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This Moroccan-Inspired Roasted Chicken Salad is a truly impressive salad bursting with warm spices, tons of herbs, and a tangy dressing.

A finished plate of Moroccan-Inspired Roasted Chicken Salad served on a blue and white patterned plate, sitting on a cream countertop. Another plate is visible on the side, the serving bowl of salad, and a small dish of pickled red onions. Another small dish of pepitas and a purple napkin are on the counter as well. In the background is an out-of-focus jar of dressing.


 

Inspired by the Moroccan Salad at Bobbie’s Airway Grill in Dallas, Texas, I decided to take the flavors and make my very own rendition. The chicken and carrots are first roasted on a sheet pan and then combined with delicious greens in a fabulous, herby shallot-dijon dressing.

A finished plate of Moroccan-Inspired Roasted Chicken Salad served on a blue and white patterned plate, sitting on a cream countertop. Another plate is visible on the side, the serving bowl of salad, and a small dish of pickled red onions. Another small dish of pepitas and a purple napkin are on the counter as well.

This salad is definitely a labor of love, and not one you can just toss together, but trust me: the end result is so worth it! The flavors in the chicken and the dressing blend so well together. This is one of those salads that tastes amazing year-round!

ingredients:

  • Bone-In, Skin-On Chicken Thighs
  • Petite Rainbow Carrots 
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Harissa Sauce
  • Lemons
  • Ground Cumin
  • Dried Oregano
  • Kosher Salt
  • Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • Pitted Medjool Dates 
  • Grainy Dijon Mustard
  • White Wine Vinegar
  • Honey
  • Fresh Garlic
  • Shallot
  • Fresh Dill
  • Baby Sweet Leaf Spring Blend
  • Cherry Tomatoes
  • Pepitas
  • Fresh Mint
  • Fresh Cilantro
  • Pickled Red Onions
  • Goat Cheese optional
A finished plate of Moroccan-Inspired Roasted Chicken Salad served on a blue and white patterned plate, sitting on a cream countertop. Another plate is visible on the side, the serving bowl of salad, and a small dish of pickled red onions. Another small dish of pepitas and a purple napkin are on the counter as well. In the background is an out-of-focus jar of dressing.

step-by-step:

step one: prep the oven

Preheat the oven to 400℉ and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step two: prep the chicken and carrots

Pat the chicken dry and set it on the prepared baking sheet along with the carrots. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, harissa, lemon juice, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the contents on the sheet pan and toss until well combined, massaging the marinade into the chicken so that it is well coated.

step three: roast the chicken and carrots

Spread the chicken and veggies into a single layer and transfer to the oven and roast until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown on the top and the carrots are fork tender, about 35 to 40 minutes, tossing halfway through the cook time.

step four: make the dressing

In a blender or using an immersion blender in a wide-mouth jar, add all of the Shallot-Dijon Vinaigrette ingredients and blend until smooth. Set aside.

A clear jar of shallot-dijon vinaigrette for the Moroccan-Inspired Roasted Chicken Salad with a silver spoon dipped into it.

step five: make the salad base

While the chicken finishes cooking, in a large bowl combine the greens, tomatoes, pepitas, mint, and cilantro. Set aside.

step six: shred the chicken

When the cook time to the chicken is complete, set aside enough to cool. When cool enough to handle, remove the chicken meat from the bone and shred into bite sized pieces. Discard the chicken bones and add the shredded chicken back to the sheet pan along with the quartered dates and toss once more so it soaks up some of the delicious spices and flavor from the sheet pan and the dates slightly soften. Set aside.

A sheet pan with roasted carrots, chicken, and dates.

step seven: dress the salad

Drizzle desired amount of dressing over the salad and toss until the greens are well coated.

step eight: assemble the salad and serve!

To plate, place a generous amount of the roasted chicken and carrot mixture on the bottom of a shallow bowl. Place the dressing greens in a pile over the roasted chicken. Finish by topping with some pickled onions, some crumbled goat cheese, and some more mint.

recipe FAQs:

Is this salad dairy-free?

Yes! If you skip the goat cheese, this salad is entirely dairy-free. It is also entirely gluten-free and grain-free.

can I use a different green for the salad base?

I think this would taste delicious with some arugula thrown in, but the spring mix is a great, neutral base to really highlight all the flavors in this salad.

Do I have to use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs?

this lends to the juiciest, most flavorful and tender chicken! I don’t recommend cooking boneless, skinless chicken breasts on a sheet pan- they tend to dry out and lack flavor. You could roast the carrots and toss some shredded rotisserie chicken on the sheet pan at the end and toss to soak up some of the flavor/spices!

If you want a knockout salad that’s packed with both protein and flavor, this Moroccan-Inspired Roasted Chicken Salad is just what you’re looking for! Let me know what you think after you try it.

Looking for more delicious salads? Check these out!

