Summer Chicken Salad
Perfect for meal prep or as a delicious addition to any gathering, this summer chicken salad is INCREDIBLE. The chicken is lightly marinated and grilled to perfection. It’s slightly crispy on the outside and juicy in the center. It tastes amazing with the crunchy cucumber, sweet grilled corn, creamy avocado and fresh chives. All tossed in a light and delicious white wine vinaigrette, you’re going to love this easy and delicious recipe.
There are so many ways you can enjoy this recipe. Serve this summer chicken salad in a bun, tucked inside of a wrap or over a bed of your favorite lettuce. It’s light, healthy and super versatile. Or, if you’re anything like me, you’ll have a hard time not eating it straight out of the bowl!
Ingredients Needed for Summer Chicken Salad
Marinated Chicken Tenderloin – You’ll need about one pound of chicken tenderloin for this recipe. Add the chicken to a non-reactive glass bowl, toss it with olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon juice, Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper. Once it’s well coated, cover and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.
White Wine Vinaigrette – Combine olive oil, white wine vinegar, honey, Dijon, garlic, salt and black pepper in a small mixing bowl. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.
Other Ingredients – You’ll need diced English cucumber, grilled corn kernels, diced avocado, freshly chopped chives, salt and black pepper for this recipe. Be sure to carefully remove the corn kernel from the cob. Option to use canned corn instead. If you opt for canned corn be sure it’s well drained before adding it in the recipe.
Tips for Juicy Grilled Chicken
- Preheat the grill to 375-400 degrees and be sure to brush the grates with avocado oil right before you add the marinated chicken. This will prevent the meat from sticking to the grates.
- When marinating the chicken, be sure to use a glass bowl that you can seal or cover with saran wrap. Or you can use a sturdy Ziplock bag. DO NOT use a metal bowl. The metal is reactive and can alter the flavor of the chicken as it marinates over time.
- Marinate this recipe for 15-20 minutes. Since this recipe has fresh squeezed lemon juice (acid) in the marinade, the protein in the chicken will break down quickly. If you marinate for too long the chicken could get mushy. So, it’s best to marinate for under 4 hours.
How to Make Summer Chicken Salad
MARINATE THE CHICKEN
Add the chicken tenderloins to a glass bowl. Add the olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon juice, Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper. Toss until the chicken is well coated. Cover and refrigerate. Let the chicken marinate for 15-20 minutes.
GRILL THE CHICKEN and CORN
Preheat the grill to 375-400 degrees. Brush the grates with avocado oil and add the marinated chicken and corn on the cob. Make sure the corn doesn’t touch the raw chicken. Grill the chicken for 7-8 minutes flipping halfway. You’ll grill the corn for 8 minutes turning it every 2 minutes so each side gets charred.
You’ll want the internal temperature of the chicken to reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove everything from the grill. Let the chicken rest before dicing. And make sure the corn is cool to touch before removing the kernels from the cob.
MAKE THE DRESSING
Combine olive oil, white wine vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt and black pepper. Mix well and set aside.
MAKE THE SALAD
Add the diced English cucumber, grilled corn kernels, diced avocado, finely sliced chives, and cubed chicken to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with as much or as little dressing as you desire. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Gently toss the ingredients together. Serve and enjoy.
Storage
Any leftover chicken salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. Serve chilled. Looking for more recipes?
Summer Chicken Salad
Ingredients
White Wine Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1.5 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1.5 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Marinated Chicken Tenderloins
- 1 pound chicken tenderloin
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh squeezed
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Vegetables and Other Ingredients
- 2 cups corn, about 3 ears
- 2 cups English cucumber, diced
- 2 medium avocados, remove pit and cube
- 2 tablespoons chives, finely diced
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 small mixing bowl
- 1 grill
Instructions
How to Make Summer Chicken Salad
MARINATE THE CHICKEN
- Add the chicken tenderloins to a glass bowl. Add the olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon juice, Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper. Toss until the chicken is well coated. Cover and refrigerate. Let the chicken marinate for 15-20 minutes.
GRILL THE CHICKEN and CORN
- Preheat the grill to 375-400 degrees. Brush the grates with avocado oil and add the marinated chicken and corn on the cob. Make sure the corn doesn’t touch the raw chicken. Grill the chicken for 7-8 minutes flipping halfway. You’ll grill the corn for 8 minutes turning it every 2 minutes so each side gets charred.
- You’ll want the internal temperature of the chicken to reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove everything from the grill. Let the chicken rest before dicing. And make sure the corn is cool to touch before removing the kernels from the cob.
MAKE THE DRESSING
- Combine olive oil, white wine vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt and black pepper. Mix well and set aside.
MAKE THE SALAD
- Add the diced English cucumber, grilled corn kernels, diced avocado, finely sliced chives, and cubed chicken to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with as much or as little dressing as you desire. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Gently toss the ingredients together. Serve and enjoy.
4 Comments on “Summer Chicken Salad”
This recipe is a winner! I made it last night for dinner and it checked all the boxes: quick and easy to put together, full of flavor, healthy, it didn’t require lots of hard to find ingredients, in fact many of the ingredients were home grown or from our local farmers market, and best of all – the whole family loved it! I served it with white rice for the kids and over a bed of greens for the adults. This will definitely be on repeat this summer.
Absolutely amazing recipe! I made it exactly as the recipe calls for, and had watermelon on the side. Perfect summer dinner when you don’t want a hot kitchen!
Seriously one of my favorites!! It’s so refreshing and I can’t stop making it. I’ve already recommended this to 3 other friends and they all absolutely love it!
I made this last night and it was even better than I imagined! I could not stop eating it. I am making it again tonight! It’s the perfect summer meal.