This Grilled Cajun Chicken Salad with Creamy Cajun Dressing is one of my all-time favorite main dish dinner salads! Grilled Cajun Chicken Salad has plenty of protein from the spicy grilled Cajun chicken, and a homemade creamy Cajun dressing to help tone down the heat just a bit. And the crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, and creamy avocado are just the thing for a warm summer evening meal!
Dinner salads are one of our favorite meal ideas! Some of our other favorites are Tex-Mex Doritos Taco Salad, Lemon Tarragon Pasta Salad, and BBQ Chicken Cobb Salad.
Table of Contents
Heaven knows I am not much of a salad person. I wish I was, truly I do, but usually I’m all about meat and the carbs.
So when I find a salad that can satisfy my comfort food lovin’ heart while attempting to eat a little healthier, you know I’m going to share it with you.
And oh baby, this Grilled Cajun Chicken Salad with Creamy Cajun Dressing definitely delivers.
Granted, the dressing is on the naughtier side since it is made with sour cream, mayonnaise and buttermilk, but a little can go a long way with a salad like this where there is so much other flavor and goodness that you don’t want to smother it in too much dressing anyway.
For starters, you are going to want to make my favorite homemade Cajun seasoning spice blend. You could always just buy a Cajun spice blend from the store, but why bother when you’ve already got all the herbs and spices you need in your pantry and can control the amount of heat & salt by making it yourself at home?
A single batch is just right for four chicken breasts, but you need a teaspoon or two of Cajun seasoning in the creamy Cajun dressing, so go ahead and make a double batch.
Any leftovers are delicious sprinkled over potatoes before roasting them or added to an amazing aioli to add some pep to sandwiches or use for dipping.
Just store any extra seasoning mix in an airtight container.
Serve this salad with your chicken still hot off the grill, or make the chicken in advance and chill it for a nice, cool summer dinner. It’s delicious either way.
I like to make sure to have extra chicken leftover so I can make myself a salad for lunch the next day too.
More Satisfying Salad Recipes You’ll Love
- Olive Garden Salad Dressing Recipe
- Peach Panzanella Salad
- Tex-Mex Doritos Taco Salad
- Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Grilled Cajun Chicken Salad with Creamy Cajun Dressing
Ingredients
Salad
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 4 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- 4-6 cups mixed lettuce greens
- 2 cups grape tomatoes sliced in half
- 1/2 of a red onion peeled and sliced into thin strips
- 1 English cucumber or 2 Persian cucumbers, sliced into thin discs
- 1 avocado peeled and sliced
Creamy Cajun Dressing
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- Juice from ½ a lemon
- 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1-2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning depending on how spicy you want your dressing!
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the salad components by washing and drying the vegetables, then slicing the cucumbers into thin discs, cutting the grape tomatoes in half, and slicing the onion into thin strips. Wait to peel and slice the avocado until just before serving.2 cups grape tomatoes, 1 English cucumber, ½ of a red onion
- Prepare the creamy Cajun salad dressing by processing all of the dressing ingredients together in a blender or food processor (affiliate link) until completely combined. I would recommend starting with 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning and increasing the amount until you reach your desired level of heat. Refrigerate for 20 minutes before serving.1 cup buttermilk, ¾ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup sour cream, ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan, Juice from ½ a lemon, 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, 1-2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, Freshly ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons garlic
- Heat grill to medium-high heat. Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet or large dish and pat dry. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and rub the chicken to coat evenly. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of the Cajun seasoning over the top of each chicken breast, turn the chicken over and sprinkle each chicken breast with another ½ teaspoon of Cajun seasoning so the chicken is evenly coated on both sides.4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 4 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- Place the chicken breasts directly over the heated side of the grill and grill for about 5-6 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your chicken, until the internal temperature of the breasts reach 160°F using an instant read meat thermometer. You can also check whether the chicken is done by making a small cut into the thickest part to see if it is opaque in the center, or pressing on the thickest end of the chicken with your finger to see if there is any resistance. If there is no resistance, the chicken is done. Remove from the grill and rest for 5 minutes.
- Prepare each salad plate by dividing the lettuce between four large plates. Arrange the tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and avocado on top of the lettuce, then slice each chicken breast into strips and arrange on top of each salad. Serve with Creamy Cajun Dressing.4-6 cups mixed lettuce greens, 1 avocado
This salad is making my mouth water! And that salad dressing totally drooling! Everything looks so delicious, all need right now is a fork! p.s. your photography and styling is just amazing!
Thanks so much! 🙂
I love a good main dish salad, the cajun dressing sounds like an amazing match for this salad.
Everything about this screams “dinner tonight” Yum.
This is my kind of salad! I love everything about it! Can’t wait to try the dressing!
Not much of a salad person either (unfortunately, wish I could change that!) unless it looks EXACTLY like this one… like a meal, a warm comforting and filling meal. It must be a body type thing cuz I don’t feel great or much satisfied after eating raw / cold foods. This looks really flavorful!
Glad to know I’m not the only one who feels like this!
This is an amazing salad!
Thanks, Anne!
Wow, this salad looks fabulous! So many great flavors and that perfectly grilled chicken is divine. I think I may have to make it for lunch one day this week!
If heaven knows, everybody knows. I love salad especially if served with carbs and meat and would love to try this recipe but in France I cannot find sour cream and butter milk. Do you think it is ok to substitute with Greek yogurt?
Thanks
Absolutely you could sub Greek yogurt for sour cream in this recipe! I do it often!
What a great idea. I think this will be a winner in my house. My hubby likes salad fortunately and I would love to serve this as a whole meal. The fact that its easy is a winner to me. Thanks for this!
I want this for lunch right now! Honestly, running to the store to get the ingredients. Yum!
I’m reading this right before dinner, and I’m thinking of changing my mind and making this! It’s looks like the perfect dinner salad that will fill you up!
This salad is so gorgeous! I need to make this for dinner!
I love salads, not boring salads, but salads with personality and ingredients that complement and enhance each other, and with a nice dressing. I would substitute fish or tofu for the chicken, but for the rest it is awesome!
My husband and I definitely are salad people and we’re all about Cajun and spicy food, too! This is right up our alley and I pinned to make this very soon!
I hear you – for me to truly love a salad, it needs to be pretty exceptional! But my goodness, does this one ever look like it fits the bill! That chicken looks absolutely incredible, I love all the veggies you’ve included, and that dressing is amazing. I love buttermilk dressings, and agree that a little goes a long way, and it’s worth it!
That dressing sounds LEGIT. I love salads with grilled chicken already, but adding that dressing is a must!
I would love to try it next weekend. my family is not famous for eating a lot of salads, but i can guarantee they will love this one!
Yum, I am loving all of the fresh veg in this salad. This dressing sounds spectacular too!
I love big salad dinners! And I love anything with cajun spice, so this salad is right up my dinner alley. Can’t wait to try!
This is exactly the kind of salad I love! Full of flavor, creamy, fulfilling, and bursting with vitamins. Perfect for an easy and light dinner or lunch. Thanks for the inspiration.
What a bright and deliocus looking salad! I am starting to incorporate more salads to my meals since the weather is warming up. I look forward to trying it out.