Grilled Chicken Strawberry Spinach Salad (Print)

Juicy grilled chicken meets sweet strawberries and fresh spinach with creamy poppy seed dressing

# Components:

→ Grilled Chicken

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Salad

06 - 6 cups fresh baby spinach
07 - 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
08 - 1/3 cup red onion, thinly sliced
09 - 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
10 - 1/3 cup toasted pecans or walnuts

→ Poppy Seed Dressing

11 - 1/4 cup mayonnaise
12 - 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
13 - 2 tablespoons honey
14 - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
15 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
16 - 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
17 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
18 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste

# Directions:

01 - Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
02 - Brush chicken breasts with olive oil and season with garlic powder, salt, and black pepper on both sides.
03 - Grill chicken for 6 to 7 minutes per side until cooked through and juices run clear. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly.
04 - While chicken grills, whisk together mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, honey, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, poppy seeds, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl until smooth.
05 - In a large salad bowl, combine spinach, strawberries, red onion, crumbled feta, and toasted nuts.
06 - Arrange sliced grilled chicken on top of the salad mixture.
07 - Drizzle with poppy seed dressing just before serving and gently toss to combine.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 35 minutes and somehow feels fancier than the effort it takes.
  • The poppy seed dressing is creamy and tangy without being heavy, which means you can actually enjoy eating salad without feeling like you're missing something.
  • Sweet strawberries and savory chicken create this perfect sweet-salty balance that keeps you coming back for another bite.
02 -
  • Room temperature chicken is a tragedy: If you let grilled chicken cool completely before slicing, it gets rubbery and tastes like you've been keeping it in a car. Warm chicken draped over cool spinach is the sweet spot.
  • The dressing ratio matters more than you'd think: Too much dressing drowns the salad's delicate flavors, so add it slowly and taste as you go, because you can always add more but you can't take it back.
03 -
  • Toast your own nuts if you can: Dry toasting them in a skillet for 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat makes them taste fresher and crisper than store-bought toasted nuts.
  • Slice strawberries right before serving so they stay plump and juicy instead of weeping their liquid all over the spinach.
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