Strawberry Chicken Salad (Printable)
Tender chicken, sweet strawberries, and tangy poppy seed dressing over fresh greens.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1/2 tsp kosher salt
04 - 1/4 tsp 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 tbsp olive oil
11 - 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
12 - 1 tbsp honey
13 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
14 - 1 tsp poppy seeds
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
# How to Make It:
01 - Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and season evenly on both sides with salt and black pepper.
02 - Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 6–7 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, poppy seeds, salt, and pepper until smooth and well emulsified.
04 - In a large salad bowl, arrange the mixed greens as the base. Scatter the sliced strawberries, red onion, crumbled feta cheese, and pecans evenly over the greens.
05 - Lay the sliced chicken over the top of the salad.
06 - Drizzle the poppy seed dressing over the salad just before serving. Toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly. Serve immediately.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The poppy seed dressing comes together in about sixty seconds and tastes like something from a boutique deli.
- It walks the line between light and satisfying, so you never feel weighed down afterward.
02 -
- Do not dress the salad ahead of time or the greens will wilt into a sad puddle before anyone takes a bite.
- Letting the chicken rest is nonnegotiable because slicing too early sends all the juices running onto the board instead of staying in each slice.
03 -
- A meat thermometer pulling at 165 degrees takes every guess out of chicken doneness and saves you from the anxiety of cutting it open early.
- Toasting the pecans in a dry pan for three minutes before adding them deepens their flavor dramatically with almost zero extra effort.