Sweet Tangy Blackberry Chicken Salad (Printable)
Grilled chicken, blackberries, mixed greens, avocado and toasted pecans, tossed in a sweet-tangy blackberry vinaigrette.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 12 oz each)
02 - 1 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1/2 tsp sea salt
04 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
05 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
→ Salad
06 - 6 cups mixed salad greens (arugula, spinach, or spring mix)
07 - 1 cup fresh blackberries
08 - 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
09 - 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese or feta (optional)
10 - 1/2 cup toasted pecans or walnuts
11 - 1 avocado, sliced
→ Blackberry Vinaigrette
12 - 1/2 cup fresh blackberries
13 - 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
14 - 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
15 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
16 - 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
17 - Salt and pepper, to taste
# How-To Steps:
01 - Set a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat and allow it to come to temperature.
02 - Coat the chicken breasts evenly with olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Place on the hot grill pan or skillet and cook for 6 to 7 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the juices run clear. Transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain.
03 - In a small blender or food processor, combine the blackberries, balsamic vinegar, honey (or maple syrup), Dijon mustard, and extra-virgin olive oil. Blend until completely smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
04 - Arrange the mixed greens in a large salad bowl. Layer on the sliced chicken, fresh blackberries, red onion, crumbled cheese (if using), toasted nuts, and avocado slices.
05 - Drizzle the blackberry vinaigrette generously over the assembled salad. Toss gently to coat all the ingredients evenly and serve immediately while the chicken is still warm.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The vinaigrette doubles as a marinade, so you get incredible flavor with almost zero extra effort.
- It looks like something from a magazine but comes together in about half an hour on a weeknight.
02 -
- Skipping the chicken rest time means all those beautiful juices bleed out onto your cutting board and leave the meat dry.
- Straining the vinaigrette through a fine mesh sieve removes the seeds and transforms the texture from gritty to luxuriously smooth.
03 -
- Toast a double batch of nuts while the pan is still hot and stash the extras in a jar for salads all week.
- Mashing a few extra berries directly into the vinaigrette by hand before blending gives it a more intense, jammy sweetness that processed berries alone cannot achieve.