⭐️ Hot Honey Chicken & Halloumi Salad ⭐️
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Total time: 45 mins
Sweet, spicy, crunchy and protein-packed , this is the glow up your lunch has been waiting for. Sticky roasted chicken plus golden halloumi cubes, tossed through a colourful salad with that hot honey drizzle. Absolute game changer.
Stuff that’s in it
Makes 4 portions
400g raw chicken breast, whole
200g halloumi cheese, cut into 1–2cm cubes (about 50g per portion)
2 pouches wholegrain microwave rice (500g cooked)
160g tinned chickpeas, drained and rinsed ( I used queen chick peas from marks)
100g cooked sweetcorn (drained if from a can)
1 large carrot, grated or julienned
1 small courgette, grated or julienned
1 red pepper, finely sliced
Large handful rocket or spinach
3 tbsp red onion, very thinly sliced
Optional extras: radish, shredded cabbage, chopped tomato, cucumber
For the sticky spiced chicken marinade
1 tbsp runny honey
1 tsp tomato purée
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp garlic granules
½ tsp onion granules
½ tsp cornflour
¼ tsp cayenne pepper (or more if you like it hot)
1 tsp lemon juice
Zest of ½ lemon
1 tsp dried parsley
Salt and black pepper
Drizzle of olive oil
For the hot honey dressing
4 tbsp runny honey
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 jalapeño, finely chopped (or 1 tsp jarred chopped jalapeño)
1 tsp paprika
Big pinch cayenne pepper
Salt and black pepper
What you do
1. Marinate your chicken: mix everything for the sticky spiced marinade into a paste and coat the chicken all over. Roast on a tray at 200°C fan for 20–25 mins, flipping halfway, until golden, sticky and cooked through. Rest for a few minutes, then slice or shred.
2. Fry your halloumi cubes in a non-stick pan with a tiny drizzle of oil for 2–3 mins each side until golden.
3. If serving immediately, Tip your rice into a big bowl – warm or cold, up to you. Add chickpeas, sweetcorn, and all the veg. Shake the dressing in a jar, drizzle it over and toss everything together.
4. Top with the sticky chicken, pile on the golden halloumi, and finish with an extra drizzle of hot honey.
💡 If meal prepping, you can leave the rice out and add it fresh before serving.
⚠️ If you do include the rice, cool it quickly after cooking and eat within 24 hours if reheating.
⭐️ Meal Prep Tweak ⭐️
👉 To keep the halloumi fresh and bouncy, prep everything except the cheese ahead of time.
• Portion the rice, chickpeas, veg and chicken into containers.
• Store your hot honey dressing separately.
• When ready to eat, fry 50g halloumi fresh for 2–3 mins until golden, then toss onto your salad and drizzle with dressing.
This way you get all the convenience of batch-prep but still enjoy that crisp, just-cooked halloumi.
Serves: 4
Per portion (approx, with halloumi cooked fresh):
Carbs 44g | Fat 13g | Sat fat 6g
Fibre 6–7g | Protein 36g | Calories ~540 kcal
✅ Gluten-free (check your vinegar and dressings)
🌱 Can be vegetarian – swap chicken for extra halloumi, tofu, or beans
✅ Batch-prep friendly – 2–3 days in the fridge (cook halloumi fresh)
❄️ Freezer-friendly (without the halloumi, rocket, and dressing)
Dining and Cooking