Grilled Chicken Strawberry Spinach (Printable Version)

Juicy grilled chicken pairs with fresh spinach, strawberries, and poppy seed dressing for a refreshing meal.

# What You 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

# Steps:

01 - Preheat your 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 and juices run clear. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, honey, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, poppy seeds, salt, and black pepper 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 -
  • The poppy seed dressing is secretly tangy and slightly sweet, nothing like the heavy versions from chain restaurants.
  • Fresh strawberries and spinach together create this brightness that makes you forget salads can be boring.
  • Grilled chicken means you actually feel good about eating it, not deprived.
02 -
  • Don't dress the salad ahead of time or the spinach will wilt and release too much water.
  • The dressing tastes even better the next day once the flavors have gotten to know each other, so make extra if you can.
03 -
  • Slice your chicken against the grain so each bite is tender instead of stringy.
  • Keep the dressing at room temperature so it coats the salad smoothly instead of sitting in cold clumps.
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