Mason Jar Salad (6 Easy Recipes)

How To Layer A Salad In A Jar

Here I explain the best way to layer the ingredients for any mason jar salad. For measurements and my specific recipes, see the recipe card.

The key to making a salad in a jar last long enough is to layer your ingredients in the right order! This is especially to keep your greens crisp and fresh, but the order of other ingredients also matters a bit. I’ve found this order works best:

1. Dressing – The dressing always goes in first, the furthest possible away from your greens (which are last). My mason jar salads below use homemade dressings, but you can totally take a shortcut with a store-bought dressing if you like.
2. Hearty Vegetables – After the dressing, your next ingredient needs to be something that can withstand sitting in dressing without ruining its texture. Hard veggies work well for this, such as cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers, onions, corn, broccoli, radishes, or peas. You can also choose ones that would taste good marinated, such as olives or artichokes. If you don’t have something sturdy, your next best bet is to move on to your protein. Some of my salads below do this.
3. Proteins – Add any kind you like! I use leftover chicken or shredded Instant Pot chicken most often, but sometimes I make my mason jar salad with cooked ground beef, taco meat, baked shrimp, flaked baked salmon, or even leftover tuna salad. You can also use chickpeas or beans for a vegetarian protein. I don’t usually put grains or pasta in my salads, but you can layer them above or below your protein.
4. Watery Vegetables & Fruit – When I say “watery”, I mean the type that tends to release water when sitting in dressing, or really anything that you’d imagine getting soggy. Think cut tomatoes, mushrooms, and virtually any type of fruit. Another reason fruit can’t be too far down is to avoid crushing it.
5. Eggs & Cheese – Hard boiled eggs and softer cheeses can be fragile, so I place them after the heavier meat or poultry. Plus, they create a dry barrier between the delicate veggies and fruit (which can often be more watery) and the nuts/seeds and greens that come next. If your mason jar salad has both egg and cheese, it doesn’t matter which is first.
6. Nuts & Seeds – You want to maintain their crunch, so they go towards the top. If you want to add something else crispy, like croutons, cheese crisps, or roasted chickpeas, I recommend placing those in this layer as well.
7. Greens – Add your lettuce, spinach, kale, arugula, or other greens on top. If you want to add fresh herbs to your salad, such as fresh basil, those go here, too.

What Kind Of Jar To Use

What type and size mason jar to use for salad is somewhat a matter of your preference, but I’ve got suggestions. 😉 Here are the 2 main things to consider:

Volume

I use and highly recommend these wide-mouth 32 oz jars. Greens take up a lot of space, plus a larger size gives you more flexibility. I designed my ingredient ratios below to fit the 32-oz size, and these make a good-sized meal salad!

If you have a lighter appetite, you can use smaller 16-oz jars and just use half the amounts of the ingredients. You can also double my mason jar salad recipes to pack in a 64-oz jar. This makes them shareable (my husband and I sometimes share one big salad).

Mouth Type

Wide mouth jars make it easier to layer the ingredients evenly, so I highly recommend those, but regular can still work. (Bonus: You can also use wide mouth jars to make my homemade mayo!)

Can you use a different type of container?

Yes, as long as it’s tall and narrow, with a lid. The key is to keep the dressing and wet ingredients far away from the greens and dry ingredients, so a narrow vessel works best to do that.

That’s why I like large glass jars the most! Plus, glass is non-reactive and will keep your mason jar salad fresh.

6 Mason Jar Salad Recipes

Here’s an overview of my mason jar salads to show you the different kinds you can make. I included pictures of each and my full-size recipes that inspired them. I did scale them down to jar size with amounts on the recipe card below.

You can use my formula above with any dressing, veggies, greens, and protein you have on hand, but I turned 6 of my favorite easy and healthy salad recipes into mason jar salads to get you started! I also added protein for ones that didn’t already have a protein… you know, to make them meal-worthy.

Greek Chicken Salad

Tangy, fresh, and totally packed with Mediterranean vibes, my Greek chicken salad is a favorite around here! This version has the crunchy cucumbers, sweet tomatoes, red onions for bite, creamy feta, and Greek dressing like my regular Greek salad, but I’ve added greens and chicken.

Taco Salad

I scaled down my popular taco salad into Mason jar form! It’s got everything you love about tacos, minus the shell! Juicy seasoned beef, crisp romaine, creamy avocado, and tangy salsa come together for a fresh, flavorful bowl of goodness.

Chef Salad

My chef salad is the perfect mix of fresh, crunchy veggies and hearty protein! With juicy ham, creamy cheese, hard-boiled eggs, and crisp romaine, it’s super satisfying and so easy to make. You’ll love the homemade Thousand island dressing!

Caprese Chicken Salad

A meal-sized twist on a classic Caprese salad! You’ve got your creamy mozzarella, sweet cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil, but the added lettuce and chicken make it a meal. You don’t even need to mix a separate dressing for this one.

Strawberry Spinach Salmon Salad

One of my favorite ways to upgrade a strawberry spinach salad is to add flaky baked salmon, and it’s the perfect combo for a mason jar salad. The juicy strawberries, creamy goat cheese, crunchy almonds, and sweet poppy seed dressing pair perfectly with the fish. This is the kind of salad you wouldn’t expect to last for days, but it really does stay fresh when you pack it in a jar!

Chicken Caesar Salad

This chicken Caesar salad is always a hit at my house! It has the usual crisp romaine, juicy chicken, parmesan, and crunchy croutons, but I add tomatoes to mine as well, and what really makes it stand out is the homemade Caesar dressing. And it’s one of the easiest ones to throw together!

Storage Notes

Most types of mason jar salad will last in the fridge for 3-5 days, as long as you layer them correctly and cover tightly with lids.

Remember, keep your greens and anything that gets soggy away from the dressing!

How To Eat Your Mason Jar Salad

Hello, instant lunch! First, turn the jar upside down and shake vigorously to disperse the dressing as much as possible.

Then, you can eat the salad right out of the jar, but it’s much easier to dump it into a bowl. Why?

• Mixing – If your jars are packed tightly like mine, the dressing doesn’t always coat everything in the jar. I still shake it to start, but then finish mixing after it’s in the bowl. If you really want to eat your salad out of the jar, I recommend leaving some space inside (don’t pack it all the way to the top).
• Eating – I find that it’s hard to reach into the jar to eat, especially towards the bottom.

Cheers to making your lunches a little easier! 🙌