These Mix & Match Mason Jar Salad Recipes make healthy lunches easy – they're great for meal prep and will keep your salad fresh for days!
I love making these in the summer to take with me on the go. Plus, I get so many compliments about how pretty they are every time I take them for work!
Why you'll love mason jar salads
- Great for meal prep: Pre-make your salad, layer it in a jar, then grab it on your way out the door. It's the perfect way to prep a healthy salad!
- Mix and match ingredients: Try out different dressings and toppings until you find a combo you love.
Why should you make salad in a jar?
Mason jar salads are the perfect grab and go lunches. You can try different dressing and ingredient combos to avoid meal prep fatigue, and you can make the salads ahead of time then mix them up when you're ready to eat.
In this post, I'll teach you how to build the ultimate mason jar salad, how to overlap different ingredients, and why you should start meal prepping your salads in jars. These salads will have you enjoying healthy lunches in no time!
How to layer a mason jar salad
When prepping your mason jar salad, layering is key! You want to ensure you layer your jars properly so that everything stays as fresh as possible.
- Layer 1 – Dressing: This ensures that the rest of your toppings don't get soggy.
- Layer 2 – Crisp Ingredients: This is where you'll put ingredients that won't get soggy like red onion, edamame, etc.
- Layer 3 – Grains, Lentils & Protein: The crisp ingredients will act as a barrier between the dressing and the grains or protein.
- Layer 4 – Cheese: Place any cheese on top of the grains and protein.
- Layer 5 – Leafy Greens: The leafy greens should always go on the very top, right before you add on the lid. This keeps everything as fresh as possible.
Mason Jar Salad Tips & Tricks
There are a few tips and tricks to keep in mind when you're preparing and enjoying your salad in a jar:
- Ingredient prep: Cook the chicken ahead of time, chop up all the veggies, make the salad dressings and cook the quinoa.
- Layer everything in order: Ensure you're layering the ingredients in the correct order (see above) to keep all the ingredients as fresh as possible.
- Shake up the jars before serving: Give the jar a good shake, then dump everything into a bowl and dig in.
- Switch up the ingredients: Try out different healthy salad dressings, switch up the protein and add in any ingredients you're craving or have on hand!
- Pack tightly: Compress the ingredients slightly to minimize air, keeping the salad fresher for longer.
- Keep it cold: Store jars in the fridge until ready to eat to keep ingredients crisp and fresh.
- Keep toppings separate: Add crunchy toppings like nuts, croutons, or tortilla strips just before eating to prevent sogginess.
Frequently asked questions
How long will salad last in a mason jar?
If stored properly, most mason jar salad recipes can last 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator. Keep in mind that some ingredients stay fresher in the fridge for longer than others!
Should I eat the salad out of the jar?
You definitely can! Just give the jar a few good shakes and then take off the lid and enjoy! It can be a bit tricky though, so feel free to dump everything into bowl or on a plate after shaking it up.
What size mason jar is best for salads?
The sizes most commonly used for salad recipes are the pint (16 oz) and quart (32oz) size jars. I've used the 16 oz size mason jars for the recipes pictured. I'd also recommend using a wide mouth jar opening, since it's easier to get ingredients in and out.
Meal prepping mason jar salads
- Storing: Once you've assembled your salads in the jars, they'll last in the fridge for up to 5 days, depending on what ingredients you use. Make sure you store the jars upright so the dressing doesn't get the other ingredients soggy.
- Serving: When you're ready to enjoy, just shake up the salad and eat it right out of the jar or dump it into a bowl and eat from there.
- Ingredient prep: You can also prep a bunch of the ingredients ahead of time. Mix up the salad dressings and store them in the fridge for 1 to 2 weeks. You can also cook the chicken and quinoa a couple days in advance. Note that if you make the chicken and quinoa ahead of time, you should eat those salads within 2 to 3 days.
More mason jar salad recipes
Meal prep tools
- These are the mason jars I used in this recipe.
- You can get larger 32oz mason jars too!
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you would rather layer these salads in a different container.
- I like this salad dressing shaker to make homemade dressings easier.
- These colourful mason jar lids are so fun and perfect if you lose your lids.
- I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
How to Make Mason Jar Salads + 5 Recipes
Ingredients
Make ahead ingredients
- 1-2 chicken breasts (depends on how many jars you're making – 1 breast per two jars is standard)
- 1 cup quinoa (dry)
Tex Mex salad jars
- chicken
- cherry tomatoes, sliced
- red onion, diced
- grated cheddar cheese
- lettuce, chopped
Tex Mex dressing
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 pinch each salt and pepper
Greek salad jars
- chickpeas
- cucumber
- cherry tomatoes, sliced
- red onion, diced
- baby spinach
Greek dressing
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 pinch each salt and pepper
Caprese salad jars
- quinoa
- cherry tomatoes, sliced
- bocconcini cheese
- red onion, diced
- baby spinach
Balsamic dressing
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 pinch each salt and pepper
Ranch salad jars
- chicken
- cucumber
- cherry tomatoes, sliced
- grated cheddar cheese
- lettuce, chopped
Ranch dressing
- 1-2 tbsp bottled ranch dressing
Green goddess salad jars
- chickpeas
- quinoa
- cucumber
- edamame
- spinach
Green goddess dressing
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp packed cilantro or parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp sour cream
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 pinch each salt & pepper
Instructions
- Cook make-ahead ingredients: Bake chicken breasts with a little bit of olive oil, salt & pepper in a 400 F for 20 min. When cooled, dice up into 1-inch pieces. Meanwhile, make quinoa in a rice cooker – combine 1 cup quinoa with 2 cups water and cook until all liquid is absorbed.
- Mix together dressing of choice – you can use the homemade versions listed above or store-bought versions to save time. Each salad jar should require only 1-2 tbsp of dressing.
- Add dressing of choice to the bottom of a 16-oz mason jar. Layer in ingredients of choice in order of what is listed. For instance, for the Mexican jars, add in chicken, cherry tomatoes, red onion, cheese and lettuce to the jar in that order.
- Jars will keep in fridge up to 4 or 5 days. For easy meal prep, cook chicken and quinoa ahead of time up to 24 hours in advance so all you have to do is assemble.
- Serve by shaking mason jar so dressing gets distributed, then dump in a large bowl to eat. Enjoy!
Video
Comments & Reviews
토지노 says
Your blog is a true hidden gem on the internet. Your thoughtful analysis and engaging writing style set you apart from the crowd. Keep up the excellent work!
Deryn Ahasic says
Can’t get enough of these!!! Super easy!