BLT Chicken Salad with Creme Fraiche Dressing
Toss this BLT chicken salad with creamy creme fraiche dressing (no mayo) or choose from two other dressing options in the notes below.
BLT chicken salad can be served in a salad bowl or as a sandwich.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad and bowls
- Method: Toss
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 to 4 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken (either chicken breast or thighs)
- 4 to 6 slices bacon (or more, if you love bacon)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, whole or cut in half
- One 7 oz. bag chopped romaine or butter lettuce (iceberg lettuce is good too)
- 1 to 2 cups croutons
Creme Fraiche Dressing
- 1 cup creme fraiche (about 8 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley, chives or dill
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Line 1 or 2 rimmed sheet-pans with foil. Spread out strips of bacon, with a little space between each slice. Put the bacon in the oven and set the temperature to 400° (no need to preheat). Cook the the bacon for 20 to 25 minutes, until it reaches your desired crispiness.
- Let the bacon cool so it can be chopped or crumbled. If you like, a paper towel can be set under the bacon to soak up some of the grease.
- While the bacon cooks, whisk together the dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk together creme fraiche, white vinegar, fresh herbs, mustard and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the lettuce and tomatoes. Lightly toss with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil and a generous pinch of salt. You can leave the lettuce dressed simply in oil, or add a tablespoon or two of the creme fraiche dressing.
- In a medium bowl, combine the chicken and bacon. Add ¼ cup of the creme fraiche dressing and mix to coat. Add more dressing as needed, so it's dressed how you like it. Make sure to salt and pepper the chicken.
- The salad greens and chicken salad can be tossed together in one bowl or served separately. Add croutons to the salad bowl, if desired.
Notes
Although only 4 to 6 strips of bacon are needed for this recipe, I always bake a whole packages. The leftover bacon can be warmed briefly in the microwave for breakfast, or eaten cold as a snack during the week.
I think you'll love the creamy creme fraiche dressing included with this recipe. But you can also simply toss the chicken with mayo, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and salt. You can also use my kefir dressing, which is mixed with mayo and has a flavor and consistency similar to Ranch dressing.
Distilled white vinegar is sold next to other types of vinegar. You can substitute white wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice if necessary.
