Caprese Grilled Chicken Salad is a quick and easy main dish salad that’s perfect for summer! You’ll love the addition of the grilled balsamic marinated chicken and the creamy pesto dressing!
My spring and summer salad obsession continues. I’m not gonna lie, I’ve made three new salad recipes in the last month. Honestly, I’m having a hard time picking a favorite, but this Caprese Grilled Chicken Salad is nothing to turn your nose up at!
The salad binge started back in March with this Steak Salad with Sweet Potatoes, Feta and Cranberries and it’s been going strong ever since. The difference between the salads back in March and April and the ones I’m making now are that I’m finally able to use the grill to cook my protein.
I’ve reached the age in my life where standing out on the deck when it’s less than 60 degrees grilling dinner is unacceptable. Shoveling snow off the grill cover and standing out in the rain also fall into this category. For now, I should be in the clear from the snow, but the rain is another story. Hail season is upon us.
This Caprese Grilled Chicken Salad is of course delicious now, but I’m really excited to make it later this summer using tomatoes from my garden. I look forward to garden fresh tomatoes every summer, nothing compares to them.
Everything you love about Caprese salad can be found in this salad. I just took it a step further and turned it into a main dish by adding the grilled chicken. The chicken uses one of my favorite marinades which I originally used in this Tomato Basil Pasta with Balsamic Grilled Chicken. It’s an easy marinade, but boy does it give the chicken a ton of flavor!
For the greens in this salad I went with a blend of spinach and arugula. I think they hold up nice, but feel free to use whatever greens you like best. Between the grilled balsamic chicken, mini fresh mozzarella balls and sweet cherry tomatoes, you wouldn’t think this caprese salad could get any better. But you’d be wrong.
The final element is the creamy pesto dressing. You can’t have Caprese without adding basil somewhere and in this case it’s in the pesto used in the dressing. The base of the dressing is made with Greek yogurt so feel free to slather it on without feeling any guilt.
This Caprese Grilled Chicken Salad is hearty, healthy and will be a great addition to your spring and summer dinner menu!
More Caprese Recipes
Caprese Chicken Burgers
One Pot Caprese Chicken Pasta
Mini Caprese Cups
Caprese Grilled Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pesto
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Salad
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup mini fresh mozzarella balls
- Dried or fresh basil (optional)
Pesto Dressing
- 1/3 cup plain non fat Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup low fat milk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons pesto
- 2 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl whisk together all of the marinade ingredients.
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper then place them in a gallon size freezer bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken and seal the bag pressing out all the air as you do. Massage the marinade into the chicken then place it in the refrigerator to marinate for an hour or overnight.
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat and spray or brush the grates with oil. Place the chicken on the grill and grill for approximately 4-6 minutes per side depending on the size and thickness of the chicken. Remove from the grill and let it rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
- Combine all of the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl. Whisk together until combined and taste for seasoning.
- Place the spinach on a serving platter or bowl. Arrange the tomatoes, mozzarella balls and sliced chicken on top of the spinach. Top with a sprinkle of kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and dried basil. Drizzle the salad with the dressing or serve on the side.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 366 Total Fat: 15g Saturated Fat: 5g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 8g Cholesterol: 120mg Sodium: 345mg Carbohydrates: 8g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 5g Protein: 48g
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