Description
A vibrant and flavorful charred harissa chicken salad featuring marinated chicken thighs cooked in the air fryer and served with a refreshing herby yogurt dressing, crisp apple slices, dried cranberries, and crunchy walnuts for a perfect balance of heat, sweetness, and texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Marinade
- 1 tsp garlic granules
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 1 tbsp harissa paste
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Herby Yogurt Dressing
- 10g dill
- 10g parsley
- 3 tbsp Greek yogurt
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Salad Ingredients
- 40g pea shoots
- 40g rocket
- ½ red apple, skin on and sliced thinly
- 50g feta, crumbled
- 25g dried cranberries
- 25g walnuts, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the Marinade: In a bowl, combine the garlic granules, smoked paprika, olive oil, lemon juice, and harissa paste. Mix well to form a flavorful marinade.
- Marinate the Chicken: Coat the chicken thighs thoroughly in the marinade, ensuring every piece is well covered. Cover and chill for at least 20 minutes or up to 12 hours to allow the flavors to deeply penetrate the meat.
- Cook the Chicken: Preheat the air fryer to 200°C (392°F). Arrange the marinated chicken thighs flat in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook for 16-20 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through and has a charred, crispy exterior. Remove from the air fryer and let cool slightly.
- Slice the Chicken: Roughly slice the slightly cooled chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces.
- Make the Herby Yogurt Dressing: In a blender, combine dill, parsley, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and olive oil. Blend until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Assemble the Salad: On a serving platter, toss half the dressing with the pea shoots and rocket leaves. Scatter sliced apple, crumbled feta, dried cranberries, and chopped walnuts over the greens.
- Serve: Top the salad with a dollop of the remaining herby yogurt dressing and arrange the charred harissa chicken slices on top. Serve immediately for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Marinating the chicken overnight intensifies the harissa flavor and tenderizes the meat.
- If you don’t have an air fryer, you can grill or pan-fry the chicken thighs until cooked through and charred.
- Adjust the amount of harissa paste to control the heat level according to your taste.
- To keep walnuts crunchy, add them just before serving.
- Use full-fat Greek yogurt for a creamier dressing texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Air Frying
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: harissa chicken, charred chicken salad, herby yogurt dressing, air fryer chicken, Mediterranean salad, healthy chicken salad
