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Why You’ll Love My Recipe
Think salads are boring? This one might change your mind! Loaded with fresh veggies, juicy grilled chicken, and a flavorful homemade dressing, it’s a summertime dish that’s anything but ordinary. Perfect for a hearty lunch or a light dinner!
For the best results, learn how to make juicy Grilled Chicken Breasts for this recipe, or try a simple Chicken Marinade to add even more flavor!
Karlynn’s Recipe Notes
- Skill Level: This recipe is incredibly easy to make, thanks to a simple shaken dressing and quick prep for the fresh veggies!
- Total Time: You can have this salad ready in just 10 minutes.
- Variations: Take this recipe up a notch by adding nuts for crunch, dried cranberries to complement the chicken, or pickled red onions or capers for a tangy twist. Serve your salad as a filling lunch or alongside Grilled Veggies, Classic Homemade Garlic Bread, and Roasted Fingerling Potatoes for a larger, more elaborate meal!
- Tools For This Recipe: You will need a small mason jar for the dressing, plates or bowls for serving, a knife for chopping your veggies, and tongs for tossing and serving.
What You’ll Need for Ingredients
Chicken Breasts: The star of the salad, grilled chicken adds protein and tons of flavor. You can prepare it however you like, but for the best results, I recommend following my Grilled Chicken Breast Recipe for perfectly cooked meat every time!
Lettuce: Chopped romaine lettuce gives this salad a crisp, refreshing base that holds up well to the toppings and dressing. Karlynn’s Tip: Don’t feel limited to romaine here! Try mixing in heartier greens like arugula, spinach, or kale for more flavor and variety.
Veggies: A mix of cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and avocado adds color, texture, and brightness to every bite.
Cheese: Crumbled feta or blue cheese adds a creamy, tangy element that pairs especially well with the chicken and bacon. Karlynn’s Tip: Feel free to switch it up with options like goat cheese, cotija, halloumi, or even cheddar, depending on your preference!
Dressing: This simple homemade dressing combines Dijon mustard, honey, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic, and seasonings for the perfect balance of zesty, sweet, and savory.
How To Make My Grilled Chicken Salad
This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients & complete step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Put the dressing ingredients in a small mason jar, shake to combine, and place in the fridge until ready to use.
- Prepare 4 plates or bowls and divide the lettuce between each.
- Drizzle dressing over the lettuce on each plate.
- Place the grilled chicken breast and your toppings on the lettuce.
- Drizzle the remaining dressing over the chicken breast and serve.
Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Grilled Chicken Salad
- Don’t Be Shy with the Dressing: Dressing isn’t just there to coat the leaves – it’s what brings the whole salad to life! It adds tons of richness and flavor, tying all the ingredients together. If your salad feels a bit dry (especially with crumbly cheeses like feta or blue cheese), add more dressing to taste!
- Adjust the Dressing Easily: This dressing can be scaled up easily depending on how saucy you like your salad. You can double the recipe without any issues, but if you’re increasing it by a smaller amount, stick with one garlic clove and add a pinch of garlic powder to balance the flavor.
- Toss Right Before Serving: To avoid ending up with all the toppings and dressing at the bottom of the bowl, wait to toss your salad until just before serving! This keeps everything evenly distributed for a great bite every time.
Storage Instructions
This salad is best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers can be easily stored with a few simple tips!
Refrigerator: Store the salad and dressing separately in airtight containers for up to 3 days to keep everything fresh and crisp. If the salad has already been dressed, it’s best enjoyed within 24 hours. Cooked grilled chicken can also be stored separately and added to fresh portions as needed.
Freezer: Freezing is not recommended for this salad, as the fresh vegetables and greens do not hold up well once thawed. That said, you can freeze the cooked chicken separately in a freezer-safe container for 2-3 months following USDA food safety guidelines. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving!
More Delicious Salad Recipes
Why stop at just one salad when there are so many tasty options to try? Here are a few fresh and flavorful Salad Recipes to make next:
- This Kale Caesar Salad works perfectly as a midday meal, rich appetizer, or dinner option when you add a good protein!
- 7 Layer Salad is always a family favorite, packed with bacon, lettuce, veggies, eggs, and cheese.
- With a light, delicate flavor, my creamy Crab Salad is perfect for warm summer days!
That’s all, folks! A fresh, vibrant chicken salad that’s simple enough for a quick lunch, but hearty enough to hold its own as a full meal.
Give this recipe a try, make it your own with your favorite toppings, and don’t forget to leave a comment below to share how it all came together! You know that I always love hearing about your kitchen adventures.
Happy Cooking!
Karlynn
Grilled Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, Grilled
- 6 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- ¾ cup cherry tomatoes , sliced in half
- ¾ cup cucumber , sliced
- ¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup bacon, cooked and crumbled
- ½ cup Feta or blue cheese , crumbled
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, finely grated
- ¼ teaspoon salt, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients for the dressing in a small mason jar and shake to combine. set in the fridge until ready to use.
- Prepare 4 plates / bowls and divide lettuce between each. Pour a drizzle of dressing over the lettuce on each plate.
- Then place the grilled chicken breast on top and your toppings placed around of tomatoes, sliced cucumber, bacon, cheese, red onion and avocado.
- Drizzle the remaining dressing over the chicken breast.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Jessica Williams says
This grilled chicken salad looks absolutely delicious! I love the combination of avocado, feta, and that honey dijon dressing. I’ve been using AI image tools like freeimagegenerator.app to visualize recipes before making them, and this one would look stunning. Can’t wait to try it!
Denise says
this was AMAZING!