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This vibrant blueberry balsamic grilled chicken salad has juicy marinated chicken tossed with fresh greens, berries, goat cheese, and crunchy pecans. The mouthwatering blueberry balsamic dressing doubles as a chicken marinade! This easy chicken salad is perfect as a light family dinner or an easy lunch you can even meal prep in advance.
Why You’ll Love This Grilled Chicken Salad Recipe
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: American
- Primary Cooking Method: Grill or Stovetop
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free, Dairy-free option
- Skill Level: Easy
After a recent trip to the farmer’s market, I had a fridge full of blueberries and strawberries. Determined to use them in something besides desserts, I tossed the fresh berries into a grilled chicken salad with goat cheese, crunchy pecans, and the best blueberry balsamic vinaigrette. It turned out so yummy! Here’s why you’ll love it:
- Blueberry balsamic dressing. My balsamic dressing with blueberries is one of my favorite homemade salad dressings! In this recipe, it also doubles as an amazing grilled chicken marinade. The flavors are tangy, zesty, and sweet, especially when fresh blueberries are in season. And the chicken turns out caramelized on the outside, juicy on the inside, and totally delectable.
- Customize the toppings. I love making salads because there are so many ways to adapt the ingredients! This version has juicy chicken nestled on top, but you could just as easily make this salad with another protein, like steak or shrimp.
- Perfect for warmer weather. I may have thrown together my new favorite summer salad. It ticks all the boxes and it even uses seasonal ingredients. This chicken salad is filled with crisp greens, bright fruit, sharp cheese, and nutty crunch. So satisfying!
Looking for more delicious and easy summer salad recipes? Try this flavor-filled honey BBQ chicken salad and my BBQ chicken sausage grilled summer salad, too.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This grilled chicken salad needs only a few important ingredients that bring loads of flavor to the dish. Here are some notes. Scroll to the recipe card for a printable ingredients list.
- Chicken: I like to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin so that they marinate and grill quickly. You can also use thighs. Another option is to top your salad with leftover grilled chicken.
- Salad Greens: I usually pick up a bag of fresh baby greens or Mesclun greens from the store, but feel free to use spinach, Romaine, or any greens you prefer.
- Mixed Berries: I had strawberries and blueberries on hand. Other fruit can be used, so feel free to swap these out for blackberries, raspberries, or even cherries.
- Goat Cheese: This can be substituted with feta, shaved parmesan, blue cheese, or even a sharp cheddar.
- Pecans: Chopped and lightly toasted (see below). Toasted walnuts are lovely on this salad too, and for a nut-free version, try toasted pine nuts.
- Dressing: I include the recipe for my blueberry balsamic dressing to use as a dressing and marinade. It’s easy to make with just a few ingredients like blueberries, maple syrup, and Dijon mustard. Too good!
How to Toast Pecans
Toasting the pecans for this salad is optional, but recommended, and it’s not hard to do. To toast the pecans, place them in a dry skillet over low heat. Toss and stir frequently until you begin to smell a nutty aroma and remove them from the heat immediately. This will only take a few minutes so you won’t want to walk away. Do not burn the pecans or they will taste bitter.
How to Make a Balsamic Blueberry Grilled Chicken Salad
This simple grilled chicken salad is especially delicious in the summer when I can get outside to cook the chicken on the grill. The dressing doubles as a marinade for the chicken, and it gives it a nice tangy, sweet flavor and glaze. For printable instructions with the full recipe details, be sure to scroll down to the recipe card.
- Marinate and grill. Start by blending up the dressing, and pouring that over the chicken to marinate for 20 minutes before getting it onto a hot grill. Don’t forget to let the chicken rest afterward!
- Assemble the salad. Then it’s a matter of assembling your salad greens with sliced strawberries and plump blueberries and crumbling over the goat cheese. Finish with a sprinkle of toasted pecans and then nestle the grilled chicken over top. Drizzle with dressing, and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Marinate the chicken for long enough. You’ll want to marinate your chicken for at least 20 minutes, up to a maximum of 2 hours. I don’t recommend marinating boneless chicken for longer than that, or overnight, as it can break down the fibers and turn the meat mushy. Ick.
- No outdoor grill? I love using my outdoor grill, but a grill pan works fine if you don’t have one or can’t get outside to grill.
- Check the chicken for doneness. Always be sure your chicken is fully cooked through. It should register an internal temperature of 165°F using an instant read thermometer and the juices should run clear.
- Keep the marinade and dressing separate. Make sure to use only a portion of the vinaigrette as the marinade and keep the rest separate to use as your salad dressing.
- Discard any marinade that comes into contact with the raw chicken. Do not try to use it on the salad.
- More dressing ideas. If you love this blueberry balsamic vinaigrette as much as I do, try more homemade recipes like this ranch dressing, my maple Dijon dressing, and this tangy strawberry poppyseed vinaigrette.
How to Store
Leftover salad will keep in the fridge for a 1-2 days if it hasn’t been dressed, however, the greens tend to wilt and the flavors won’t be as fresh. Store it covered and separate from any leftover chicken.
Make it a Meal
This grilled chicken salad with blueberry dressing is a meal on its own, but it’s also nice to serve with grilled side dish recipes like street corn or campfire potatoes. It’s also a great entree salad served with something light like a platter of crudités with homemade hummus or a loaf of crusty gluten free baguette or some gluten free pretzel nuggets.
More Easy Salad Recipes
Grilled Chicken Salad with Blueberry Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For blueberry balsamic dressing/marinade:
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup (or honey)
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
For salad:
- 1 pound chicken breasts, pounded or sliced horizontally to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
- Mixed salad greens (about 1 1/2-2 bags, or 8-12 oz. total)
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- 4 Tablespoons chopped pecans, lightly toasted if desired
Instructions
- Combine the dressing ingredients and blend and emulsify in a blender or food processor (I used my Magic Bullet).
- Take about 1/2 cup of the dressing, and pour it over the chicken in a bowl, pan, or plastic bag, and marinate for at least 20 minutes.
- Turn on your grill (or grill pan) to medium-high heat.
- Place the chicken on the grill and reduce heat to medium. Cook about 3-5 minutes per side (depending on the thickness), or until completely cooked through, and juices run clear. Brush with some of the extra dressing/marinade while cooking.
- Let chicken rest for about 5 minutes before slicing.
- Divide the remaining salad ingredients among four plate, or place in one big bowl. Top with the sliced chicken and more dressing.
Did you make this?
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I posted something similar to this last fall and I have made it multiple times since. The dressing is so wonderful. The pic here looks great! and thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for your comment and rating of the recipe!
What a fantasti salad for Summer time. I am adding to my recipe whislist and Salad with fruit are always so good. Thanks for sharing
Thank you for the nice comment and rating, Clarence!
I like the Grilled chicken + I love the blueberry and who all don’t like cheese. Yeah this dish is for me. Will going to make it soon. Thanks for sharing.
I’m so happy to hear that, Sasha. I hope you enjoy it!
The balsamic vinaigrette looks fabulous, and so does this salad!