This kale salad is packed to the max with goodies! Kale is tossed with shredded Brussels sprouts, lots of sweet caramelized onions, crispy bacon and grilled chicken plus a super tasty hot bacon dressing. It’s dairy free and paleo with both Whole30 and keto options.
In my opinion salads can be the absolute best or worst, and I’m sure some of you know what I mean.
Like when we’re traveling and I have to eat a basically plain green salad with sad, scattered strips of “grilled chicken” – yup, the worst. Especially when it’s day after day of that same salad, I shudder! But this salad? Pretty much the best.
You see, when I make a salad at home, I make sure it’s the exact opposite of all the salads I can’t stand. The ones that gives “salad” a bad name! Now this LOADED kale salad might just blow your mind if you’re used to salads being hopelessly boring.
First of all, the green part of this salad isn’t just kale – it’s shredded brussels sprouts, too. I like the combination of the two and also couldn’t decide between them – so we’re getting both.
And yes, we have the chicken. I know that salads need lots of protein and fat to really fill you up, so that’s all there, too. But, the star-duet of this kale salad is the combination of the caramelized onions and hot bacon dressing. The dressing is definitely just as good as it sounds!
If you haven’t truly caramelized onions before, I’ll tell you now that it’s a long – but basically hands off – process. They’re cooked low and slow in coconut oil (or ghee) for about 30-35 minutes, adjusting the heat to prevent any from browning too quickly.
The result is sweet savory MAGIC that tastes like salted caramel to me, for real. They’re just so good! So we have the onions, then some bacon and chicken, and THEN the bacon dressing. Double bacon is always the way to do bacon!
The dressing is made with rendered bacon fat, plus raw apple cider vinegar, seasonings, and a little sweetener. The sweetener you use will vary depending on whether you need this salad to be Paleo, Whole30, or keto.
The dressing is cooked and mixed with crumbled bacon, then poured over the salad. Once you toss everything together, you’ll be ready to start digging in by the handful! Seriously, it’s hard to keep your hands off while making it with all the yummy ingredients!
Another great thing about this salad is that, unlike most salads, you can save the leftovers after dressing it and it’ll be just as good slightly heated up later on. Nothing gets too soggy since you’re dealing with kale and Brussels sprouts, which are sturdy greens that just love dressing!
I hope you’re ready for a salad that you’ll want to make again and again – I’m so sad mine is gone! Grab lots of bacon (and probably an apron!) and let’s go!
Kale Salad with Chicken, Caramelized Onions, and Hot Bacon Dressing {Paleo}
Kale Salad with Chicken, Caramelized Onions, and Hot Bacon Dressing {Paleo}
Ingredients
Salad:
- 4 cups kale chopped
- 2 cups brussels sprouts shredded
- 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil or avocado oil plus sea salt, for kale
- 2 med yellow onions thinly sliced
- 3 Tbsp coconut oil refined, or avocado oil
- Sea salt for the onions
- 1 lb chicken breasts pounded to 1/2” thickness
- Sea salt + pepper for chicken
- 7 slices nitrate free bacon try to go for thicker slices, cut into pieces
Hot Bacon Dressing:
- 1/4 cup bacon fat rendered from cooking your bacon
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup - or date paste for Whole30. Stevia can be used for keto*
- 1 Tbsp mustard I used stone ground
- 1/4 tsp sea salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper or to taste
Instructions
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First, caramelize the onions. Heat a large skillet over med-low heat and add 3 Tbsp coconut oil. Add sliced onions and stir to coat, sprinkle with a bit of sea salt. Cook and periodically stir, for 25-30 minutes, lowering heat or adding a bit more coconut oil as needed to avoid burning. The onions are done when they are a deep golden brown color and very fragrant.
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Meanwhile, cook the chicken. Drizzle a skillet with oil and heat to medium/med-hi (adjust as needed)
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Sprinkle chicken breast on both sides with sea salt and pepper, then grill 4-5 mins on each side or until juices run clear and inside is no longer pink. Set aside covered in aluminum foil.
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Set heat to medium and add bacon pieces. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, then remove with slotted spoon to drain on paper towel. Reserve all the bacon fat.
Make the Dressing:
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Measure your reserved fat and use just 1/4 cup for the dressing. If you’re short, add a little olive or avocado oil. Add hot fat back to the skillet over medium low heat. Whisk in all the remaining dressing ingredients, plus half of the cooked bacon (crumbled) and cook 1-2 more minutes, until hot and bubbly.
