This chicken and wild rice kale salad is one of our personal favorites and is a copycat recipe from one of our favorite restaurants in Utah, Cubby's. This salad is packed with flavor and nutrients and a great option for meal prep. Don't skip the homemade tangy dressing! The tender chicken and wild rice blend is the perfect base for the other toppings.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This wild rice chicken salad is a great option for meal prep because the kale doesn't get soggy.
- Simplify this salad by purchasing pre-chopped kale, microwaveable wild rice, and rotisserie chicken.
- It's a filling main dish salad packed with protein, carbs, fat, and fiber.
Ingredient Notes
- Boneless, skinless chicken breast - you can also swap with grilled chicken or rotisserie chicken.
- Kale - any variety of kale will work here. Dino kale or curly kale!
- Wild rice - we use this instant pot recipe for the wild rice. We like to make a big batch and freeze it to use in a pinch in the future. You can also buy microwaveable rice.
- Apple - honeycrisp or pink lady is our favorite
- Avocado, diced
- Roasted and sliced almonds
- Dried cranberries
- Fresh lime wedges, optional for serving
- For the dressing:
- Lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, fresh cilantro (just the leaves), Dijon mustard, pure maple syrup or honey, kosher salt & black pepper
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Equipment You'll Need
- 8x10 baking dish
- Knife and cutting board
- Measuring cups and spoons
Step by Step Directions
For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Step 1: If you are not using microwavable pouches for the rice, start the wild rice first as it takes the longest to cook. Follow the directions listed on the package of rice.
Step 2: Next, prepare the chicken. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butterfly each chicken breast, season with salt and pepper, and place in a parchment-lined 8x10 pan. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before cutting. Once cool, cut the chicken into small cubes (bite-sized pieces).
Step 3: Rinse and dry the kale and remove the stem so that only the leafy part remains. Use a sharp knife and a cutting board to cut the kale until you have small shreds or pieces and place the kale in a large bowl. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil on the kale and sprinkle a little salt. Next, using your hands, “massage” the kale by applying pressure to the leaves to break up the texture and make the kale less fibrous.
Step 4: Add the almonds, dried cranberries, diced apple, diced avocado, wild rice, and diced chicken to the bowl with the kale. Mix the ingredients until well combined.
Prepare the dressing next. Add all of the ingredients to a blender or a bowl. If using a blender, pulse the mixture until well combined. If you’re using a bowl, use an immersion blender to blend the ingredients until smooth.
At this point, the salad is ready to serve. Add the dressing to the individual servings to prevent the salad from getting soggy if you plan to have leftovers. Squeeze fresh lime over the salad when serving as well.
Tips & Variations
- Feel free to make any additions to the salad like red onion or green onions and make it your own! Dried cherries and cashews are a yummy substitute to the cranberries and almonds.
- If you want to make this as a side-dish, you could leave off the chicken.
If you plan to have leftovers, store the dressing separate from the salad. Store leftovers in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.
To make this recipe dairy-free, leave out the cheese. This recipe is gluten-free.
If you like this recipe, check out a few of our other salads:
If you make this wild rice salad recipe, please let us know how it turns out in the comments below and/or rate the recipe! Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram to show us your finished product—it makes our day every time we see you trying the recipes we love!
Chicken and Wild Rice Kale Salad (Cubby's Copycat)
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 large bunch of kale (about 6 cups prior to massaging kale)
- 2 cups cooked wild rice, cooled
- 1 medium apple, diced (we recommend Pink Lady or Honeycrisp)
- 1 medium avocado, diced
- ⅓ cup roasted and sliced almonds
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 1 lime, sliced (for serving)
For the dressing:
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ cup fresh cilantro (just the leaves)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup or honey
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch of black pepper
Instructions
For the salad:
- If you are not using microwavable pouches for the rice, start the wild rice first as it takes the longest to cook. Follow the directions listed on the package of rice.
- Next, prepare the chicken. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butterfly each chicken breast, season with salt and pepper, and place in a parchment-lined 8x10 pan. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before cutting. Once cool, cut the chicken into small cubes (bite-sized pieces).
- Rinse and dry the kale and remove the stem so that only the leafy part remains. Use a sharp knife and a cutting board to cut the kale until you have small shreds or pieces and place the kale in a large bowl. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil on the kale and sprinkle a little salt. Next, using your hands, “massage” the kale by applying pressure to the leaves to break up the texture and make the kale less fibrous.
- Add the almonds, dried cranberries, diced apple, diced avocado, wild rice, and diced chicken to the bowl with the kale. Mix the ingredients until well combined.
For the dressing:
- Prepare the dressing next. Add all of the ingredients to a blender or a bowl. If using a blender, pulse the mixture until well combined. If you’re using a bowl, use an immersion blender to blend the ingredients until smooth.
- At this point, the salad is ready to serve. Add the dressing to the individual servings to prevent the salad from getting soggy if you plan to have leftovers. Squeeze fresh lime over the salad when serving as well.
Notes
- To make this recipe dairy-free, leave out the cheese. This recipe is gluten-free.
NUTRITION
The recipe can be found on My Fitness Pal by searching "BWB Cubby’s Copycat Kale Salad (without dressing)" and the dressing can be found by searching "BWB Balsamic Cilantro Dressing".
The nutrition content provided for each recipe is an estimate created through the My Fitness Pal database. Please be aware that the nutritional content of each recipe may vary based on the products you use, the precision of your measurements, and the source you use to obtain nutrition data. While we try to provide accurate information, we give no guarantee regarding the accuracy of the nutritional information provided.
Leave a Reply