This easy and hearty warm chicken salad from Jamie Oliver is the perfect mix of crispy bacon, tender chicken, and fresh herbs. With simple ingredients like mixed tomatoes, crunchy croutons, and green beans, this nutritious and delicious meal can be easily customized to your taste.
Ingredients Needed
For the Chicken:
- Olive oil
- 1 x 1.2kg (2.6lb) whole free-range chicken
- ½ a bunch of fresh thyme (15g / 0.5oz)
- 1 lemon
- 400g (14oz) mixed-colour cherry tomatoes
- 1 bulb of garlic
For the Salad:
- 1 country loaf (300g / 10.5oz)
- 6 rashers (slices) of higher-welfare smoked streaky bacon
- 200g (7oz) green beans
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
- Cider vinegar
- 1 bunch of fresh flat-leaf or curly parsley (30g / 1oz)
- 1 bunch of fresh mint (30g / 1oz)
- 6 spring onions (scallions)
How To Make Warm Chicken Salad
- Prepare the Chicken: Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Drizzle olive oil over the chicken, and season with sea salt and black pepper. Strip the thyme leaves, reserving the stalks. Rub the thyme into the skin, then halve the lemon and place it inside the chicken cavity with the thyme stalks.
- Roast the Chicken: Place the chicken in a large roasting tray (approx. 25cm x 32cm / 10in x 13in) and roast for 1 hour.
- Add Tomatoes and Garlic: Halve the cherry tomatoes and smash the garlic bulb. After 30 minutes, add the tomatoes and garlic to the tray, tossing to coat in the cooking juices. Roast for another 30 minutes, or until the chicken is golden and the juices run clear when pricked.
- Rest the Chicken: Transfer the chicken to a plate, cover with tin foil, and leave to cool.
- Prepare the Croutons and Bacon: Tear the bread into thumb-sized croutons and add them to the tray with the cooking juices. Lay the rashers of bacon on top. Return to the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until everything is golden and crispy.
- Shred the Chicken: Remove all the chicken skin and set aside (you can skip this step if you prefer a healthier option). Use two forks to shred the chicken meat and place it in a large bowl. Drizzle with any resting juices from the plate.
- Cook the Green Beans: Trim and cook the green beans in boiling salted water for 5-6 minutes, or until tender but still firm. Drain and add them to the bowl with the chicken.
- Make the Dressing: Add 5-6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, wholegrain mustard, and a few swigs of cider vinegar to the bowl. Finely chop the parsley and mint, and slice the spring onions. Add them to the bowl and toss everything together. Taste and adjust with more vinegar or seasoning if needed.
- Crisp the Chicken Skin: Once the croutons are golden, tear the chicken skin into the tray (if using) and return it to the oven until crispy.
- Serve the Salad: Once the chicken skin is crispy, tip everything from the bowl into the tray or onto a large serving platter. Toss everything together and serve in the center of the table.
Recipe Tips
- Use a thermometer for the chicken: To ensure the chicken is perfectly cooked, check the internal temperature. It should reach 75°C (165°F) at the thickest part of the meat.
- Crisp the croutons well: Make sure they are golden and crunchy by tossing them in the chicken juices and roasting them until crispy. This adds great flavor to the salad.
- Don’t overcook the green beans: Cook them until tender but still firm. Overcooking them will make them mushy and cause them to lose their vibrant color.
- Let the chicken rest: After roasting, rest for 10-15 minutes before shredding it. This helps keep the meat juicy.
How To Store Leftovers?
Let the leftover warm chicken salad cool to room temperature before storing it in an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 300 grams)
- Calories: 350
- Total Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Cholesterol: 60mg
- Sodium: 700mg
- Potassium: 600mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 20g
- Dietary Fiber: 4g
- Sugars: 3g
- Protein: 25g
Try More Jamie Oliver Recipes:
- Jamie Oliver Crème Fraîche Chicken Pie
- Jamie Oliver Chicken Marinade
- Jamie Oliver Chicken Jalfrezi
- Jamie Oliver Chicken In White Wine And Mushroom Sauce
Jamie Oliver Warm Chicken Salad
Description
This easy and hearty warm chicken salad from Jamie Oliver is the perfect mix of crispy bacon, tender chicken, and fresh herbs. With simple ingredients like mixed tomatoes, crunchy croutons, and green beans, this nutritious and delicious meal can be easily customized to your taste.
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
For the Salad:
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Drizzle olive oil over the chicken, and season with sea salt and black pepper. Strip the thyme leaves, reserving the stalks. Rub the thyme into the skin, then halve the lemon and place it inside the chicken cavity with the thyme stalks.
- Roast the Chicken: Place the chicken in a large roasting tray (approx. 25cm x 32cm / 10in x 13in) and roast for 1 hour.
- Add Tomatoes and Garlic: Halve the cherry tomatoes and smash the garlic bulb. After 30 minutes, add the tomatoes and garlic to the tray, tossing to coat in the cooking juices. Roast for another 30 minutes, or until the chicken is golden and the juices run clear when pricked.
- Rest the Chicken: Transfer the chicken to a plate, cover with tin foil, and leave to cool.
- Prepare the Croutons and Bacon: Tear the bread into thumb-sized croutons and add them to the tray with the cooking juices. Lay the rashers of bacon on top. Return to the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until everything is golden and crispy.
- Shred the Chicken: Remove all the chicken skin and set aside (you can skip this step if you prefer a healthier option). Use two forks to shred the chicken meat and place it in a large bowl. Drizzle with any resting juices from the plate.
- Cook the Green Beans: Trim and cook the green beans in boiling salted water for 5-6 minutes, or until tender but still firm. Drain and add them to the bowl with the chicken.
- Make the Dressing: Add 5-6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, wholegrain mustard, and a few swigs of cider vinegar to the bowl. Finely chop the parsley and mint, and slice the spring onions. Add them to the bowl and toss everything together. Taste and adjust with more vinegar or seasoning if needed.
- Crisp the Chicken Skin: Once the croutons are golden, tear the chicken skin into the tray (if using) and return it to the oven until crispy.
- Serve the Salad: Once the chicken skin is crispy, tip everything from the bowl into the tray or onto a large serving platter. Toss everything together and serve in the center of the table.
Notes
- Use a thermometer for the chicken: To ensure the chicken is perfectly cooked, check the internal temperature. It should reach 75°C (165°F) at the thickest part of the meat.
- Crisp the croutons well: Make sure they are golden and crunchy by tossing them in the chicken juices and roasting them until crispy. This adds great flavor to the salad.
- Don’t overcook the green beans: Cook them until tender but still firm. Overcooking them will make them mushy and cause them to lose their vibrant color.
- Let the chicken rest: After roasting, rest for 10-15 minutes before shredding it. This helps keep the meat juicy.
Jamie Oliver Warm Chicken Salad