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CHICKEN SALAD WITH TAHINI DRESSING

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken thighs (see notes)
  • 1 small avocado, cubed
  • 2 slices of bread
  • 2 tablespoons gherkins, roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon pickled jalapeños, roughly chopped
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Iceberg or romaine, to serve

Dressing:

  • 3 tablespoons tahini
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 4 anchovies with oil (optional) or 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 180 C.
  • Lay the chicken pieces on a baking tray and pat them dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. No oiling necessary.
  • Roast the chicken for 10 -15 mins or until cooked through. To test, pierce the thickest part of the chicken. If the juices run clear it’s cooked; if not, roast for a few more mins until the juices run clear. Alternatively, cook the chicken in a pan with a little oil until charred on the outside and cooked within.
  • Once cool enough to handle, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces with your fingers. Set aside.
  • Toast the bread in a toaster, under the grill or in a pan with a little oil. Doesn’t matter which way you do it, you just want them to crisp up nicely. Cut into cubes.
  • Add the anchovies if using, some of the oil from the tin, black peppercorns and garlic cloves to a pestle and mortar. Pound until you have a paste and the black pepper has broken down into coarse nubbly bits.
  • Stir through the Dijon mustard, tahini, olive oil and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning. If it appears too thick, thin out with some hot water. Set aside.
  • Add roughly chopped lettuce, chicken, avocado, bread, gherkins and pickled jalapeños to a large bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss just before serving. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Notes

Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as a side.
I like to use bone-in chicken thighs here which I shred and remove the bones from after roasting. You could also use deboned chicken thighs or chicken breast instead.