Grilled Chicken Salad

Let’s cut to the chase: I made you a Grilled Chicken Salad that’s so good I want to cry. This dish is summer on a platter! It has been blazing hot + humid here (my favorite) and smokey grilled chicken over cold, crisp salad is exactly what I want to eat when the weather heats up. It’s fresh, gorgeous, and highlights some of summer’s best ingredients. Plus it’s dressed in my spoon drink-worthy, 4 ingredient (plus S&P!) Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette. Grab your utensils!

Pesto slathered chicken is grilled then sliced and placed over mixed greens with charred sweet corn, grape tomatoes, sliced red onion, and diced avocado. Drizzled with that simple, aforementioned Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette – it is HEAVENLY. Ben’s not a huge salad guy but he took one look at this platter and slurped back some drool. Sorry.

I grilled the chicken on a charcoal grill and gosh, there’s just nothing like the smokey flavor a charcoal grill lends an ingredient. That said, you can use either your charcoal or gas grill to make this awesome, entree salad.

Grilled Chicken Salad

Grilled Chicken Salad is fresh, healthy, and packed with smokey grilled flavor! Sizzle up this satisfying, summery salad recipe tonight.

serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 5oz lettuce (any kind)
• 2 chicken breasts, pounded thin
• 1/4 cup prepared pesto
• 2 ears sweet corn
• 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 avocado, chopped
• For the Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette:
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. For the Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette: Add all ingredients into a jar with a tight fitting lid then shake to combine. Can be made ahead of time.
2. Preheat grill to 400 degrees (medium-high for a gas grill). Meanwhile, add chicken breasts, pesto, and a big pinch of salt to a Ziplock bag then squish to coat. Allow chicken to marinate while grill is preheating.
3. Once grill is hot, spray both sides of each chicken breast with nonstick spray then grill for 3-4 minutes a side or until cooked through. Remove to a cutting board then let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Add sweet corn cobs to the grill at the same time as the chicken then grill, rotating often, until kernels are softened and slightly charred, 8-10 minutes total. Slice kernels off the cob.
4. Arrange lettuce on a platter (or on plates/in bowls) then arrange grilled chicken, corn, tomatoes, red onion, and avocado on top. Drizzle with prepared vinaigrette then serve.