Grilled Chicken Strawberry Spinach (Printable)

Juicy grilled chicken, fresh strawberries, spinach, and poppy seed dressing create a refreshing, light dish.

# 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 generously with garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
03 - Grill chicken for 6 to 7 minutes per side until cooked through and juices run clear. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing thinly.
04 - While chicken cooks, whisk together mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, honey, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, poppy seeds, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl until smooth.
05 - Combine spinach, sliced strawberries, red onion, crumbled feta, and toasted nuts in a large salad bowl.
06 - Arrange sliced grilled chicken on top of the salad mixture.
07 - Drizzle poppy seed dressing over salad just before serving and gently toss to combine.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The poppy seed dressing is tangy enough to feel grown-up but sweet enough that even skeptics ask for the recipe.
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes, which means dinner on the table before the day's stress catches up with you.
  • Grilled chicken meets sweet strawberries in a way that makes you feel like you're eating something special, not just dinner.
02 -
  • Don't dress the salad too early or the spinach will wilt and the strawberries will release their juice, making everything soggy instead of fresh and bright.
  • The dressing tastes better when it sits for 10 minutes after mixing, the flavors actually need a moment to get to know each other.
03 -
  • If you don't have a grill, a cast-iron skillet on high heat creates the same gorgeous char and cooks the chicken just as well.
  • Slice your strawberries at the very last moment, right before you're ready to eat, and they'll stay firm and beautiful instead of weeping juice into everything.
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