Assemble Salad:
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First, massage the kale. Place it in a large bowl and drizzle with the 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Knead the kale with your hands as if kneading bread dough for about 2-3 mins or until desired texture is achieved.
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Transfer kale to a serving bowl and toss with the shredded Brussels sprouts. Slice the chicken or cut into bite size pieces and place on top of the greens. Top with caramelized onions (leave excess oil in the skillet), second half of the bacon, and the hot dressing, toss to coat and combine.
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Serve right away. This salad should be served warm since the dressing is made with bacon fat and will start to solidify if it gets cold. Salad can be reheated in the microwave if necessary. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*If using stevia to sweeten, add in at the end and adjust taste to preference.
**Nutrition is calculated using maple syrup to sweeten the dressing.
Nutrition
Shop Products and Ingredients:
Want More Paleo Salad Recipes? Try One of These!
Crispy Chicken Salad with “Honey” Mustard Dressing
BLT Chicken Salad with Peppercorn Ranch
Brussels Sprouts Salad with Bacon and Apple Vinaigrette
Shrimp Cobb Salad with Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette
Roasted Butternut Salad with Buttermilk Dressing
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This is definitely a salad that I can get behind! I totally know what you mean with those boring salads… they’re the worst. Excited to give this recipe a try!
Tasted like something you would get at a restaurant! So, so tasty and my husband got seconds!
Hey ? I made this for dinner tonight. kiddos werent home -it was just me and hubs and it was delicious, home date meal- I should have taken a pic it was fresh and colorful, – recipe was easy to follow and it was satisfying by itself – hubs didn’t even ask about a side dish
I will make again! It’s a winner! Well of course you already know that ?
Thanks for sharing!
This is the best salad I’ve ever had. I just can’t even… it’s so good. If you don’t try it you’re not living your best life. 🙂
Made this with rotisserie chicken from Costco, threw it together so quickly! My whole family loved it
Perfect!
How much is a serving size? I did a cup. So yummy so I want to make sure I’m not over doing it or not getting all the yumminess in a serving!
Amazing!!!!
Delicious! I made this the other night and it’s a hit. Thank you. I added a chopped apple to add a touch of sweetness and crunch!
This salad is fantastic and has brought me to a new appreciation for kale! The massaging technique seemed ridiculous to me but IT WORKS and I use it for many other recipes now. Amazing. Flavors are spot on. This is a go-to recipe that never makes it far back in the pile.
My husband was blown away by this salad!
I don’t usually comment on recipes, but I wanted to share that I made this for my first dinner on Whole30. It was very good. My husband cleaned his plate. It was a bit labor intensive, but fun. The caramelized onions melt in your mouth and the date added a nice sweetness. I want to say that this would be off the charts with some crumbled goat cheese and homemade croutons. I plan to make it that way next month when I have finished Whole30 Haha. Great recipe. Thank you! We are looking forward to lunch tomorrow.
Just wondering about the date you mentioned??? I don’t see it listed in the recipe but it sounds good. Would you please tell me how you used it. Thanks.
This was amazing! Massaging the kale with oil/salt was a game changer for me. Never much of a kale fan but this technique changed me over to one. This is definitely going to be a salad I make over and over. The only thing I changed was I added some roasted diced sweet potatoes. Love this recipe!
This was absolutely delicious! But honestly every recipe on this site has been amazing! Thank you so much for these wonderful and healthy recipes! I hope to try them all!
Best. Salad. Ever. Yum! This is going into regular rotation around here!
Made this for dinner last night and it was AH-making! I was out of onion, so switched to scallion and it was still good. Added a handful of dried cranberries for sweetness instead. Still SO good! The dressing is going into the regular rotation of dressings I make! Will definitely Make again!! Thanks!
Hi! Any other suggestions for a dressing or replacement for the bacon in the dressing? Thanks
🙋🏻♀️Massage Convert. I vow to always massage my kale from this day forward! This salad was phenomenal! Great recipe!
I made for my lady boss…
This looks so delish! Adding this to the menu plan for the week. This would be great for lunches this week.
Well, this looks super tasty! I’ll have to try this out to change up my salads.
This is the best salad I have ever eaten! It’s out of this world.
Love this so much! Added farro to make it a little more of a dinner meal. It is fantastic!
I’ve made this recipe so many times I can almost do it from memory. My daughter is 27 years old today and she requested it for her birthday dinner – it really IS that good! Thanks, Michelle! This is another winner.
Sorry for misspelling your name! 🙁
This was very enlightening, thank you. URL