This grilled chicken salad recipe introduces a favorite side dish to serve at picnics, barbecues, potlucks,… Grab a few basic pantry ingredients and a creamy and tasty salad with fresh summer flavors will be ready in minutes!
Is Grilled Chicken Salad Healthy?
Grilled chicken salad is a hearty salad loaded with lean protein and vibrant veggies. It makes a balanced, filling, and keto-friendly dish with only 7.8 grams of carbohydrate.
So the answer is yes, it is a healthy side salad that’s suitable for many occasions.
Main Ingredients
For the grilled chicken, it’ll be particularly time-saving if you pull it out with rotisserie chicken or any leftovers from yesterday, then give it some grill marks and shred it up. Remember, don’t do it without soy sauce, garlic powder or red pepper flakes.
1. Grilled Chicken for Salad
For this grilled chicken salad recipe, though it’s best to use a freshly cooked batch of chicken, you can consider last night’s leftover rotisserie or canned chicken to save time and effort prepping.
When it is done, give it some time to rest to prevent the juices from escaping before slicing the chicken into thin slices. Remember to use a meat thermometer to test the doneness of the chicken to avoid being cooked.
2. Vegetables
You may have long known how Greek yogurt is one of the nicest substitutes for mayonnaise to provide a similar creaminess. But little did you know it can also brings out an excellent result when combined with avocado.
Avocado is always a plus to us, but you can skip it at any time and add vegetables of your choice. Avocado aside, we have all the classic salad ingredients that you’d need in this recipe— lettuce, tomatoes, onions, avocado— you name it.
Whatever vegetables you’re adding, remember to chop them small so they’re in comparable size with the grilled chicken as well as each other.
Grilled Chicken Salad Dressing
This salad is coated with mesmerizing syrup made of mustard, honey, lemon juice, and ground black pepper. It’s definitely a go-to salad for any honey-mustard aficionado.
You can, of course, use any dressing you want as long as it will go well with the flavors.
How to Make Grilled Chicken Salad
Marinate the chicken: Marinate the chicken thighs with garlic, oregano, salt, paprika, 1/4 tsp of ground black pepper, and 1/2 tsp of lemon juice. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Grill the chicken: Grill the chicken in the oven for 25 minutes at 400℉. Allow it to cool down and slice into thick strips.
Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, mustard, honey, 1 tbsp of lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp of ground black pepper.
Toss: On a large plate, assemble chicken together with romaine lettuce, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and avocado.
Serve: Drizzle dressing all over and toss everything together. Sprinkle some parsley and serve immediately.
What Else Goes With Grilled Chicken Salad?
While making, it’s totally okay for you to swap in your favorite veggies and cheese. Just shred the meat to pieces, then go jamming up the mixing all you want.
1. Sandwich
Grilled chicken salad can pull out excellent flavors when piled on croissants, lettuce leaves, or endive boats. Don’t hesitate to toast yourself some slices of whole-grain bread if you’re in the good mood for it!
2. Spinach
Spinach doesn’t store very well after being tossed into salads. Once the salad is assembled, it needs to be eaten soon; otherwise, the balsamic seasoning will sweeten the greens, and soften the almonds.
3. Strawberry
Our grilled chicken salad recipe also recommends adding some additional berries like blackberries or raspberries. You can also swap out strawberries or blueberries for a different berry.
Grilled Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 14 oz skinless boneless chicken thigh
- 2 tsp garlic minced
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper divided
- 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp traditional Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp parsley chopped
- 4 oz romaine lettuce
- 2 oz cucumber sliced
- 3 oz cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 oz red onion julienned
- 2 oz avocado sliced
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉.
- Marinate the chicken thighs with garlic, oregano, salt, paprika, 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper, and 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Grill the chicken in the oven for 25 minutes, until both sides are browned and cooked through evenly.
- In the meantime, make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, mustard, honey, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper.
- Allow the chicken to cool down and slice into thick strips (see images for reference).
- On a large plate, assemble chicken together with romaine lettuce, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and avocado.
- Drizzle dressing all over and toss everything together. Sprinkle some parsley and serve immediately.
Nutrition
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FAQ
1. How Many Calories Are in Grilled Chicken?
This grilled chicken salad provides 247 calories per serving. In which, there’s only 7.8 grams of carbohydrate, making it a great choice for low-carb diet.
2. How Long Does Grilled Chicken Salad Last?
Store this salad in an airtight container and it will last about a week in the fridge. When reheat, you can add some extra dressing to make it moist and toss it one more time before serving.
3. Can You Freeze?
Yes, grilled chicken salad can be frozen when stored the same way as when refrigerating.
However, we have to admit that leftover grilled chicken salad really doesn’t freeze well. We’d suggest estimating your serving portion carefully before making so you could finish it at once without having to keep the leftover for days.
Prepping this salad ahead is also a great solution for you to save time while still get to enjoy a hot and freshly cooked salad. To do so, simply grill the chicken and prep the veggies beforehand, store them separately, and start combining them together when you’re ready to eat.
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