Sweet Tangy Blackberry Chicken Salad (Printable)
Grilled chicken, blackberries, greens, nuts and avocado finished with a sweet-tangy blackberry vinaigrette.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - ½ teaspoon sea salt
04 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
05 - ½ teaspoon garlic powder
→ Salad
06 - 6 cups mixed salad greens (arugula, spinach, or spring mix)
07 - 1 cup fresh blackberries
08 - ½ red onion, thinly sliced
09 - ½ cup crumbled goat cheese or feta (optional)
10 - ½ cup toasted pecans or walnuts
11 - 1 avocado, sliced
→ Blackberry Vinaigrette
12 - ½ cup fresh blackberries
13 - 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
14 - 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
15 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
16 - ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
17 - Salt and pepper, to taste
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat a grill pan or skillet to medium-high heat.
02 - Rub chicken breasts with olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Grill or sear for 6 to 7 minutes per side until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Let rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly against the grain.
03 - In a small blender or food processor, combine fresh blackberries, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, and extra-virgin olive oil. Blend until smooth and emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
04 - Arrange mixed salad greens in a large bowl. Top with sliced chicken, fresh blackberries, thinly sliced red onion, crumbled cheese if using, toasted nuts, and sliced avocado.
05 - Drizzle the blackberry vinaigrette over the salad. Toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly and serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The blackberry vinaigrette doubles as a marinade, so you get two recipes worth of magic from one blend.
- It comes together in 35 minutes flat, which means dinner is ready before you start scrolling for takeout.
- Everything is gluten free and can easily go dairy free, so you can serve it to almost anyone without stress.
02 -
- Do not skip resting the chicken because slicing too early sends all those delicious juices straight onto your cutting board instead of into your salad.
- Taste a blackberry before blending the vinaigrette because if they are tart, you may need an extra spoonful of honey to balance everything out.
03 -
- Use a meat thermometer and pull the chicken at 165 degrees Fahrenheit because guessing always leads to either rubbery or undercooked breasts.
- Strain the vinaigrette through a fine mesh sieve if you want a silky smooth texture without any seed bits catching in your teeth.