Strawberry Chicken Salad (Printable)
Tender chicken, sweet strawberries, and fresh greens tossed in a tangy poppy seed dressing.
# What You Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
04 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
→ Salad
05 - 6 cups mixed salad greens (spinach, arugula, or spring mix)
06 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
07 - 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
08 - 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
09 - 1/2 cup candied or toasted pecans
→ Poppy Seed Dressing
10 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
11 - 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
12 - 1 tablespoon honey
13 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
14 - 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
15 - Salt and pepper to taste
# Steps:
01 - Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and season both sides evenly with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sear the chicken breasts for 6 to 7 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F. Transfer to a cutting board and rest for 5 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, and poppy seeds until well emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
04 - In a large salad bowl, arrange the mixed greens as the base. Scatter the sliced strawberries, thinly sliced red onion, crumbled feta cheese, and candied pecans over the greens.
05 - Arrange the sliced chicken breast on top of the salad in an even layer.
06 - Drizzle the poppy seed dressing over the salad just before serving. Toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly and serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The poppy seed dressing is the kind of thing you will want to put on everything once you taste it, tangy and just sweet enough.
- It feels like a meal from a nice cafe but comes together with zero stress and almost no cleanup.
02 -
- Do not dress the salad until the very last second or the greens will wilt into a sad wet pile that no one wants to eat.
- The chicken needs those five minutes of rest, and skipping it means dry, chewy slices that ruin the tenderness of the whole dish.
03 -
- If your strawberries are not very sweet, a tiny extra drizzle of honey over the sliced berries before assembling makes a huge difference.
- Score the chicken breasts with a knife before seasoning and the salt penetrates deeper, giving you more flavor in every single bite.