Strawberry Chicken Salad with Easy Candied Walnuts and Balsamic Dressing

Strawberry Chicken Salad is an easy, healthy, and delicious cold lunch that's perfect to make during the busy work week.

Juicy in-season strawberries, leafy greens, thinly sliced red onion, feta cheese, balsamic marinated grilled chicken, candied walnuts, and homemade balsamic dressing are a perfect balance between sweet, savory, and tangy.

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Strawberry Chicken Salad Ingredients:

For the Balsamic Chicken:

• Chicken breasts
• 4 to 5 tbsps of homemade Balsamic Dressing
• Salt & pepper

For the Salad:

• Strawberries
• Spring lettuce mix
• Red onion, raw or pickled, or a shallot if raw red onion doesn't agree with you.
• Feta cheese
• A handful of candied walnuts

For the Balsamic Dressing:

• Balsamic vinegar
• Olive oil
• Dijon mustard
• Honey
• Salt & pepper

Strawberry Chicken Salad Recipe:

For the Balsamic Dressing:

• Add all of the ingredients to a mason jar or sealed container; shake until smooth. Taste test on a piece of lettuce. If it's too tart, add a dash of sugar or more honey. Be careful not to make it too sweet.

For the Strawberry Salad:

• Trim chicken breasts of excess fat, then cut in half lengthwise & place in a gallon storage bag. Add in 4-to-5 tbsps of the Balsamic dressing. Seal the bag, and shake, being sure to coat the chicken on all sides. Refrigerate and allow to marinate at-least 30 minutes, or overnight.
• Once ready to cook: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Heat an oven-safe cast iron skillet, grill pan, or frying pan with 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Place the halved chicken breasts in the pan, being sure to keep spaced apart to encourage browning. Cook 6-8 minutes per side, or until seared. Transfer the pan into the oven to finish cooking, about 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reads 165 F.
• Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the chicken to a plate to rest. Once cooled, slice into bite-sized strips. Sometimes I place the whole cooked breasts in the fridge and cut it up the following day - this makes the chicken really moist.
• To assemble the salad: Slice the strawberries in half or quarters. Slice the red onion thinly. Place the salad greens in meal prep containers, or on dinner plates. Top with the sliced grilled chicken, strawberries, feta cheese, red onion, and candied walnuts. Drizzle over the balsamic dressing.

Equipment

You don't need any special equipment to make this Strawberry Chicken Salad, but I recommend:

• Meal prep containers if taking for a cold lunch, as well as reusable sauce containers with silicone lids.
• An oven-safe grill pan, a cast iron skillet, or an indoor grill or charcoal grill.

Do I Have to Make the Candied Walnuts?

No, you don't have to make the candied walnuts, but I highly recommend them! When I've been on a time crunch, I made this salad with plain old walnuts/pecans and it was still delicious.

If you have the time (an extra 10-15 minutes) to make the candied walnuts, I still highly recommend it if you want a slightly more elevated salad experience. They add a crunchy, sweet, and toasty flavor element to this recipe. Plus, you can save the leftovers of whatever you don't use to mix with popcorn, top ice cream, or put on other salads.

Do I have to make the balsamic dressing?

Hmm, I think you should. The homemade balsamic dressing in this recipe is one of my favorite elements of this salad. It's simple to make; all you need is a glass jar or container to add everything to and then you shake it up until it's smooth. I love this balsamic dressing recipe so much that it's also one of the main stars of this Veggie Sandwich with Roasted Eggplant & Fresh Mozzarella - Gluten Free.

Notes on Strawberry Chicken Salad:

• Grill the chicken outside on a charcoal or gas grill for more flavor.
• You can make the dressing a day ahead if you'd like. Store in the refrigerator. Sometimes if your refrigerator is set too cold, the olive oil will solidify after a couple of days. In this case, either leave the dressing out at room temp for 30 minutes before eating or heat the jar (never heat mason jar lids) in the microwave for 10-20 seconds, just until brought back to room temperature.
• If prepping this for a cold lunch, pack the salad in meal prep containers.
• Store the salad dressing separately from the salad. Add the dressing only when you are just about to eat.
• This salad would also be delicious with grilled or roasted salmon.

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