Craving summer on a plate? This Strawberry Chicken Salad with avocado, feta cheese and a double-duty basil balsamic vinaigrette and marinade is bursting with fresh flavors. It's quick, easy, and perfect for a light and satisfying meal. Marinate your chicken in the half of the vinaigrette, then use the rest to dress your salad for a taste of summer in every bite!
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Is your mouth watering for a taste of summer? Look no further than this vibrant and delicious strawberry chicken salad. Sure, it's packed with summer salad all-stars, like fresh from the garden strawberries, perfectly grilled chicken, creamy avocado and salty feta cheese, but the key to this dish lies in the fragrant basil balsamic vinaigrette, which doubles as a marinade for the grilled chicken. That's right, with minimal prep, you can enjoy a restaurant-worthy chicken and strawberry salad for dinner tonight!
Craving more summer meals fresh from the grill and garden? Save this recipe for Grilled Whole Chicken and serve it with this Arugula Corn & Goat Cheese Salad or this Easy Roasted Beet Salad.
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Why you'll love this Strawberry Chicken Salad
- Fresh and Seasonal: This salad is a celebration of summer's bounty. Sweet strawberries, fragrant basil, and perfectly grilled chicken come together for a refreshing, protein-packed meal.
- Double Duty Dressing: The balsamic vinaigrette pulls its weight. It tenderizes and infuses the chicken with savory goodness while transforming into a light and tangy dressing for the finished salad.
- Quick and Easy: This recipe comes together in a flash. While the chicken is bathing in the balsamic marinade, prep your salad ingredients. Grill your chicken and toss everything together for a perfectly seasonal meal - without turning on the oven!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Head to your local farmer's market and grab the freshest strawberries you can find. Here's what you'll need to make this grilled chicken salad with strawberries:
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken: I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs. Short on time? Skip the marinade and use the meat from a rotisserie chicken instead.
- Strawberries: The stars of the show. Seek out the freshest summer strawberries berries you can find. Blackberries would also be tasty in this salad.
- Balsamic vinegar: I used a dark balsamic vinegar but you can also use a white balsamic vinegar for a slightly milder flavor.
- Basil: Dried basil does not give you the same flavorful results. Fresh is best here!
- Candied pecans: These glazed nuts are my go-to for a crunchy bite in salads but feel free to substitute roasted cashews, walnuts or your favorite nut instead.
- Feta cheese: This adds a bit of a briny note to the salad, but I've also used goat cheese with great results!
- Mixed greens: I like the variety of mixed greens, but spinach would work well, too.
Instructions
Use half of the vinaigrette as a marinade and half as a salad dressing to ensure a double dose of flavor in every bite of this salad.
Make vinaigrette
Add olive oil, basil, balsamic vinegar and the rest of the vinaigrette ingredients to the jar of a blender. Process until smooth.
Marinate
Pour half of the vinaigrette into a ziploc bag with the chicken. Marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Grill
When ready to cook, discard chicken marinade. Grill chicken over medium heat for 5 minutes per side or until cooked through. While the chicken is resting, assemble the rest of the salad.
Assemble
Toss greens with part of reserved vinaigrette. Divide among plates and top greens with berries, nuts, onion, avocado, cheese and chicken. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette.
Tips for making the best Strawberry Chicken Salad
- No grill? No problem! Pan-fry or bake the chicken breasts instead of grilling.
- Leftover chicken? Use it for sandwiches, wraps, or quesadillas!
- Short on time? Use a bottled balsamic salad dressing and rotisserie chicken meat.
- Make the chicken up to two days in advance. Allow to cool completely before chopping and storing in the refrigerator.
- Make the dressing up to four days in advance. Store covered in the refrigerator. Any leftover dressing will last about two weeks in the fridge.
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Recipe
Strawberry Chicken Salad with Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Vinaigrette:
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Salad:
- 4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 6 cups mixed greens (about 7.5 ounces)
- ⅓ cup candied pecans
- ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 avocado, pitted and chopped
- ½ pound strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
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Instructions
To make the vinaigrette:
- Add all vinaigrette ingredients to the jar of a blender. Process until smooth and emulsified. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.½ cup fresh basil leaves, ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, ¼ cup balsamic vinegar, ½ tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
To marinate the chicken:
- Place the chicken in a ziploc bag. Add ¼ cup of the salad dressing, seal the bag and shake to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
To grill the chicken:
- Heat the grill to 450°F. Lightly grease the grill racks. Remove chicken from the marinade, shaking off any excess marinade. Grill for 5 minutes per side or until the chicken temperature registers 165°F on a thermometer. Remove the chicken from the grill and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes.
To assemble the salad:
- Place greens in a large bowl. Drizzle half of dressing over the greens and toss to coat. Layer greens on a serving platter. Top with chicken, nuts, onion, avocado, strawberries and feta. Drizzle with another two tablespoons of dressing and serve remaining dressing on the side. Serve immediately.6 cups mixed greens, ⅓ cup candied pecans, ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced, 1 avocado, pitted and chopped, ½ pound strawberries, hulled and sliced, 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
Notes
- You can grill the chicken up to two days in advance. Allow to cool completely before chopping and storing in the refrigerator.
- You can make the vinaigrette up to four days in advance. Store covered in the refrigerator. Any leftover vinaigrette will last about two weeks in the fridge.
- Short on time? Use a bottled balsamic salad dressing and rotisserie chicken meat.
- The chicken can also be baked or cooked on the stovetop if you don't want to grill. Or use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts.
- Use blackberries instead of strawberries.
- Swap walnuts for the pecans.
- Try goat cheese instead of feta cheese.
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Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
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