How would you like to find a delicious and nutritious lunch waiting for you in your fridge 4 times a week? These chicken and spinach mason jar salads could just become your go-to convenient meal.
You know your salad is good when you can’t wait to eat it. And you really know your salad is the bomb when you have children who can’t wait to eat it, too.
This salad is THAT salad.
So incredibly good that you look forward to tomorrow’s lunch right after you just ate today’s.
Lucky for you, I’m giving you the recipe.
It’s full of goodness, and it’s even gluten AND sugar free. Yep, none of that high-fructose corn syrup loaded salad dressing here. Instead, it relies on natural sugars (grapes) for its delightfully sweet taste.
This salad makes the best meal prep lunch. I love that you prep it once and get to eat it four times. Or, most often in my case, two jars can feed me and my kids at lunch with something else like quesadillas. Either way, having a healthy salad ready to go in the fridge is super convenient.
How to Make Chicken and Spinach Salad Jars for Easy Lunches
Okay, you ready to get these salad jars made? Let’s do it!
You’re going to need:
- Chicken breast, cooked
- Red grapes
- Parmesan cheese
- Walnuts
- Spinach
- Red wine vinegar
- Country Dijon mustard (or just Dijon if you can’t get country dijon)
- Dried thyme
- Salt (kosher or sea salt works)
- Black pepper
- Avocado or olive oil
You also need pint-sized mason jars or something similar. You could also use quart-sized mason jars, but you’ll need to double the recipe to get 4 of them.
Picture Instructions for Making This Mason Jar Salad
Start by making the vinaigrette. To a pint glass jar, add the vinegar, Dijon mustard, dried thyme, salt, black pepper, and oil. Put the lid on tight and shake. This is the dressing, and you’ll just set it aside for now.
Next, get all your salad ingredients ready to go. Dice the chicken, halve the grapes, chop the walnuts, grate the parmesan cheese, and tear up the spinach (if desired).
Set out 4 pint-sized mason jars. Now you are ready to fill them up!
To each jar add 2-3 Tablespoons of vinaigrette. On top of the vinaigrette, add the ingredients in the following order (yes, it matters!): 1/3-1/2 cup chicken, 1/3-1/2 cup grapes, 1 Tablespoon of parmesan cheese, 1 Tablespoon of walnuts, and 1 cup of spinach.
Put the lids on the jars and place them in the fridge.
You did it! You’re ready to eat a healthy meal at a moment’s notice. Doesn’t it feel great?
Frequently Asked Questions About Making Chicken and Spinach Salad Jars
Do I have to use chicken?
Hey, it’s your kitchen, you decide what you put in the salads you eat.
That being said, I have only tested this salad recipe with chicken, so I couldn’t tell you if it tastes good without it.
If you don’t have chicken or don’t like it, go ahead and substitute another protein in its place. You may need to rearrange when you put your protein in the jar depending on what it is, however.
Are these more convenient than picking up a salad kit from the grocery store last minute?
If you go through the trouble of making them ahead of them, then I believe they are way more convenient than a salad kit. You don’t have to leave your house to get it!
I used to buy salad kits a lot, but I steer clear of them these days because I refuse to eat or feed my family store-bought salad dressing anymore (too many seed oils and sugar).
How much time does it take to make these salad jars?
By my estimations, it will take anywhere from 25-45 minutes to get these salad jars packed and in your fridge. If you are starting with raw chicken, it will take a bit longer. If most of your ingredients are already prepped, though, you can expect it to take about 25 minutes give or take a few minutes.
Could I replace the parmesan to make it dairy-free?
I love me some parmesan cheese. I think it makes this salad even better! But if you need to make these salad jars dairy-free, go ahead and omit it. You could also use a dairy-free parmesan cheese if you want.
Would my kids eat this salad?
I have no idea what your kids will eat. I can only tell you that one of my daughters goes crazy for this salad. The other two like it as well. I have been giving my kids salad since they were teeny so they are used to eating it.
How long do these salad jars last in the fridge?
If you are using chicken that is freshly cooked, these jars will last for 3-4 days in the fridge. If, however, you are using leftover chicken from a day or two ago, you may only want to leave these in the fridge for a day or two.
What else could I eat with this salad?
You may find that you can fill up on just the salad. But, if it’s not enough, you can eat this salad with a variety of foods. We like quesadillas, like I mentioned before. You could also eat it with roasted squash, a fruit, or a smoothie.
Chicken and Spinach Salad Jars
Ingredients
- 8 oz chicken diced, about 2 cups
- 2 cups red grapes sliced in half
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1/3 cup walnuts chopped
- 4 cups spinach torn
Mustard Thyme Vinaigrette
- 5 tsp red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 5 tsp country Dijon mustard or Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt or sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 5 Tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
Instructions
-
To make the vinaigrette, add vinegar, Dijon mustard, dried thyme, salt, black pepper, and oil to a pint glass jar. Put the lid on tight and shake. Set it aside.
-
Set out 4 pint-sized mason jars. To each jar, add 2-3 Tablespoons of vinaigrette.
-
On top of the vinaigrette, add the ingredients in the following order: 1/3-1/2 cup chicken, 1/3-1/2 cup grapes, 1 Tablespoon of parmesan cheese, 1 Tablespoon of walnuts, and 1 cup of spinach.
-
Put the lids on the jars and place them in the fridge.
Recipe Notes
Makes 4 1-serving jars
Use within 3-4 days.
Recipe originally from Foxes Love Lemons (the recipe on this page has since been updated to a different recipe).
How much do you enjoy the absolute convenience of make-ahead lunches?
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