Pesto Chicken Mason Jar Salad is a basil pesto covered chicken stacked in a mason jar salad with roasted peppers, balsamic vinaigrette, fresh mozzarella, turkey pepperoni.
Mason jar salads are great for meal prep. They can be made up to 4 days in advance and as long as you stack them correctly, they'll stay fresh!
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I love that mason jar salads can be prepped in advance for lunches. They make excellent meal prep salads that store and travel well.
This salad is my take on an antipasto salad. I've included fresh mozzarella and turkey pepperoni while still keeping the calories under 350.
products I used for pesto chicken mason jar salad
ingredients you'll need
- balsamic vinaigrette - I really like using Bolthouse Farms because it tastes fantastic and is low calorie.
- roasted peppers - I use the roasted red and yellow in the jar that you can find at HEB.
- grape tomatoes - I like to slice them in half so that they fit in the jar better, but you can leave them whole if you'd like.
- fresh mozzarella - fresh mozzarella tastes so much better than any of the pre-shredded or blocked stuff. If you can find fresh mozzarella, I highly recommend it!
- basil chicken breast - You'll want to bake your chicken breasts in a basil pesto. Super quick and easy to do.
- turkey pepperoni - I use turkey pepperoni because it has less fat and isn't as greasy. It is lower in calories and tastes almost identical to regular pepperoni.
- mixed greens - I like using spring mix, but any lettuce mix you like will work.
how to make pesto chicken mason jar salad
Detailed instructions and measurements to make pesto chicken mason jar salad are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Layer your ingredients in the order listed, starting with balsamic vinaigrette. The order of ingredients is important.
- Secure tightly with a lid.
- Store in the refrigerator up to 4 days. You can shake it and eat it straight from the jar or pour it into a bowl.
tips, tricks, and faqs
The point of mason jar salads is to be able to meal prep them in advance while they stay fresh and prevent them from getting soggy.
In order to for this to work, you have to layer the ingredients in the correct order and to secure it tightly with a lid.
I order my ingredients from wet to dry. Some people order them from density, but I find that starting with wet on the bottom, keeps the lettuce from getting soggy.
No. If you layer the ingredients correctly and seal tightly, the lettuce will stay fresh and crisp.
I use quart size jars, which are 32 ounces.
No. If you shake it, the dressing will stick the ingredients instead of the jar.
how to store mason jar salads
Store them upright in the refrigerator until you're ready to eat them. You can store them up to 4 days.
Don't tilt or turn the jar until you are ready to eat the salad. It's important that they stay layered correctly to stay fresh.
other salad recipes you might like
Pesto Chicken Mason Jar Salad
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette
- ½ cup roasted peppers chopped
- ½ cup grape tomatoes chopped
- 1 ounce fresh mozzarella diced
- 4 ounces basil pesto chicken
- 16 slices turkey pepperoni
- 2 cups mixed greens
Instructions
- Layer the ingredients in the order listed above starting with the dressing.
- Secure tightly with a lid.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- When ready to eat, shake and eat straight from the jar or pour into a bowl.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy. It should only be used for estimation purposes and is not a guarantee of any kind. Nutritional information varies widely between brands and types of ingredients used. It is recommended that you calculate the nutritional information based on your own ingredients and brands used. Sweetly Splendid, LLC makes no guarantees as to the exact nutrition information.
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