These ranch chicken jar salads are made with homemade ranch dressing, baked chicken breast, shredded cheese, and lots of veggies! Low carb with 6 g net carbs, and gluten-free, they are a healthy grab-and-go lunch.
From strawberry spinach quinoa salad jars to these ranch chicken jar salads - there are so many options when it comes to jar salads.
These ranch chicken salad jars are a filling, delicious, and healthy lunch that is meal prep friendly! By layering the salad in mason jars, we protect the veggies from the dressing, keeping them crisp and fresh.
The star of the show is our homemade ranch dressing - which pairs perfectly with the baked chicken and crunchy veggies. This is an easy meal prep recipe you can have ready in under 30 minutes!
Reasons You'll Love This Recipe
- layering the salad in jars keeps the vegetables away from the dressing, making them fresh and crisp even on day 4
- they're filled with protein and healthy fats to keep you feeling full, but are low in carbs
- you can prep four lunch portions in just 30 minutes!
Ingredient Notes
- Ranch dressing - you can make your own homemade ranch dressing or use store bought
- Bell peppers - use red, yellow, orange, or green - whichever is your favorite!
- Tomato - use cherry tomatoes, or larger tomatoes sliced small if you don't have them. Keeping tomatoes whole helps them stay fresh for longer.
- Lettuce - romaine is best for extra crunch, but leaf lettuce would also work; for a more nutrient- dense option, you could swap for spinach or kale.
- Cheese - we've used shredded mozzarella, but you could get creative here. Monterey jack, aged cheddar or smoked gouda would add even more flavor to the salad!
Step by Step Directions
Cook chicken
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large nonstick pan. Add the chicken, season with salt & pepper, and cook for 5-7 minutes, until cooked though and no pink remains. Cool completely.
Ranch Dressing
While chicken is cooking, stir together homemade ranch dressing.
Layer
Add 2 tablespoons of ranch dressing to the bottom of four 1-pint mason jars. Add cooled chicken on top, then bell peppers, cheese, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Press the romaine lettuce into the top of the jar, then seal.
TIP- layering the lettuce and cucumbers away from the dressing keeps them fresh for longer!
Serve
Shake the jar salad out into a bowl and enjoy! The dressing should evenly coat everything giving you perfectly dressed salad in seconds.
TIP- add the tortilla strips when serving to keep them crunchy.
FAQ
You could, but it's awkward, so we recommend having a clean bowl or plate to shake it into. You can make these in 1 quart jars, and give a good shake before eating, but you're also going to need a really long fork.
Yes, with only 6 g net carbs per serving, these can fit into the keto diet.
Definitely! You can use 2 cup meal prep containers, such as the ones found in my shop.
Variations
Think of this as a great base recipe that you can easily swap out for what you have in your fridge:
- swap the lettuce for kale or spinach
- swap the tomatoes, cucs and bell peppers for carrots, snap peas, red onions, cabbage, celery, roasted sweet potato, roasted cauliflower and so many more things
- swap the mozzarella for cheddar, feta, or just leave it out!
- swap the ranch dressing for one of these 7 Basic Vinaigrette Recipes
Storage + Serving
- Fridge - Store for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Serve - Shake jars out into a clean jar. OR if you prepare in 1-quart jars, you can shake the jar up and eat right out of the jar.
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Ranch Chicken Jar Salads
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces; roughly 2 large chicken breasts
- salt & pepper
- ½ cup homemade ranch dressing note 1
- 4 cups romaine lettuce washed, dried, and cut into bite-sized pieces; note 2
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes note 3
- 1 cup cucumbers cut into rounds; note 4
- 1 bell pepper chopped into small pieces
- 1 cup mozarella shredded; note 5
To serve (optional)
- 1 cup tortilla strips note 6
Instructions
- Cook chicken - Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large nonstick pan. Add the chicken, season with salt & pepper, and cook for 5-7 minutes, until cooked though and no pink remains. Set aside to cool.
- Ranch dressing - While chicken is cooking, stir together homemade ranch dressing.
- Portion - Add 2 tablespoons of ranch dressing to the bottom of four 1-pint mason jars. Add cooled chicken on top, then bell peppers, cheese, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Press the romaine lettuce into the top of the jar, then seal. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Serve - Shake the jar salad out into a bowl and enjoy! The dressing should evenly coat everything giving you perfectly dressed salad in seconds.
Tips:
- use store bought ranch dressing as a shortcut
- you may swap romaine for spinach or kale
- cherry tomatoes keep best if left whole
- cucumbers keep best with seeds scraped out
- mozzarella can be swapped for cheddar, monterey jack, or smoked gouda
- add tortilla chips fresh to keep them crunchy
- Fridge - Store for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Freezer- do not freeze.
- Serve - Shake jars out into a clean jar. OR if you prepare in 1-quart jars, you can shake the jar up and eat right out of the jar.
Nutrition Information
© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.
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