Why Bold Salads Are The Ideal Pairing When Making Grilled Chicken

When preparing meals for a barbeque, a lot of work goes into planning side dishes. Do you need both corn on the cob and esquites? Which desserts should follow the entree? Whatever choices you make, there's one thing that always rings true: Bold salads go with grilled chicken.

Juicy chicken is deserving of a salad that matches its delicious taste. While a bold salad certainly does that, the choice is more than just about flavor. It only takes a few minutes away from the grill for the chicken to go from slightly charred to burnt on the outside. If you're off preparing ingredients for a salad, you won't have time to keep an eye on the grill.

Rather than making a salad that's best served right away, opt for ones that require marination. The mangoes, tomatoes, and cucumbers in a mango chicken salad can be prepared hours before grilling the chicken. The ingredients taste incredible when they've been sitting in a tangy honey lime dressing, giving you ample time to prepare the chicken.

For a quick salad to throw together right before placing the chicken on the grill, try a crunchy bok choy salad. The salad takes around 10 minutes to prepare and is the perfect addition to sticky, sweet garlic and ginger-grilled chicken. While the assortment of chopped bok choy, celery, carrots, and peppers marinates in a tangy honey dressing, you can fire up the grill.

If you're the type to make your sides days in advance, follow this simple tip to keep chopped salad fresh longer. By placing a few sheets of paper towels on top of your chopped salad, securing it with plastic wrap, and storing it upside down in the fridge, you can increase its longevity for up to four days. Make a salad with black beans, sweet corn, diced tomatoes, pickled onions, and cucumber, and keep it in the fridge, pulling it out right when your barbecued chicken is finished on the grill.

When your chicken is on the grill, add a few slices of watermelon for a grilled watermelon salad. Chicken marinated with earthy herbs is the best choice for a salad filled with zesty mint, tangy vinegar, and juicy watermelon. While your chicken rests post-grilling, remove the rinds from the watermelon and chop them up.