Grilled Strawberry Balsamic Chicken And Spinach Salad Recipe

This grilled strawberry balsamic chicken salad brings deep, sweet, tangy and roasted flavors to a healthy main course that will keep you satisfied for hours. This recipe combines the caramelized sweetness of roasted strawberries in the peak of freshness with the tangy depth of balsamic vinegar to create a nuanced sauce that functions both as salad dressing and a chicken marinade.

According to Ksenia Prints of At the Immigrant's Table, incorporating fruit into savory dishes adds a burst of freshness and unexpected complexity to familiar dishes. Specifically, adding roasted fruits to salads further caramelizes their natural sugars, thus concentrating the flavors and resulting in nutty, butter-like, toasted notes. In this dish, adding balsamic vinegar to the strawberries helps deepen the flavor of the chicken and make the entire salad more interesting.

This dish balances the richness of grilled chicken with a fresh spinach salad, creating a complete and satisfying meal. The combination of grilled chicken, roasted strawberries, and a zesty balsamic dressing offers a refreshing twist on traditional chicken salads, making it perfect for long, leisurely alfresco meals in the sun — although the trick of caramelizing the strawberries works just as well in winter. 

To make this salad, you will need a pound of whole strawberries, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper to make the marinade and salad dressing. For the rest of the salad, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, baby spinach, red onion, sliced strawberries and pecans make for a perfectly balanced salad that is filling enough to be a main course.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Spray a square baking pan with cooking spray.

Transfer strawberries to the baking pan and drizzle with 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar. Roast for 20 minutes until caramelized.

In a blender, combine the roasted strawberries, remaining balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. Reserve half for the dressing.

Place the chicken on a cutting board between two pieces of parchment paper and pound it to ½-inch thickness.

Place chicken a dish and pour remaining strawberry balsamic mixture over top. Cover and marinate 2 hours in the fridge.

Preheat a cast-iron grill pan with a bit of oil.

Grill chicken until cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes per side, basting with marinade from the dish.

Toss the spinach, onion, sliced strawberries and pecans together on a plate.

Slice the grilled chicken into strips.

Arrange chicken over the salad.

Drizzle with reserved dressing and serve.

The flavors of this strawberry chicken salad are so intense and unique, you'd be able to enjoy them in a few other presentations. Our favorite meal to make with this recipe is in a wrap, which perfectly contains and complements the sweet and tangy flavors of the chicken and strawberries. You can even add a spread of goat cheese or a dollop of Greek yogurt to add some creaminess and body to it. This way, the salad turns into a portable dish that is perfect for picnics, work lunches, or quick bites on the go.

If you're not a fan of wraps, you can serve the chicken over a bed of quinoa, brown rice, or couscous, allowing the grains to soak up the delicious strawberry balsamic sauce. You could also dice the chicken and toss it with pasta for a unique twist on a pasta salad — penne or fusilli would be the best noodle choices for this pairing.

For a low-carb option, serve the chicken alongside roasted vegetables such as asparagus, zucchini, or sweet bell peppers. The flavor of the strawberries contrasts nicely with their bright, summery flavors. 

Though we love to make this salad when strawberries are at their prime, you can certainly use frozen berries for the marinade. Because of the freezing process, frozen berries have a higher water content, so certain adjustments will be needed to avoid altering the consistency and flavor of the sauce. To use frozen strawberries, start by thawing them completely. This can be done by leaving them in the refrigerator overnight or using the defrost function on your microwave. Once thawed, drain off any excess liquid to prevent the marinade from becoming too watery. You may need to use slightly more strawberries than the recipe calls for to compensate for the loss of volume after draining.

When roasting the strawberries, cook them for a few minutes longer to allow for additional moisture evaporation. This will help concentrate the flavors further. You may also want to add a dollop of strawberry jam when blending the marinade, to make the sauce a bit thicker.

Finally, we don't recommend using frozen berries in the salad itself. If you cannot find good fresh strawberries, consider using blueberries or blackberries, which usually can be found fresh even in winter. You can also omit the berries in favor of purple grapes.