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
Grilled Chicken Salad
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
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Allyson Zea
I make this all the time and people always ask me for the recipe!
Beth Pierce
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Nadalie
I super love this grilled chicken salad! Colorful, healthy and so easy to prep!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Natalie! So glad that you like the salad!
Tammy
Nothing beats a hearty salad on a summer’s night. This grilled chicken salad is so satisfying and delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe, Beth.
Zab Zaria
Such a tasty salad. So refreshing and full of nature’s hearty goodness. I will make this again and again. We loved the mustard ginger vinaigrette.
Sandra
I love how easy this is! Packed full of flavors!
Laura le Roux
Yum. I love the sound of the vinegarette! My husband would love that.
Yeah Lifestyle
This is an absolutely delicious recipe. I love how fresh and tasty it is with the chicken and all of those fresh yummy vegetables. The vinaigrette really complements the whole dish.
Marysa
This is a great classic salad, and I like how you put this together. It is just the right balance of flavors. Perfect summertime salad!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Marysa!
Catalina
Great idea to use grilled chicken in a salad! It makes this salad irresistible!
Karen
The healthiest salad ever! You reminded me of this delicious salad. I can’t wait to make your recipe, it is very easy to follow. Thank you.
Erin
Delicious salad! We love it. Thanks for sharing.
Beth
This recipe is perfect for salad lovers! Grilled chicken adds a tasty twist to this fresh and easy salad.
Elizabeth
I love how this salad is packed full of healthy ingredients and is so filling. The dressing is so flavorful too. Definitely going to come back to this recipe many times this summer.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Elizabeth, I am happy to hear that you enjoyed the salad.
Glenda
I can’t wait to make this salad again! It’s absolutely scrumptious! And that super flavorful vinaigrette. It’s definitely the star of the show. Delish!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Glenda! So glad that you enjoyed the salad.
Kushigalu
What a great grilled chicken salad! So refreshing, colorful, healthy, and tasty. Summer never tasted so good.
sam
We really like this recipe. Never knew it was this easy to make. We will make it again. So delicious!