Grilled Chicken Strawberry Salad Recipe

This Grilled Chicken Strawberry Salad is a fresh and delicious combination of flavors. It’s the perfect entree salad for summer.

This recipe brings together a couple of my favorite things as we head into the summer months – fresh fruit and grilled meats. This is the time of year when fresh berries are plentiful, delicious (and not so expensive!). And such great quality when I go to our local farmers’ markets.

And, cooking chicken (or any other meats) on an outdoor grill provides such a nice char and smokiness. Tastes great and looks great.

And, maybe the best part about outdoor grilling? Easy cleanup!

Roadside Restaurant Inspiration

This incredible grilled chicken strawberry salad was inspired by a lunch I had on a road trip a few years ago. We were on the freeway and there were not a lot of choices for lunch. We ended up stopping at a national restaurant chain, which actually turned out great.

At the time, they had their spring menu specials out, one of which was a chicken strawberry salad. It was actually quite good.

It started with some flavorful chicken (non-grilled) on a bed of greens. Then they topped it with some sweet strawberries and a light balsamic dressing. My husband and I were both shocked by this surprisingly good summer salad from a roadside chain restaurant!

When lunch was done, we both agreed it was something we should try and make ourselves (with some fun little twists). Once we were back home, I came up with my own version of that salad and it didn’t disappoint.

Making the Grilled Chicken Strawberry Salad

I wanted this salad to have a ton of flavor, but still keep it as a light dinner or lunch. So, basically a hearty salad, without being too super heavy. To do that, I lightened up the dressing, kept the protein (in this case, chicken) and added a few of my own twists.

Preparing the Salad

The two main salad ingredients of this recipe are the sweet juicy strawberries and the chicken. The strawberries are pretty easy. I think fresh strawberries are the best, but if you only have access to frozen strawberries, you can use those.

With the chicken, I thought some grilled boneless, skinless chicken breasts were a great place to start. Grilling them just added that much more flavor.

If you don’t have a grill, you can grab a rotisserie chicken from the local grocery store and shred it, or use an indoor grill or grill pan (like a George Foreman) to cook your chicken. To season chicken breasts, I use salt and pepper. Just keep it simple and let the other flavor of the salad come through.

The other parts of the salad are simply some crunchy almonds (I do like to toast them – see recipe card) and some of my favorite cheese. In this case, I use a shredded asiago, but shredded gruyere or parmesan also work very well.

All of these items end up on a bed of salad greens. I like to use a spring mix that typically contains things like fresh spinach, baby lettuce, romaine lettuce and other leafy greens.

Preparing the Dressing

​As I wanted this to be a lighter salad, I wanted to make a lighter vinaigrette for the dressing. In this case, I decided on a savory dill vinaigrette.

As I’ve mentioned in other posts, vinaigrette’s are pretty easy to make and there are so many options to choose from. For this vinaigrette, I just whisked together vinegar, honey, dijon, salt, pepper and dill. Once those were mixed, I slowly whisked in olive oil, until well incorporated.

A Tasty and Versatile Salad

This really is an incredible salad and is so versatile. It’s great for lunch, but is definitely satisfying enough as a dinner main dish. Either way, this salad explodes with so much flavor.

Enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

• If you don’t have access to a grill or don’t want to grill the chicken, you can use any cooked chicken that you have on hand. A rotisserie chicken is also a great substitute.
• Blueberries are a good substitute for the strawberries if you have an allergy or don’t have any on hand.
• You can substitute fresh dill for the dried dill. Just increase the amount to 1-1/2 tsp. You’ll use 1 tsp for the dressing and 1/2 tsp for the sliced almonds.
• If you want to double this chicken strawberry salad recipe, you don’t need to double the dressing. There is plenty for 8 servings.
• If you’re not a fan of asiago cheese or can’t find any, shredded parmesan or shredded gruyere are also delicious.
• If you are allergic to honey, you can use agave as a substitute.

Ingredients Needed for Grilled Chicken Strawberry Salad

Full instructions for making this salad are found below in the printable recipe card

• Grilled boneless chicken breasts – If you don’t have chicken breasts on hand, substitute grilled chicken thighs or shredded rotisserie chicken.
• Fresh strawberries – These hold up better and taste much fresher than frozen strawberries.
• Sliced almonds – If you don’t have sliced almonds, crush up whole almonds to sprinkle on the salad.
• Red wine vinegar – White wine vinegar can be substituted.
• Orange juice – For the freshest flavor, I recommend squeezing your own juice. But, packaged orange juice is a good substitute.
• Dried dill – You can use fresh dill, if necessary. But, you’ll need to increase the amount.
• Honey – Agave nectar can be substituted.
• Dijon mustard – This helps the dressing to easily emulsify.
• Olive oil
• Shredded asiago cheese – This is my preference, but shredded gruyere or parmesan are good substitutes.
• Fresh greens – I like to use tender leafy lettuce like you find in a spring mix.
• Salt
• Black pepper

How to Make Grilled Chicken Strawberry Salad 

• Grill chicken until cooked through.
• Let chicken cool to room temperature.
• Toast almonds in a small skillet over low heat.
• Drizzle almonds with a little olive oil and toss with dill.
• Whisk together vinegar, honey, dijon, salt, pepper and remaining dill.
• Slowly whisk in olive oil, until well incorporated.
• Once chicken has cooled, slice crosswise into thin strips.
• Toss greens with dressing while adding a little at a time until greens are well coated (but not soggy).
• Divide greens onto 4 plates. Top with chicken, strawberries, cheese and almonds.

More Main Dish Salads for You to Love

• Chicken Caprese salad
• Citrus Crab Salad on Sourdough
• Sweet and Savory Chicken Salad with Creamy Yogurt Dressing
• Easy Steakhouse Salad Meal Prep
• Grilled Chicken Waldorf Salad
• Italian Chopped Salad
• Grilled Shrimp Salad with Wheat Berries
• Turkey Taco Salad

Originally published 6/10/2014

Updated on 5/17/2023

ENJOY!