Balsamic Chicken Salad

Made with the juiciest, tender, flavor-packed grilled chicken and a homemade (super easy) balsamic vinaigrette!

reasons to make balsamic chicken salad

Easy homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Homemade balsamic vinaigrette is so easy to make at home using just a few pantry staples, tasting so much more vibrant and fresh than store-bought dressing. And the vinaigrette not only serves as a salad dressing but also a marinade for the chicken!

Great make-ahead recipe. The dressing can be made and stored in the fridge 1 week ahead of time, and the chicken can be marinated 1-4 hours in advance.

Perfect for summer entertaining. With the convenient options to make this ahead of time, this balsamic chicken salad is oh-so-perfect for summer entertaining, great for picnics, potlucks, family reunions and baby showers.

Can be made all year long. The chicken can easily be thrown on a cast iron grill pan during the winter months, swapping out the summer veggies for more in-season ingredients.

how to make easy balsamic chicken salad

Make the dressing up to 1 week in advance and store in the fridge

Reserve 1/3 of the dressing to marinate the chicken for 1 to 4 hours

Grill the chicken and corn until charred and cooked through

Cook the bacon pieces until nice and crispy

Toss all the salad ingredients alongside the chicken, corn, bacon and dressing + serve

tips and tricks for success

An outdoor grill is not necessary. Too cold to grill outside? A cast iron grill pan can be used to get those favorited grill marks and charred flavor.

Prep ahead of time. Save time by making the dressing up to 1 week in advance, and prepping and dicing the vegetables 1-2 days prior and storing them in airtight containers in the fridge.

Cut in uniform size. Cut all of the salad ingredients in similar size pieces for a consistent bite.

Use extra virgin olive oil. High quality extra virgin olive oil is ideal for salad dressings.

Add some crunch. Add some pine nuts, sunflower seeds or slivered almonds for an added crunch.

Use an instant-read thermometer for the most accurate results. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165°F.

Let your meat rest. Let your chicken rest for at least 5 minutes prior to slicing and serving, allowing the juices to redistribute – this will allow for maximum flavor and juiciness.

Print

Balsamic Chicken Salad

#wprm-recipe-rating-3 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-full svg * { fill: #343434; }#wprm-recipe-rating-3 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-33 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-rating-3-33); }#wprm-recipe-rating-3 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-50 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-rating-3-50); }#wprm-recipe-rating-3 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-66 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-rating-3-66); }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-rating-3-33 stop { stop-color: #343434; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-rating-3-50 stop { stop-color: #343434; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-rating-3-66 stop { stop-color: #343434; }

Made with the juiciest, tender, flavor-packed grilled chicken and a homemade (super easy) balsamic vinaigrette!

Prep Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Equipment

Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves1 teaspoon onion powder½ teaspoon garlic powder1 tablespoon vegetable oilKosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste2 ears corn4 slices bacon diced1 head romaine lettuce shreddd1 avocado halved, seeded, peeled and diced1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes halved2 Persian cucumbers diced½ cup sliced red onion⅓ cup fresh basil leaves

for the balsamic vinaigrette

½ cup extra virgin olive oil¼ cup balsamic vinegar1 small shallot minced1 clove garlic finely grated1 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard1 tablespoon honey or more, to taste1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leavesKosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine chicken, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder and reserved balsamic vinaigrette; marinate for at least 1 hour to 4 hours, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade.

Preheat grill to medium heat.

Brush chicken with vegetable oil; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add chicken and corn to grill, and cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, and corn is charred and tender, about 10 minutes; let cool before cutting the corn kernels off the cobs.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Drain excess fat; transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.

To assemble the salad, place romaine lettuce in a large bowl; top with chicken, corn, bacon, avocado, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion and basil. Pour the balsamic vinaigrette dressing on top of the salad and gently toss to combine.

Serve immediately.

for the balsamic vinaigrette

In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, shallot, garlic, Dijon, honey and parsley; season with salt and pepper, to taste; set aside 1/3 of the mixture. Place remaining 2/3 of the mixture in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Video

The post Balsamic Chicken Salad appeared first on Damn Delicious.