos Over Planning
Let me just say this now: I am not a chaotic person by nature. At work, I live in spreadsheets. My diary is colour-coded. I make lists for my lists. But when it comes to this blog, I’ve discovered that letting go of the plan is exactly what keeps me inspired. The more I try to pre-schedule every recipe and structure my creative process, the less likely I am to cook anything at all. Ironic, I know, but it turns out a little creative mess is the secret sauce.
I always thought that in order to be consistent, I had to be meticulous. I’d map out recipes weeks in advance, stock up on ingredients, plan my photography… and then burn out before I ever picked up a pan. So when I moved to Adelaide, I gave myself permission to try things differently. No long-term plans. Just cook what I feel like eating and share it when the words come. It’s a very me kind of freedom. I still thrive on routine, but I’m learning to be a little less rigid with my creativity.
That doesn’t mean I’m throwing in the towel on consistency! I’m aiming to post at least one recipe a week. It just means I’m not pinning myself to a specific theme or timeline. My meals reflect my mood, and sometimes that means soup and sadness, and sometimes it’s cake and joy. So going forward, expect a mix of both. And yes, there will be salads. Lots of salads. But not the sad kind. The exciting kind. Like this chicken, bacon and broccolini number that came out of nowhere and turned out to be a bit of a banger.
Ingredients Breakdown
This chicken, bacon and broccolini salad started with a craving for something hearty but not heavy. I’d bought the broccolini to have with steak, but the steak ended up in the freezer and the broccolini became the star. Roasted until crispy at the edges and nutty in flavour, it gave the whole salad this incredible depth. Chicken breast added the protein I needed to feel full, while crispy bacon brought that salty crunch we all secretly love. It came together without much planning, but those are always the best meals, aren’t they?
Instead of the usual vinaigrette you might expect with a salad like this, I went for something creamy and bold. Blue cheese dressing. I know it’s divisive, but I adore it – it’s rich and tangy and just indulgent enough to make this salad feel special. With the cool change rolling through Adelaide that day, it was the perfect choice. I balanced it all out with fresh cherry tomatoes and some crisp lettuce, just to lift things and bring a little brightness.
The finishing touch was a fine grating of pecorino over the top. Sharp, salty, and just the right amount of extra. I grew up throwing cheese into every salad I made, so it felt right to bring that bit of nostalgia into this one. It’s a salad that feels fresh but still comforting. And I think that’s what we’re all looking for in food lately. Something that tastes like a new beginning but also reminds us of home.
