Grilled Chicken Salad

This Grilled Chicken Salad is bursting with flavor from tender chicken, corn, avocados, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, and red onion, all drizzled with a sweet and tangy honey mustard vinaigrette that doubles as a chicken marinade. This is one of our favorite go-to summer salads. It is always a huge hit with family and friends and a recipe that we make often. I love to serve it with garlic bread and homemade strawberry lemonade or fresh peach iced tea.

How to make Grilled Chicken Salad

In a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, grated ginger, and olive oil. Season with salt, fresh ground black pepper, and fresh herbs to taste. Pound the chicken breast to an even thickness using a meat mallet. Add the chicken breasts to a large bowl and pour half the marinade over the top. Reserve the remaining marinade for dressing. Cover and chill the marinated chicken for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat. Using tongs remove the chicken from the marinade and place the chicken on the grill. Cook for 5-6 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Discard the remaining marinade that the chicken was in. Chicken is cooked through when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. For accuracy, use an instant-read meat thermometer. Remove the chicken to a plate and cover it with a loose aluminum foil tent. Let it rest while you prepare the salad.

Add the greens to a large salad bowl. Then in a medium bowl, add the tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions. Add 2 tablespoons of the mustard vinaigrette and toss gently to coat. Arrange the mixture and the corn kernels over the greens. Cut the chicken breast and arrange it over the salad greens. Pit the avocados, peel, and slice. Arrange them over the greens and brush them with lemon or lime juice. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve.

Helpful Recipe Tips

• The marinade/dressing can be made up to 48 hours in advance and stored in the fridge in an airtight container.
• Ideally, boneless skinless chicken breasts only need a short marinade time of 30 minutes to 2 hours for optimum texture and taste. 
• Grill the chicken over medium heat. Too high and the outside gets dry and crispy, and the inside is not cooked fully.
• Use a small poultry or instant-read thermometer. Once the internal temperature is 165 degrees, remove from the grill, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes.
• Use any sun-ripened tomatoes. I love Campari tomatoes, but grape tomatoes and cherry tomatoes work well too.
• You don’t have to pre-toss the tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions, but it really puts on a good show with plenty of flavors.
• Use any fresh herbs that you have, including parsley, thyme, rosemary, basil, dill, or mint. Or use dried oregano or marjoram. 
• Don’t cut the avocado until last. Brush the cut pieces of the avocado with lemon or lime juice.
• Drizzle the salad with the homemade vinaigrette right before serving.

Optional Variations for Grilled Chicken Salad

• Protein – grilled turkey breast, shrimp, flank steak, hard-boiled eggs, crispy cooked bacon, sliced almonds, or sunflower seeds
• Cheese – feta cheese, bleu cheese, gorgonzola cheese, or goat cheese
• Fruits and Veggies – kalamata olives, black olives, green onions, bell peppers, or blueberries

More Salad Recipes

Mandarin Orange Salad

Marinated Cucumber Salad

Cucumber Tomato Salad

Kale Salad

7 Layer Salad

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Grilled Chicken Salad

A delicious Grilled Chicken salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, corn, and avocado, all drizzled with tangy mustard ginger vinaigrette. Summer never tasted so good with so much flavor! 

5 from 13 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: main meal salad

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 477kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

• Mustard Ginger Vinaigrette
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger or ginger paste
• ⅔ cup olive oil
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon fresh herbs like parsley basil, or thyme
• Grilled Chicken Salad
• 2 large chicken breasts
• 6-8 cups romaine lettuce baby spinach, or mixed greens
• 2 medium tomatoes diced
• 1 English cucumber chopped
• ¼ cup red onion thinly sliced
• 1 cup corn kernels frozen and thawed, canned, or fresh
• 2 avocados pitted peeled, and sliced
• 1 lime or lemon juice

Instructions

• In a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, grated ginger, and olive oil. Season with salt, fresh ground black pepper, and fresh herbs to taste.
• Pound the chicken breast to an even thickness using a meat mallet. Add the chicken breasts to a large bowl and pour half the marinade over the top. Reserve the remaining marinade for the salad dressing. Cover and chill the marinated chicken for 30 minutes to 2 hours. 
• Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat or about 400 degrees. Using tongs remove the chicken from the marinade and place the chicken on the grill. Discard the leftover marinade that the chicken was in.  Cook for 5-6 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Chicken is cooked through when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Remove the chicken to a plate and cover it with a loose aluminum foil tent. 
• Add the greens to a large bowl. In a medium bowl, add the tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions. Add 2 tablespoons of the mustard vinaigrette and toss gently to coat. Arrange the mixture and the corn kernels over the greens.
• Cut the chicken breast and arrange it over the salad greens. Pit the avocados, peel, and slice. Arrange them over the greens and brush them with lemon or lime juice.
• Drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve.  

Notes

• The marinade/dressing can be made up to 48 hours in advance and stored in the fridge in an airtight container.
• Ideally, boneless skinless chicken breasts only need a short marinade time of 30 minutes to 2 hours for optimum texture and taste. 
• Grill the chicken over medium heat. Too high and the outside gets dry and crispy, and the inside is not cooked fully.
• Use a small poultry or instant-read thermometer.  Once the internal temperature is 165 degrees, remove from the grill, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes.
• You don't have to pre-toss the tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions, but it really puts on a good show with plenty of flavors.
• Use any fresh herbs that you have, including parsley, thyme, rosemary, basil, dill, or mint.
• Don't cut the avocado until last. Brush the cut pieces of the avocado with lemon or lime juice.
• Drizzle the salad with the homemade vinaigrette right before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 477kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 25g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 176mg | Potassium: 959mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 4667IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 2mg

Did You Make This Recipe?Mention @smalltownwomanfoodnut or tag #smalltownwomanfoodnut!

On the hunt for more delicious recipes? Follow Small Town Woman on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.