Honey Balsamic Chicken Salad (Printer-friendly)

Juicy grilled chicken, sweet strawberries, creamy goat cheese, and honey balsamic glaze on fresh mixed greens.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
04 - 1 teaspoon honey
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Salad

07 - 6 cups mixed salad greens
08 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
09 - 1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled
10 - 1/4 cup toasted pecans or walnuts
11 - 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced

→ Honey Balsamic Glaze

12 - 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
13 - 2 tablespoons honey

# Steps:

01 - Heat grill or grill pan to medium-high temperature until ready for cooking.
02 - Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Coat chicken breasts evenly with marinade and let rest for 10 minutes.
03 - Combine balsamic vinegar and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and reduce until thickened and syrupy, approximately 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.
04 - Grill chicken breasts 6 to 7 minutes per side until fully cooked with clear juices. Allow to rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly.
05 - Arrange mixed salad greens on a large platter or individual plates. Layer with sliced strawberries, crumbled goat cheese, red onion, and toasted nuts.
06 - Position sliced chicken atop the salad. Drizzle generously with cooled honey balsamic glaze.
07 - Present immediately while ingredients remain fresh and at optimal temperature.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • It looks fancy but comes together faster than ordering takeout, and nobody needs to know how simple it actually is.
  • The sweet-tart glaze pulls everything together so you don't need a separate dressing, which means one less bowl to wash.
  • You can serve it warm or cold, making it perfect for meal prep or last minute guests who text 20 minutes before they arrive.
02 -
  • Don't skip resting the chicken after grilling, I learned this the hard way when I sliced into it immediately and watched all the juices pool on my cutting board instead of staying in the meat.
  • The glaze will thicken as it cools, so if it gets too thick, just warm it gently with a teaspoon of water to loosen it back up.
  • Marinate the chicken for at least 10 minutes, but if you go longer than two hours, the acid in the balsamic can start to make the texture mushy.
03 -
  • Toast your nuts in a dry skillet instead of buying pre toasted ones, the fresh aroma makes a noticeable difference and takes less than five minutes.
  • Slice your chicken against the grain so each piece stays tender instead of chewy, it's a small detail that elevates the whole dish.
  • Drizzle the glaze in a zigzag pattern instead of dumping it all in one spot, it looks prettier and distributes the flavor more evenly across every bite.
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