Grilled Chicken Salad
Our Simple Grilled Chicken Salad piled high with all your favorite toppings and drizzled with ranch dressing makes the perfect easy meal.
Salads are light, easy to prepare, great for packing in the toppings, and perfect for Summertime! If you’re like us, we enjoy salads year round.
Just to keep things from getting boring, we mix the traditional with the non-traditional. Some of our top picks for salads are Broccoli Bacon Salad, Ramen Noodle Salad, Crispy Chicken Salad, and a Classic Chef Salad.
How to Make a Grilled Chicken Salad
- Choose the salad ingredients and toppings, and prepare them by washing them, drying them, and cutting the ingredients into bite-sized pieces.
- Arrange the ingredients in a large serving dish or four smaller bowls.
- Preheat the grill or indoor griddle over low-medium heat, and coat it lightly with cooking oil.
- Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels, and sprinkle with seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
- Place the chicken on the grill, and don’t touch it for 8-10 minutes. This helps to ensure that the chicken will cook evenly and have those gorgeous grill marks.
- Flip the chicken, and cook it for another 8-10 minutes. The internal temperature should reach 165°F for the chicken to be considered safe to eat.
- Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before slicing to place on the salad.
- Drizzle the grilled chicken salad with your favorite ranch dressing, Spicy Ranch Dressing, Honey Mustard Dressing, Balsamic Vinaigrette, or Homemade Italian Dressing.
Chicken Salad Tips and Variations:
- Don’t flip or press the chicken, or any protein, once it hits the grill. Flipping and checking the chicken too often will cause the meat to be dry, and you won’t achieve those gorgeous grill marks.
- Don’t forget to let the meat rest for about 10 minutes after it cooks. If you slice the chicken too soon, all the natural juices will run out.
- To cut down on fats, carbs, and sugars, make your own dressings and vinaigrettes. Fresh salad dressings taste so much better than dressings with preservatives that dull natural flavors.
- Pound out the chicken breasts to the same thickness, so they’ll all cook at the same rate. Chicken cutlets or tenders are a great option, too!
Croutons
Sun dried tomatoes
Crumbled bacon
Sliced radishes
Pepperoncinis
Purple or red onions
Bell peppers
Cucumbers
Hard boiled eggs
Sliced or shredded carrots
Cabbage
Anything else you love!
Storage
Refrigerator: This grilled chicken salad storage well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It’s best to store all the components separately. Store the dressing in a container, the chicken in a second container, and the salad ingredients in a third container.
Freezer: This salad doesn’t require freezing.
Make Ahead: We don’t recommend making this salad ahead. However, if you decide to make it ahead of time, we recommend storing all the components separately and waiting to slice the chicken until just before the salad is served.
Reheating: If desired, reheat the chicken by wrapping loosely in aluminum foil, and heat in the oven on 250°F for 10-12 minutes or until warmed through.
Other Recipes for Salad Lovers:
Ingredients
For the Grilled Chicken
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil, or other neutral tasting oil
- ½ pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Salad
- 3 cups romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 cup roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
- ½ cup bell peppers, sliced
- ¼ cup purple onion, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup ranch dressing, or dressing of your choice
Instructions
- Preheat a grill or griddle pan over low-medium heat, and coat with a light coat of oil. While the grill heats, season the chicken. Sprinkle both sides with seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.1 tablespoon cooking oil½ pound boneless skinless chicken breasts½ teaspoon seasoned salt½ teaspoon garlic powder½ teaspoon onion powder¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Place the chicken breasts onto the hot grill. Cook the chicken for 8 to 10 minutes on each side. An instant read thermometer should read 165°F when inserted in the thickest part of the chicken, and the juices should run clear.
- After the chicken cooks, remove from the pan, set on a waiting plate, and cover with foil. Allow the chicken to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing. While the chicken rests, assemble the salad
- Place the lettuce, broccoli, tomato, bell pepper, and onion in a large bowl. Toss to combine. Slice the chicken into several pieces and lay over the top of the salad. Drizzle with ranch dressing.3 cups romaine lettuce1 cup broccoli florets1 cup roma tomatoes½ cup bell peppers¼ cup purple onion⅓ cup ranch dressing
- Serve immediately. See post for storage options.
