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This Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken Salad is tender, marinated chicken that’s grilled to perfection and then served over arugula with blueberries, avocado, red onion, feta cheese, and chopped pistachios. A hearty salad that’s packed with flavor and also happens to be full of nutrition and makes for a perfect lunch or light chicken dinner recipe.
Out of all the millions of grilled chicken salad recipes out there, this variation always seems to be a hit for the perfect lunch or light dinner. It has dynamic ingredients that all complement each other so well!
This grilled Chicken Arugula Salad is full of outrageously good sweet, salty flavors and textures! It’s easy to make with juicy grilled chicken and creamy avocado, fresh arugula and red onion, sweet blueberries, crunchy pistachios, and bold feta. And the tangy homemade honey mustard dressing really takes this dish to the next level.
Why you should make this Chicken arugula salad recipe
- So tasty: This chicken salad is absolutely incredible. Packed with different textures and so delicious with sweet and tangy flavors that make this recipe unique.
- Healthy: It’s filled with fresh greens, veggies, and lean protein. It’s filling, nourishing, healthy, satisfying, and especially refreshing during the summer months.
- Easy: Simply make the marinade/dressing, marinate and grill the chicken, then assemble, and enjoy.
Ingredients needed
Grilled chicken salad is a classic recipe for good reason. It’s simple to make, and you really can use any variety of fruits and veggies you have on hand to create a wholesome meal. This version features plenty of fresh produce and lean chicken, all tossed in a light, flavorful dressing. Best of all, the dressing also doubles as the chicken marinade! Here’s the lineup:
- Chicken: We’re using boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are marinated in a delicious honey mustard marinade. Feel free to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead.
- Arugula: We love the peppery and slightly spicy taste of arugula in this salad, but you can really use any lettuce that you’d like – butter, spring mix, baby spinach, romaine, or a combination of more than one type.
- Blueberries: The addition of sweet, juicy blueberries in this honey mustard grilled chicken salad is incredible! Other fruits, like strawberries or sliced apples, would work too. You could even omit the fruit if you prefer.
- Avocado: Adds healthy fats and delicious creaminess to the salad.
- Red onion: For a little extra zip to balance the creamy cheese and sweet blueberries. If you’re sensitive to the onion flavor, simply soak the slices in water beforehand or omit them from your salad.
- Cheese: Tangy feta crumbles are amazing in here! Feel free to omit to keep this dairy free. Other delicious options are fresh mozzarella, crumbled Gorgonzola, goat, or blue cheese.
- Nuts: For the perfect nutty crunch! Roasted pistachios are wonderful, but try any favorite – toasted pine nuts, glazed pecans, chopped walnuts, or slivered almonds.
- For the dressing: You’ll need Dijon mustard, a bit of olive oil, honey, apple cider vinegar, a minced garlic clove, kosher salt & black pepper.
How to make this grilled chicken salad recipe
Prepare the dressing/marinade: In a small jar combine all the marinade/dressing ingredients and shake to emulsify.
Marinate the chicken: Pour 1/3 of the dressing over the chicken and allow it to marinate for 20 minutes over the counter, or overnight in the fridge. Reserve the remaining dressing, making sure it didn’t touch the raw chicken to use later on the salad.
Cook the chicken: Preheat a grill pan or an outdoor grill over medium heat. Grill the chicken until the internal temperature reads 165F. Once the chicken is done cooking, transfer it to a chopping board and allow it to sit for 5 minutes before slicing it.
Assemble the salad: To a large bowl add the arugula, blueberries, avocado, onion, crumbled
feta and pistachios.
Add chicken and serve: Top with the sliced chicken and the reserved dressing. Toss to combine and enjoy!
Tips for recipe success
- For the best flavor, we recommend marinating the chicken for at least 20 minutes, but you can actually leave the chicken in the marinade longer and even overnight.
- Be sure to use firm avocados, as they’ll keep their shape better when tossed in the salad.
- Chop and prep all your ingredients ahead of assembling your salad. So, when your chicken is hot off the grill, you’re ready to put it all together and serve.
- Only add dressing, avocado, and pistachios to the salad if it will be consumed immediately. This salad doesn’t sit well with the dressing – the arugula leaves will eventually wilt in the dressing.
- This salad is wonderful to enjoy all year, with an outdoor grill in the summer and an indoor grill pan during the winter.
Frequently asked questions
A 4-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast will usually need to grill for about 4-5 minutes per side. If your chicken breasts are larger or smaller, you will need to adjust the cooking time accordingly. The most precise way to check for doneness is with a food thermometer. The internal temperature of the chicken breast should reach 165 degrees F.
This honey mustard grilled chicken salad includes a variety of fruits and vegetables, which fills it with vitamins and minerals. In addition, the lean chicken packs plenty of protein and the avocado is a great source of healthy monounsaturated fat, which are good fats known to lower cholesterol, promote heart health and boost brain function. They are also chock full of vitamins such as vitamins B, E, and K, minerals, and are a good source of fiber. Surprisingly, avocados actually contain 60 percent more potassium than bananas. This salad is a wonderful addition to your diet!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, without the dressing or avocado for up to about 3 to 4 days. The dressing will also stay good in a container in the fridge for up to one week.
Meal prep options
This salad is perfect for meal prep! Prepare all of the ingredients and portion the salad into 4 individual containers, with 4 small containers of salad dressing stored separately. You can also cook the chicken up to 2 days before you plan to make your salad. Simply, heat the chicken up or place it cold on the salad, whatever you prefer.
More healthy salad recipes to try
- Simple Chinese Chicken Salad
- Chicken Arugula Salad
- Grilled Chicken Kale Caesar Salad
- Mexican Grilled Chicken Salad
- Southwest Chicken Salad
- Santa Fe Grilled Chicken Salad
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Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken Arugula Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 4 cups arugula salad
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/3 cup roasted no-shell pistachio, chopped
Marinade/dressing:
- 1/4 cup whole grain Dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a small jar combine all the marinade/dressing ingredients and shake to emulsify. Pour 1/3 of the dressing over the chicken and allow it to marinate for 20 minutes over the counter, or overnight in the fridge. Reserve the remaining dressing, making sure it didn’t touch the raw chicken to use later on the salad.
- Preheat a grill pan or an outdoor grill over medium heat. Grill the chicken until the internal temperature reads 165F. Once the chicken is done cooking, transfer to a chopping board and allow it to sit for 5 minutes before slicing it.
- To a large salad bowl add the arugula, blueberries, avocado, onion, crumbled feta and pistachios. Top with the sliced chicken and the reserved dressing. Toss to combine and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We often have salad with strips of chicken over the top and this particular recipe hit all the yummo marks. Perfect for a quick weeknight meal. I’ll be bookmarking this one for certain as a do-again. Family loved it.
AMAZING! We all loved this. It was absolutely delicious, and I love that it is healthy. 10 out of 10 from me. So good. Thank you!
So awesome.