Blackberry Balsamic Chicken Salad

If you haven’t tried grilled blackberry balsamic chicken yet, you are seriously missing out. This on a bed of greens plus all the toppings = new favorite healthy dinner.

this recipe

I have this super random memory from high school where I was over at a friend’s house for dinner. I don’t think it was a special occasion or anything, but I remember the parents were grilling a berry marinated chicken.

As we sat down for dinner I exclaimed how much I loved the chicken. I feel like I said something like “This is the best chicken I’ve ever had!” I remember the mom kind of chuckling at me because in her eyes it wasn’t anything special. It was simply chicken marinated in a berry vinaigrette salad dressing, then grilled. But actually, it was likely my first time having anything like it and I remember loving it so much. I was probably 17.

Sometimes I think back to those high school years and even earlier when I was such a picky eater. I missed out on so much goodness! But at the same time if kind of gives me an appreciation for how far I’ve come. I’ve only been eating a wide variety of healthy foods for the past 10 years. For the most part, I had to learn all of this stuff (healthy eating, cooking homemade meals, etc.) on my own. Trial and error, and just being open to trying new things. Which Mr. FMK will take some credit for because he’ll eat anything 😉

And also thanks to my friend’s parents for feeding me fun meals I wouldn’t have had at home and broadening my palette in my teen years 😀 Did any of you have friend’s houses like that?

Obviously not to say my parents didn’t feed me; you can read more about what I ate when I was younger here.

Grilled Blackberry Balsamic Chicken Salad

But that brings me to this Blackberry Balsamic Chicken Salad. It’s totally delicious and the perfect dinner salad for grilling season.

I think my teenage self would approve.

My Pal texted me the other week about having an amazing blackberry chicken at a restaurant and thought it’d be a great idea for the blog. I agreed and got to work.

what you need

• chicken breast
• balsamic vinegar
• blackberries
• avocado or olive oil
• stoneground mustard
• mined garlic
• salad greens
• various toppings

The grilled blackberry balsamic chicken will really go great with any meal, but I always love making satisfying dinner salads with flavorful chicken like this.

How to make the grilled blackberry balsamic chicken

• Mix together mashed blackberries, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, minced garlic and mustard to create the marinade; coat the chicken with the marinade and chill for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
• Grill the marinated chicken, brushing more of the marinade on before placing on the grill grates.
• Cook until internal temperature reaches 165ºF.

The Blackberry Balsamic Glaze

I wanted just a little something extra special for the chicken once it was done grilling, so I opted for a simple blackberry balsamic glaze. We’re talking two ingredients: blackberries and balsamic vinegar. All you do is mash the blackberries as they cook down in the balsamic vinegar. The mixture will thicken and reduce after about 20 minutes, but you can also add one teaspoon of tapioca flour to help thicken it quicker.

Add some toppings to your salad greens for the best dinner salad

Load up on the toppings including grilled asparagus, avocado, walnuts and feta <– my favorite salad cheese.

I have a feeling this blackberry balsamic chicken will be on repeat this summer season. Whether you put it on salad greens or enjoy on it’s own with your favorite sides, this is definitely a winner!

Oh, did I mention it’s paleo and actually Whole30 compliant too? YESSIR.

Print