Lets talk about the best way to make Mason Jar Salads. They’re perfect for meal prep because they’ll keep your salads fresh for up to 4-5 days in most cases. And, best of all, they’re super quick and easy to make.
In this post, I’m sharing exactly how to layer your mason jar salads to maximize freshness. I’m also sharing a couple of recipes to help get your started, including my Mason Jar Cobb Salad and Mason Jar Taco Salad. Pretty much any type of salad can be prepped in a jar. If you’re always on-the-go or work away from home, you’ll love incorporating these into your lunch meal prep.
Why You’ll Love Mason Jar Salads
- Perfect for Meal Prep: There’s a very strategic way to layering your salads, which you’ll see below, in order to maximize freshness (no soggy lettuce!). And, because of this layering process, you can expect your salads to stay fresh for up to 4-5 days in the fridge, which makes it great for meal prepping.
- Flexibility: Get creative and mix and match your favorite ingredients until you come up with your “perfect” salad. The flavor combinations are endless with mason jar salads.
- Grab and Go: This is a true grab and go healthy lunch recipe.
What are Mason Jar Salads?
Mason jar salads are exactly what they sound like – salads prepped in a mason jar (aka salad-in-a-jar). The salad-in-a-jar method can be done with any type of jar, technically, but the wide-mouth mason jars work best from my experience. And, you can use the pint size or quart size depending on how big you want your salad to be.
How to Layer Mason Jar Salads
Laying is key when prepping your salads. The last thing you want is soggy lettuce! Here’s how I suggest laying your salads:
- Layer 1 – Add Salad Dressing. Always add the dressing or salsa to the bottom of the jar first to avoid getting the more “crisp” ingredients soggy.
- Layer 2 – Add items that can “marinate” without affecting texture much.
- Cucumber, Tomatoes, onions, betts, carrots, celery, cabbage, mango, apple, etc.
- Layer 3 – Add Proteins and Grains.
- Chicken, Beef, Turkey, Chickpeas, Lentils, Beans, Bacon, Boiled Eggs, etc.
- Layer 4 – Add any remaining ingredients (except greens, nuts, and seeds)
- Cheese, other vegetables, quinoa, rice, etc.
- You can even add some of the vegetables and fruit mentioned above (layer 2) here if you prefer it that way.
- Layer 5 – Add Greens and Herbs.
- Leafy Greens, Romaine, Iceberg Lettuce, Cilantro, Parsley, etc.
- If making pasta salad, add noodles in place of the greens.
- Layer 6 – Add Nuts and Seeds
- Almonds, Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Cashews, etc.
How to Eat Mason Jar Salads
When you’re ready to consume your salad, it’s as simple as dumping, tossing, and enjoying!
- Step 1: Dump. Add everything in the jar into a bowl.
- Step 2: Toss. Give it a good toss to make sure everything is fully combined.
- Step 3: Add fresh ingredients (optional). If you prefer adding fresh ingredients here, such as avocado, nuts, or seeds, feel free to do so.
- Step 4: Enjoy! Dig in and enjoy your salad!
What Size Mason Jar for Salads
What size mason jar for your salads will depend on how small or big you want your salads to be. I suggest using either pint size or quart size jars. Personally, I always use quart size. And, it’s important to use wide mouth mason jars as it makes it much easier to add the ingredients when prepping your salads (and dumping them).
- Pint Size Jars: great for smaller salads and pasta salads.
- Quart Size Jars: great for larger salads with lots of bulk, such as leafy greens and bulky vegetables.
Pro Tips and FAQs
- Use Wide Mouth Jars. This makes it much easier to add the ingredients and dump them into the bowl when ready to serve.
- Room Temperature Ingredients. Always allow your cooked ingredients to cool down completely before adding them to the jars.
- Fill the Jar. The more air you can push out of the jar, the longer the salads will stay fresh based on my experience. So, be generous with the lettuce!
- Never Freeze. Mason jar salads are not freezer friendly. Always consume within 4-5 days.
- Layering Salads. Be sure to follow the recommended order I listed above to maximize freshness and avoid soggy ingredients.
Meal Prepping Your Salads
Prepping and layering your salads in jars makes them perfect for meal prep because they’ll stay fresh for up to 4-5 days and it encourages you to eat more salads throughout the week.
- Prepping. Prep all the individual ingredients first. Then, layer them once they’ve all cooled off.
- Storing. Jar salads (when layered correctly) will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
- Serving. When you’re ready to dig in, dump everything into a bowl, toss, and enjoy!
Mason Jar Salad Recipes
- Cobb Salad In A Jar
- Taco Salad In A Jar
- Salad-In-A-Jar Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
How To Make Mason Jar Salads
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 2-3 Tbsp Taco Seasoning
- 2 tsp Avocado Oil
- 1 Yellow Onion, sliced into strips
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, de-seeded and sliced into strips
- 1 Green Bell Pepper, de-seeded and sliced into strips
- 1-2 tsp Taco Seasoning
- 2 C. Salsa
- 1 Avocado, cubed
- 1 Lime, juice only
- 1 C. Fresh or Canned Corn, drained
- 1 Cucumber, chopped
- 1 C. Canned Black Beans, drained
- 5-8 C. Romaine Lettuce, roughly chopped
- 1 Bundle of Cilantro, finely diced
Instructions
- Beef: In a skillet over medium heat, add the ground beef and cook until fully browned. Add the taco seasoning. Toss until it's fully blended into the beef. If needed, add 1/4 C. of water to avoid dryness. Let cook 2-3 more minutes. Remove beef from pan and set aside.
- Grilled Vegetables: In the same skillet, add the avocado oil, onion, and bell pepper. Saute until soft. Season with 1-2 tsp of taco seasoning. Let cook 2-3 more minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Avocado: In a small mixing bowl, add the avocado cubes and the juice from 1 lime. Toss to coat the avocado with the lime juice.
- Layer the Salad: In a quart size mason jar, add 1/2 C. of salsa, 1/4 of the avocado cubes, 1/4 of the ground beef, 1/4 of the sauteed vegetables, 1/4 C. of corn, 1/4 of the chopped cucumber, 1/4 C. of black beans, 1-2 C. of romaine lettuce, 2 Tbsp of chopped cilantro. Add a lid and it's ready to place in the fridge. Repeat this step for all of the mason jar salads (yields 4 jars).
- To Serve: When ready to serve, dump everything into a bowl, toss to combine, and enjoy!
