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Strawberry Grilled Chicken Salad

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What we have here is a taste of summer!

This Strawberry Grilled Chicken Salad features a tangy strawberry marinade that doubles as a dressing, grilled chicken, fresh strawberries, lots of crunchy veg, toasty nuts, and crumbles of feta cheese. It is a flavor explosion in every bite.

This strawberry marinade situation is something special. It’s the perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and bright. It imparts a ton of flavor to the chicken and works perfectly as a strawberry dressing.

The strawberries are heavenly right now, so this is a great way to have them work double duty for dinner.

Entree-style salads like this one happen with more and more frequency in our house during the summer months. Not only because we can’t seem to get enough cool and fresh meals, but I lose a lot of motivation to constantly be cooking in the hot summer.

So, I’ll prep the marinade, set aside half for the dressing, prep and grill the chicken (oftentimes, doubling the recipe), and we’ll eat it over the course of a few meals.

Easy peasy without sacrificing an ounce of flavor!

Ingredients You’ll Need for This Strawberry Grilled Chicken Salad:

  • Fresh strawberries
  • Shallot or red onion
  • Strawberry jam
  • White balsamic or white wine vinegar
  • Dijon mustard
  • Avocado oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Chicken breasts or tenders
  • Mixed greens (or any salad green you prefer)
  • Cucumber
  • Pickled red onions (or raw red onions)
  • Marcona almonds or pistachios
  • Feta cheese (goat cheese or blue cheese would also be great here)

How to Make This Strawberry Grilled Chicken Salad:

  • For the marinade/dressing, start by blending all the ingredients until smooth, thickened, and emulsified. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
  • Pour half the marinade into a measuring cup and set aside to use for dressing the salad.
  • Pour the remaining half over the chicken and marinate for at least 2 hours (longer is even better).
  • Grill the chicken, brushing it with the residual marinade, until cooked through. Allow to rest and then slice for the salad.
  • To a large mixing bowl, add the greens, strawberries, cucumbers, onions, and nuts.
  • Add the sliced chicken and a few tablespoons of the reserved dressing. Toss the salad well to combine and coat in the dressing, adding more if you prefer. Season the salad with a little salt and pepper.
  • Sprinkle in the crumbled feta, divide between serving dishes, and serve!

Other Recipes You Might Enjoy:

Sweet, tangy, crunchy, and bright! Everything you want in a summer meal.

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Strawberry Grilled Chicken Salad

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  • Author: Molly
  • Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
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Description

This Strawberry Grilled Chicken Salad is a taste of summer in every bite! A strawberry marinade that doubles as a dressing gives the grilled chicken a fruity-tangy bite. Paired with lots of fresh veg, juicy strawberries, toasty nuts, and tangy feta cheese – it’s a flavor-packed summer experience!

Ingredients

Scale

For the Marinade/Dressing:

  • 1 cup diced fresh strawberries
  • 1 shallot, minced (or 2 tablespoons red onion)
  • 1/4 cup strawberry jam
  • 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 1/3 cup avocado oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Salad:

  • 1 lb chicken breasts or tenders
  • 8 cups mixed greens (or any salad green you prefer)
  • 1 cup sliced or diced fresh strawberries
  • 1 cup sliced cucumber
  • 1/2 cup pickled red onions (or raw red onions)
  • 1/2 cup toasted marcona almonds or pistachios
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (goat cheese or blue cheese would also be great here)

Instructions

For the Marinade/Dressing:

  1. Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, thickened, and emulsified.
  2. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
  3. Pour half the marinade into a measuring cup and set aside to use for dressing the salad.

For the Chicken:

  1. Place the chicken in a baking dish and season well with salt and pepper.
  2. Pour over the remaining half of the marinade. Toss to coat and then cover the baking dish. Marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours (or up to overnight).
  3. When you are ready to cook the chicken, remove it from the fridge to sit at room temperature while you preheat your grill to medium-high. Oil your grill grates (this important – the natural sugars in the marinade can make the chicken stick otherwise).
  4. Cook for 2 minutes on one side, brush liberally with the residual marinade, and then cook for another 2 minutes on the other side. Continue to brush and flip the chicken until completely cooked through, about 8-10 minutes total (depending on the size of your chicken pieces).
  5. Remove the chicken from the grill, tent with foil, and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before thinly slicing.

To Serve:

  1. To a large mixing bowl, add the greens, strawberries, cucumbers, onions, and nuts.
  2. Add the sliced chicken and a few tablespoons of the reserved dressing. Toss the salad well to combine and coat in the dressing, adding more if you prefer. Season the salad with a little salt and pepper.
  3. Sprinkle in the crumbled feta, divide between serving dishes, and serve.
  • Prep Time: 2 hours (inactive marinating time)
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: salads





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