Smoky Brown Sugar Chicken & Kale Salad
with Apple, Roasted Carrots, Sunflower Seeds & Honey Dijon Dressing
- Eggs
Bourbon in a salad? Sounds crazy, we know. But, don’t worry—you won’t be raiding your liquor cabinet for this meal! Our brown sugar bourbon seasoning blend brings sweetness and depth of flavor to pan-seared chicken. It's served over tender kale packed with roasted carrots, raisins, and crisp apple slices, then topped with sunflower seeds for crunch and a honey-Dijon drizzle to complement the spiced bourbon chicken. Trust us—it’s worth a shot!
Ingredients
½ ounce
Sunflower Seeds
6 ounce
Carrot
4 ounce
Kale
1 unit
Brown Sugar Bourbon Seasoning
2 unit
Sun-Maid Raisins
3 ounce
Honey Dijon Dressing
(Contains: Eggs)
1 unit
Apple
10 ounce
Chicken Cutlets
Not included in your delivery
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
2 teaspoon (tsp)
Cooking Oil
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry produce. • Trim, peel, and cut carrots on a diagonal into ½-inch-thick pieces. Toss on a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. • Roast on top rack until lightly browned and tender, 20-25 minutes. • Let cool for at least 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, remove and discard any large stems from kale; chop into bitesize pieces. Halve, core, and thinly slice half the apple (whole apple for 4 servings).
• Place kale in a large bowl and lightly season with salt. Using your hands, massage kale (similar to how you would knead dough), until leaves are tender, 30-60 seconds. TIP: To make kale even more tender, add a drizzle of olive oil along with the salt before massaging.
• Pat chicken* dry with paper towels and season all over with Brown Sugar Bourbon Seasoning, salt, and pepper. • Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, 5-7 minutes per side. • Transfer to a cutting board; let rest at least 5 minutes.
• Add California Sun-Dried Raisins, roasted carrots, and sliced apple to bowl with kale. Season with salt and pepper. • Reserve a half packet of dressing (whole packet for 4 servings) in a small bowl for serving. Drizzle salad with remaining dressing to taste; toss to combine.
• Thinly slice chicken crosswise. • Divide salad between bowls and top with chicken. Drizzle with reserved dressing. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds and serve.
Chicken is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 165º.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many loved the unexpected combination of flavors, with the smoky-sweet chicken complementing the fresh, tangy salad 🍲.
- Ease of prep: Quick and simple to make, with helpful tips like massaging the kale making it more tender and enjoyable.
- Suggestions: Consider adding feta cheese, candied nuts, or a splash of balsamic for extra flavor depth.
- Portions: Some found it light; adding extra chicken or quinoa can make it more filling for heartier appetites.
- Leftovers: Tastes great the next day, though the kale may soften; consider keeping components separate for best results.
Reviews from our home cooks
I recently tried the Smokey Brown Sugar Chicken Salad from Yellow Fresh, and it was a great light meal option-perfect for lunch! The veggies were super fresh and crisp, which made the salad feel really refreshing. The brown sugar seasoning on the chicken added just the right amount of sweetness with a hint of smoky flavor that paired really well with the greens. Prep was quick and easy, which I appreciated on a busy day. The portion was satisfying without feeling heavy, and I even found myself snacking on some of the ingredients as I put it together (they were that good!). Overall, a simple, tasty, and convenient salad-definitely something I'd order again when I want a healthy, no-fuss meal.
This is a delicious meal, the kale salad is a nice change. Love the apples, cranberries and carrots added to the salad. Can't say there was much flavor on the chicken. Next time I will let the smoky brown sugar seasoning sit on the chicken in the refrigerator for an hour or so prior to cooking
WOW! fantastic flavor with the smoky brown sugar chicken. Didn't think you could make kale taste so good. Loved all the veggies.
Really different, but oh so delicious 😋 I never would have thought to put roasted carrot in a kale/apply salad. The brown sugar chicken was phenomenal.
One of the better salads I've had in quite a while. The chicken with the smoky brown sugar seasoning was great. A nice counterpoint to everything else in the meal.
No time to roast carrots, so sliced and ate them on the side with the honey mustard dressing. The smoky brown sugar seasoning is yummy on the chicken.
Turned out even better than its name. The chicken rub was tasty without being overly sweet or smoky. Instead of roasting the carrots, I added them to the salad raw. The combination of kale, carrots and apples, dried cranberries and sunflower seeds was terrific from the first bite to the last.
Delicious. I was not a huge fan of kale, but Hello Fresh taught me how to prepare it (light massage with oil & salt). And the brown sugar rub mix is fantastic. Loved this salad!!!
Salad: excellent taste and texture. Chicken needed a true brown sugar glaze instead of just the dry rub
This was delicious! Great mix of textures, the brown sugar coating on chicken complemented the roasted carrots well, and honey Dijon dressing was perfect. Surprise favorite this week.
