Grilled Chicken Salad

Enjoy flavorful, juicy chicken on a bed of lettuce with your favorite dressing and extras with this Grilled Chicken Salad recipe. It’s easy to make and is the perfect meal to have for lunch or dinner.

Do you want to enjoy a healthy and flavorful meal that is perfect to eat for lunch or dinner? If so, try this Grilled Chicken Salad.

You’ll prepare a fresh marinade using flavorful ingredients, let your chicken soak in it, and then cook it on the grill before serving it with lettuce and assorted toppings. You can customize your salad with all your favorite toppings and a dressing that will tie everything together. Save your money and make a delicious salad at home instead of buying one from the store.

**Try this salad with our delicious Jerk Chicken recipe!

I love this recipe because it starts with this delicious chicken marinade recipe. (be sure to check out the marinade post for all my tips and tricks for grilling chicken) It is not only super easy to make – but it works great for the main dish when serving juicy grilled chicken breast.

This dinner recipe is a great way to keep dinner light in the warmer months and also pairs well with so many other recipes too. I know you’ll love it.

bbq chicken salad

Here are some commonly asked questions

How long will it take to make the meal?

It won’t take very long to make the Grilled Chicken Salad. It’ll take about 15 minutes to prepare the marinade. You’ll need to let the chicken sit in the marinade for at least an hour. Once your chicken sits in the marinade long enough, it’s only going to take a maximum of 20 minutes to cook it on the grill before assembling your salad.

Which toppings taste best when added to the Grilled Chicken Salad?

You can add all your favorite toppings to this fresh Grilled Chicken Salad. Some of the best toppings to add to your salad include sliced tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion, diced avocado, and crumbled pieces of bacon.

You might want to add a few extras, such as hard-boiled egg, grilled corn, and grilled red peppers. Don’t forget tortilla strips or croutons, whichever you prefer! Add what you think will taste best with this marinade chicken.

grilled chicken salad recipe

Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breast?

Although you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breast, it’s best to use chicken breast. The chicken breast tastes great on the grill. However, chicken thighs will taste great, too, so feel free to use them if that’s all you have.

Which salad dressing should I use?

You can use your favorite salad dressing. You may want to use something with a kick or something that goes along with the BBQ Chicken Salad.

It doesn’t matter if you choose to buy the dressing at the store or make one from scratch using a few simple ingredients, such as apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and honey. (My personal recommendation – this Chunky Caesar Dressing.)

What to serve with this chicken salad

bbq salads

How long does the chicken need to stay in the marinade?

Once you’ve prepared the marinade, pour it over the chicken, cover it, and leave it sitting in the fridge for a minimum of one hour. If you’d like to make sure the chicken soaks up all the flavor from the marinade, you can let it sit for four hours before you grill it, slice it, and serve it over lettuce with other salad toppings.

Do I need to use fresh lemon juice?

You can use fresh lemon juice or bottled lemon juice. If you have a lemon, slice it in half and squeeze the juice into your mixing bowl with the other marinade ingredients. If not, pour the lemon juice from the bottle into your bowl.

bbq chicken salad recipe

ingredients for grilled chicken salad

Chicken

Marinade

• boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• fresh lemon juice
• Worcestershire sauce
• olive oil
• fresh oregano or dried oregano
• parsley and lightly packed or dried parsley
• fresh basil and lightly packed or dried basil
• garlic minced
• brown sugar
• paprika
• salt
• black pepper

Salad

• lettuce

Optional toppings

• tomatoes
• corn grilled or canned
• red onion
• avocado
• hard-boiled eggs
• cucumbers
• red peppers grilled
• bacon

What can I do if I don’t have fresh basil or parsley?

If you don’t have fresh basil or parsley, you can use dried basil and dried parsley. You should be able to find the dried version in the grocery store. It’s usually available in the aisle with all the spices.

how to make grilled chicken salad

1. Place the chicken in a shallow dish or resealable bag.
2. Add the lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, oregano, parsley, basil, garlic, brown sugar, paprika, salt, and pepper to a medium bowl and whisk until completely combined.
3. Pour marinade over the chicken, cover, and place in the refrigerator for 1-4 hours.
4. Remove from the refrigerator, remove chicken and discard the marinade.
5. Heat the grill to medium-high or 375 degrees F.
6. Cook the chicken on each side for approx 4 minutes.
7. Turn the grill to low and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.
8. Remove from the grill and allow to rest while you prepare the salad.
9. Cut the lettuce and any toppings you like.
10. Slice the chicken and place it on top of the prepared salad.
11. Serve with your favorite salad dressing.

How many people does this salad serve?

Follow the directions exactly to make enough salad for as little as two people and as many as four people. If you’re planning to make this salad for the family, you can always increase the recipe by half or more.

Can I save some of the salad for later?

If you want to eat the salad later, you can prepare it in a food storage container with the lettuce, toppings, and chicken and then put it in the fridge to keep it fresh.

However, don’t add the dressing until you’re ready to eat it to prevent the lettuce from getting soggy. If you’re making a homemade dressing, store it separately in a plastic or glass container with a lid, such as a mason jar.

• zip-top bags
• mixing bowl
• whisk
• lemon juice
• Worcestershire sauce
• olive oil
• oregano
• parsley
• basil
• garlic
• brown sugar
• paprika
• salt
• black pepper

If you love this easy salad recipe, you’re going to love these other chicken recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

barbecue chicken salad

If you love this recipe for Grilled Chicken Salad as much as I do, please write a five-star review, and be sure to help me share on Facebook and Pinterest!