Only 5 ingredients and it makes a TON; shredded chicken, artichoke hearts, cherry tomato, spinach and easy peasy Whole30 Cilantro Pesto sauce all mixed up and ready to pop in a lettuce wrap or tortilla. Top a salad with it or even a sweet tater, get creative!
THE BIRD
In a pinch or short on time grab a pre made rotisserie chicken and shred it up in bite size strips. Take the skin off if there’s a laundry list of funky ingredients, there’s plenty of flavor in the pesto. You can always grab a whole chicken and your favorite seasonings and bake it at home too. Use your best judgement; you know your body best 🙂
WHY CILANTRO
Traditional pesto is made with basil. Because I find it difficult to get fresh basil all year long I grab the cilantro instead. Usually basil’s pretty darn expensive in stores even when it’s in stock. I really need to get busy on that herb garden idea, sure would make things so much easier and cheap!
Cilantro is readily available all year long and it’s always fresh in the organic section of the grocery. The price is right and the flavor is perfect along with parsley.
STIR IT UP
To complete the Whole30 Cilantro Pesto Chicken Salad grab a big bowl. Add the shredded chicken in. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, chop up the artichoke hearts and spinach into bite size. Throw in a cup of the pesto sauce and stir, that’s it!
CLICK HERE for the Whole30 Cilantro Walnut Pesto sauce. It’s packed with flavor, don’t let the simplicity fool you!
Other Recipes You’ll Love;
Garlic Walnut Pesto (w/ df cheese and basil)
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE!
Whole30 Cilantro Pesto Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1 Whole Rotisserie Chicken
- 1 C Artichoke Hearts
- 1 10 oz Box Cherry Tomato
- 2 C Packed Spinach
- 1 C Cilantro Walnut Pesto (link above!)
Instructions
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Shred up entire rotisserie chicken into small bite size pieces. To be extra careful I always cook the chicken in a sauté pan for another 10 minutes on med-high.
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Drain and loosely chop the artichoke hearts (in water or oil- you pick) and cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Rip the spinach apart into smaller pieces and PACK it into a measuring cup after shredding it up.
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In a large bowl combine all ingredients and a cup of the cilantro pesto sauce (easy to make takes 10 minutes) mix together. Add salt and pepper to taste, top with red pepper flakes for a little heat!
Recipe Notes
Whole30 - Home cooked whole chicken is best, watch the ingredients if buying a pre baked bird. Use artichokes packed in water vs oil