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Published: Jun 3, 2022 · Modified: Oct 29, 2024 by Maureen Celestine with 2 Comments

Chicken Fruit salad

Grilled chicken fruit salad packed with nutritious seasonal fruits and nuts. This colorful salad makes for an ideal lunch or dinner.

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Juicy chicken breast, fruits, nuts, salty blue cheese, and fresh greens topped with homemade vinaigrette dressing bring this crunchy summer salad with fruit to a whole new level.

Why you should make this recipe

Healthy: need I say more about how healthy this salad bowl with chicken is? It’s packed with healthy ingredients. It has all the green lights on your one a day, and it’s a balanced meal. 

Easy: you can literally make this chicken and salad recipe while multitasking. It’s as easy as chopping up your veggies, and whisking up the vinaigrette while grilling the chicken in the oven. 

Versatile: so versatile for any course meal. Whether you are making this recipe for a chicken dinner salad, a side dish, or as an appetizer, spruce it up to your liking. 

Less time: this grilled chicken salad recipe is ready in less than 30 minutes when you prepare the ingredients simultaneously. Heck, chop the veggies ahead of time, mix the vinaigrette an hour before, and focus on grilling the chicken once you are almost ready to serve.

Ingredients Breakdown

Here are quick ingredients notes before you dive in to make this summer salad with chicken. You’ll need:

Chicken: I made a crispy chicken in the oven to top with my salad. If you are short on time, grab a box of rotisserie chicken from your local grocery store, and use the breast instead. 

Lettuce: I love the crunch of romaine lettuce especially when you toss the lettuce head in a white vinegar-water bath. Other greens work just as good. 

Fruits: strawberries, apples, blueberries, and cranberries were my fruit of choice. Try other fruits mentioned below to see what you fancy. 

Blue cheese: blue cheese adds such a piquant flavor. But you can use other soft cheeses or shaved Parmesan. 

Toasted almonds: I love the extra crunch from the almonds. Feel free to add other nuts of your choosing. See the substitute notes below. 

Dressing: I used a red wine vinaigrette dressing for this salad recipe. Feel free to use other chicken salad dressings like avocado-lime ranch. The taste is outstanding. 

How to make it

• Start by seasoning the chicken and setting it aside to rest for about 30minutes.

• Mix the vinaigrette: combine all the ingredients in a mason jar, cover and give it a firm shake. Set aside

• Chop the veggies: if you haven’t done this earlier, now is the time to chop up the lettuce, Strawberries, apples, and blueberries. 

 

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• Preheat the oven

• Grill the chicken: heat oil in a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Place chicken in the pan top side down, and cook.

• Transfer into the oven for further cooking. 

• Remove from heat, and allow to rest before slicing.

• Assemble the salad: distribute the lettuce over serving bowls. Add the fruits, spaced out all over the salad. Top with toasted almonds, blueberries, strawberries, and cheese.

• Just before serving, drizzle the red wine vinaigrette over the salad. Enjoy!

SUBSTITUTES:

Cheese: if you don’t like blue cheese, use feta cheese, goat cheese, or shaved Parmesan 

Chicken: you don’t necessarily have to use chicken for this salad. if you are a seafood lover,  substitute with seared salmon, shrimps, or scallops. Other options are flank steak, eggs, or grilled cauliflower steaks for vegans.

Lettuce: use other greens like kale, baby spinach, arugula, or a mixed green substitute. 

Fruits: other fruits can be used to make this grilled chicken strawberry salad. Fruits like peaches, mango, pineapple, grapes, pear, melons, etc
Nuts: pecan, hazelnut, pepitas, or other nuts or seeds will do just fine.