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Home » Recipes » Salads

Chicken Strip Salad for Teens

By Laura Fuentes Updated Jan 21, 2025

5 from 13 votes

Recipe

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Put chicken strip leftovers to use with this simple salad recipe that makes a terrific high school lunch!

Learn how to pack this satisfying salad school lunch for teens so it stays fresh inside the lunch bag for hours.

chicken strip salad in a lunchbox

School Lunch for Teens: Chicken Strip Salad

This easy salad recipe is the perfect way to turn leftover chicken strips from dinner into a tasty high school lunch. You can use homemade chicken tenders or your favorite frozen brand. Add veggies and a dressing, and this lunch is ready to eat!

I used Ranch dressing for this recipe, but this epic Chicken Strip Salad also pairs great with other creamy dressings or vinaigrettes. Plus, it’s so easy to assemble that teens can pack this high-protein lunch from start to finish all by themselves!

Warming up the chicken strips is not necessary. If you’re eating this salad at home or have access to a microwave or air fryer, you can warm up the chicken strips separately before eating this salad if you prefer it.

Make Next: Crispy Chicken Strip Wrap

three lunchboxes with chicken strip salad

What is in Chicken Strip School Lunch Salad

Leftover chicken strips and other healthy ingredients come together for a tasty salad lunch that fills hungry teens’ bellies. Here’s what you need:

  • Lettuce: Romaine or another lettuce chopped for the base.
  • Grape tomatoes: keep them whole to maximize the crispness of the lettuce.
  • Avocado: creamy, delicious, and packed with healthy fats.
  • Chicken tenders: you can use this homemade recipe or your favorite frozen brand.
  • Ranch dressing: other sauces that pair great with this salad are Avocado Lime Dressing, Maple Dijon Vinaigrette, and Balsamic Vinaigrette.

You’ll find the measurements in the recipe card below.

three lunchboxes with chicken strip salad and a person drizzling dressing over one of them.

How to Pack Chicken Strip Salad for a School Lunch

Follow these tips for pulling together this amazing high-protein salad so it stays fresh until lunchtime. Here’s how I packed this salad in the lunchbox:

  1. Build the salad base
    Make a bed of salad greens as a base inside a container with chopped Romaine lettuce. Top with grape tomatoes and diced avocado. 
  2. Add the chicken strips
    Place the sliced chicken strips on top of the salad, sliced diagonally so you don’t need to pack a knife.
  3. Pack the dressing
    Fill a small lidded container with the dressing and drizzle over the salad at lunch.
  4. Pack it for lunch
    Refrigerate the chicken salad or pack it with an ice pack inside a lunch bag.

First time making and packing a chicken tender salad? Watch this quick video to see how it’s made and get additional tips.

More tips for packing this salad for a perfect high school lunch

This Chicken Strip Salad will stay fresh and delish for hours from the time you pack it at home until you eat it at school with these tips:

Keep it chilled
Pack this salad inside an insulated lunch bag and use an ice pack to keep the temperature inside the bag cool. See my teen-approved lunchbox picks here.

Slice the chicken strips
Eliminate the need for a knife by pre-slicing the chicken strips at home.

Pack the dressing separately
Drizzling the salad dressing over the salad when you pack this lunch can lead to soggy lettuce. It’s best to drizzle it over the salad before serving. Pack the dressing in a small leak-proof container to avoid any lunch bag mess.

Prevent avocados from browning
While you can’t prevent avocados from browning, you’ll hardly notice them once mixed with the lettuce in the salad. You can squeeze a little lime over them to slow down the browning or swap them with a guacamole single.

Maximize crispness
Keep the cherry tomatoes whole. While slicing them won’t affect the texture of the lettuce leaves too much, keep them whole to maximize the crispness of the lettuce.

Chicken Strip Salad for Teens

chicken strip salad
Servings: 1
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Total Time: 5 minutes mins
Put chicken strip leftovers to use with this simple salad recipe that makes a terrific high school lunch!
5 from 13 votes
Print Pin

Watch How It’s Packed:

Ingredients

  • 2 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
  • ½ cup grape tomatoes
  • ¼ avocado, diced
  • 2 chicken tenders, cooked and sliced
  • 2 tablespoons Ranch dressing

Instructions

  • Make a green salad base inside a container with chopped Romaine lettuce. Top with grape tomatoes and diced avocado.
  • Place the sliced chicken strips on top of the salad.
  • Fill a small lidded container with the dressing and drizzle over the salad at lunch.
  • Refrigerate the chicken salad or pack it with an ice pack inside a lunch bag.

Notes

Nutrition information is calculated without the dressing.

Equipment

101 Packed Lunches
Glass Lunch Containers
ice pack
six small dip containers with lids
Dips or Dressings

Nutrition

Serving: 1 salad | Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 138mg | Potassium: 993mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1447IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg

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5 from 13 votes (13 ratings without comment)

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laura fuentes momables holding a lunch bag and lunch boxes

My name is Laura Fuentes
I’m here to help you simplify school lunches with fresh ideas your kids will actually eat.

Mom of 3. Certified in Integrative Nutrition. 5x Cookbook Author.

school lunch ideas! →

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