Grilled Chicken Strawberry Spinach (Print View)

A vibrant mix of grilled chicken, strawberries, spinach, feta, nuts, and poppy seed dressing in a 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 - 1.5 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

# Directions:

01 - Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
02 - Brush chicken breasts with olive oil and season evenly 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, 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 mixture.
07 - Drizzle with poppy seed dressing just before serving and gently toss to combine.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It feels fancy enough to serve guests but comes together faster than ordering takeout.
  • The strawberries disappear into the salad in a way that makes people ask what your secret is, even though it's just strawberries doing their thing.
02 -
  • If you dress the salad too far in advance, the spinach wilts and the dressing pools at the bottom like a sad puddle instead of coating everything evenly.
  • The strawberries need to be ripe and fragrant, not hard and mealy, or they'll taste like you forgot them in the crisper drawer three weeks ago.
03 -
  • Make the dressing up to three days ahead and keep it in the refrigerator, then bring it to room temperature before serving because cold dressing tastes muted.
  • If you don't have a grill, a grill pan on the stove works beautifully and honestly might give you better browning because you have more control.
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