Warm Brussels Sprout + Bacon Caesar Salad

Steakhouse Chopped Salad

Mexican-Inspired Chopped Salad

A finished plate of Moroccan-Inspired Roasted Chicken Salad served on a blue and white patterned plate, sitting on a cream countertop. Another plate is visible on the side, the serving bowl of salad, and a small dish of pickled red onions. Another small dish of pepitas and a purple napkin are on the counter as well.
4.80 from 10 votes

Moroccan-Inspired Roasted Chicken Salad

Dairy-free; gluten-free; grain-free
Servings: 4 people
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Ingredients 

For the Sheet Pan:

  • 2.5 pounds bone-in skin- on chicken thighs
  • 1 pound petite rainbow carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon harissa sauce
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 pitted medjool dates, quartered

For the Shallot-Dijon Vinaigrette:

  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons grainy dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ¼ cup roughly chopped shallot (or 1 small shallot)
  • ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh dill
  • Pinch of salt and pepper

For the Salad:

  • 6 cups baby sweet leaf spring blend
  • 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup pepitas (or roasted and salted pumpkin seeds)
  • ½ cup roughly torn fresh mint leaves plus more for serving
  • ½ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1/3 cup pickled red onions
  • 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (omit for Dairy-Free)

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 400℉ and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Pat the chicken dry and set it on the prepared baking sheet along with the carrots. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, harissa, lemon juice, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the contents on the sheet pan and toss until well combined, massaging the marinade into the chicken so that it is well coated. Spread the chicken and veggies into a single layer and transfer to the oven and roast until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown on the top and the carrots are fork tender, about 35 to 40 minutes, tossing halfway through the cook time.

Meanwhile, make the dressing:

  • In a blender or using an immersion blender in a wide mouth jar, add all of the Shallot-Dijon Vinaigrette ingredients and blend until smooth. Set aside.

Make the Salad:

  • While the chicken finishes cooking, in a large bowl combine the greens, tomatoes, pepitas, mint, and cilantro. Set aside.

Assemble the Salad:

  • When the cook time to the chicken is complete, set aside enough to cool. When cool enough to handle, remove the chicken meat from the bone and shred into bite sized pieces. Discard the chicken bones and add the shredded chicken back to the sheet pan along with the quartered dates and toss once more so it soaks up some of the delicious spices and flavor from the sheet pan and the dates slightly soften. Set aside.
  • Drizzle desired amount of dressing over the salad and toss until the greens are well coated.
  • To plate, place a generous amount of the roasted chicken and carrot mixture on the bottom of a shallow bowl. Place the dressing greens in a pile over the roasted chicken. Finish by topping with some pickled onions, some crumbled goat cheese, and some more mint.

Nutrition

Calories: 744kcal, Carbohydrates: 59g, Protein: 39g, Fat: 42g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 26g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 162mg, Sodium: 1550mg, Potassium: 1467mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 42g, Vitamin A: 20576IU, Vitamin C: 43mg, Calcium: 140mg, Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Author: Alex Snodgrass
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 744
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Food Photography and Styling by Eat Love Eats.

Welcome! I’m Alex.

I’m a food lover sharing healthy, simple, delicious, recipes from my kitchen to yours. Here you’ll find lots of Whole30, lots of healthy, and a little indulgence here and there because…it’s all about balance y’all!

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4.80 from 10 votes

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18 Comments

  1. 3 stars
    The dressing is AMAZING! So much flavor and relatively easy to throw together. My partner was scanning the kitchen after dinner looking for things to use it on just so he could eat more of it.

    The overall dish was so-so for me. The sauce on the sheet pan was good. But it didn’t feel that the carrots belonged in there? It is A LOT of work. (To be fair, Alex noted that but I typically skip right to the recipe and reviews so I missed it, which is on me.)

    It wasn’t bad but I probably won’t make it again – except for the dressing. Sorry Alex! <3

    Reply

  3. 5 stars
    This salad is extremely delicious…my husband declared he could eat it every night and he’s hardly a salad-first guy. The only change I made was to use chicken breasts instead of thighs. I reserved half the harissa mixture. I poached and shredded the chicken, and then tossed the chicken with the seasoning before adding to the carrot sheet pan for the last 5 minutes of cooking to warm up. Will definitely be on the regular rotation!

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    This was 10/10!! Only minor tweak I will make next time is only 1 TBS of honey instead of 2. The dressing was a little sweet for me.

    Reply

  6. 5 stars
    When my husband ate this, he imitated Paul Hollywood from Great British Bake Off and gave me a handshake and said that this salad was incredible! The flavors were absolutely delicious. The best meal to eat after a season of sweets and transitioning to a year of healthy choices!

    Reply

  7. I made this salad for some very picky eaters (my parents) and EVERYONE LOVED IT! Perfect for post-holiday meals where you don’t want to sacrifice flavor but you want something a bit lighter. This is a winter staple for sure!

    Reply

  8. 5 stars
    This was an incredible salad – I loved it! So did my 18 year old son who is not picky but also not the easiest to please. I had most of the ingredients on hand since I cook so many of Alex’s dishes so it came together pretty easily. I accidentally bought boneless thighs and just cooked them for less time and worked out great. I also omitted the honey as I had a honey infused white wine vinegar and wanted the dressing a little less sweet. Subbed pepitos for pistachios because that is what I had…so incredibly good! Alex always knocks it out of the park.

    Reply