Grilled Chicken Strawberry Spinach (Printable)

Juicy grilled chicken paired with sweet strawberries, fresh spinach, and creamy poppy seed dressing for a fresh meal.

# What You’ll Need:

→ 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

# How To Make It:

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.
03 - Grill chicken for 6 to 7 minutes per side until cooked through with clear juices. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly.
04 - While chicken is grilling, 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.
07 - Drizzle with poppy seed dressing just before serving and gently toss to combine.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in barely 35 minutes but tastes like you spent your whole afternoon on it.
  • The poppy seed dressing is creamy enough to feel indulgent while staying bright and not weigh you down.
  • Strawberries and chicken together is one of those combinations that sounds unexpected until you taste it, and then you wonder why you didn't think of it sooner.
02 -
  • Don't dress the salad too early or the spinach will wilt and the strawberries will release their juice into a watery puddle, so wait until you're ready to serve.
  • Slice the chicken against the grain even if it means rotating the cutting board, because one wrong cut direction and your chicken becomes chewy instead of fork-tender.
03 -
  • Toast your own pecans or walnuts in a dry skillet for two minutes and you'll taste the difference immediately, plus your whole kitchen will smell amazing.
  • Make the dressing the night before and let the poppy seeds soak into the creamy base, which somehow makes the flavor even more rounded and complex.
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