This Grilled Honey Lime Chicken Salad is going to be your new favorite way to get in your protein and greens! The chicken is juicy and flavorful (thanks to the honey lime dressing marinade!), and the salad is loaded with all the right toppings (hello, avocado!) for texture and flavor. Gluten-free and paleo-friendly, too!
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It’s been a hot minute since I’ve posted a salad recipe and this one is G O O D.
I am a firm believer in the power of salad. When people say they don’t like salads, they really just aren’t doing them right! Unfortunately, at one point, salad got a bad reputation –much like brussels sprouts – probably from the mainstream restaurants serving lackluster iceberg lettuce and plain toppings, accompanied by the less than mediocre dressing when they wanted to offer “healthier options.” Poor salad…
So what makes a salad awesome?
There are a variety of ways to achieve an awesome salad, but the top three basics are:
- Greens selection (think rich dark colors)
- Toppings (texture)
- Flavor Combinations (seasonings and dressings)
I really make a point to have a salad at least 4-6 times a week. Why? Because they make you feel good! I would say I eat a salad every day (like this Grilled Blackberry Balsamic Chicken Salad), but sometimes that isn’t always realistic. Of course, there are other ways to get your greens in, but if you’re looking to up your nutrient intake, a loaded salad is the way to go.
TIP: If you want to hop on the salad train, try getting in the habit of packing a salad for lunch three times a week. If three times is too much to start, try two days. Little changes like this over time will lead to longterm healthy habits that will soon become second nature. For me, I rarely have to think about whether or not I’ve had a salad during the week because I’ve made it a habit over time. I promise it is so worth it.
Grilled Honey Lime Chicken Salad
One of my go-to ways to make a hearty yet lean salad is with grilled chicken breast. So I’m sharing a simple and flavorful grilled honey lime chicken that truly makes for the best salad topping.
For the chicken, we’re using Just BARE Natural Chicken Breast Fillets. Have you heard of them? Just BARE is committed to promoting the journey to healthier living with the “Living Lean & Clean” campaign and it all starts with their chickens.
I’ve said this before, but I try to be a conscious consumer as much as possible, especially when it comes to the meat industry. Since I’ve started paying more attention to where the meat we purchase comes from, I truly can tell a difference between the taste and texture of higher quality meat.
With Just BARE, their chickens are healthy and fed a nutrient-dense diet – it really affects the quality and taste. They are also American Humane Certified, traceable to family farms, and there is no use of any antibiotics ever.
Grilled Honey Lime Chicken Salad Seasoning
For the chicken breast, I lightly season it with a mix of cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper before adding it to the grill. Once the chicken was almost cooked through, I then added the honey-lime marinade.
Adding the dry seasoning first and then brushing on the honey-lime marinade after gave the chicken a kick of flavor underneath. Then the marinade makes the chicken super flavorful and juicy.
As the chicken is resting, you can prep the salad.
Side story: If you know about grilling meat, you must let it rest! I say this with exclamation because my Dad–who watches the Food Network quite often–tells me time and time again that meat must rest before cutting into it. He recently scolded me for lifting up the foil one time while the meat was resting on the plate and said “The meat is resting! Let it rest!” 😉
Honey Lime Chicken Salad Recipe Toppings
The salad can be a mix of your favorite toppings but as I mentioned previously, you want loads of texture. So I went for:
- Avocado (duh!)
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Radishes
- Cashews
- Feta Cheese (omit if paleo-friendly)
But really you can go for different veggies, seeds, nuts, cheese (or no cheese) – whatever floats your boat!
Honey Lime Chicken Salad Dressing
I finished off the salad with a simple, homemade honey lime garlic vinaigrette that just took a few seconds to whisk together: honey, lime juice, extra virgin olive oil, and minced garlic – give or take some salt in there too.
This easy salad recipe has got to be one of my new favorites, many thanks to the flavorful grilled honey lime chicken breast.
More Salad Recipes You’ll Love:
If you make this Grilled Honey Lime Chicken Salad recipe, be sure to leave a comment and review on the blog! I love hearing from you, and it helps others learn more about the recipe too! Xx Ashley
Grilled Honey Lime Chicken Salad [Gluten-Free, Paleo]
Ingredients
for the chicken:
- 1 14 oz package Just BARE Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Fillets
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- zest and juice of 1 lime, about 3 TBS
- 3 TBS honey
- 1 TBS avocado oil
- 2 TBS coconut aminos, may sub soy/tamari
- 1 TBS apple cider vinegar
for the vinaigrette:
- zest and juice of 1 lime, about 3 TBS
- 3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
- 1 TBS minced garlic
- 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
for the salad:
- 8 cups greens
- 1 large avocado
- 4 radishes
- 1/2 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup roasted cashews
- 1/2 cup feta, crumbled (leave out if dairy-free or paleo)
Instructions
- 1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
- 2. Combine seasonings in small bowl and sprinkle onto each side of chicken breast.
- 3. In small bowl, combine zest and juice of lime with honey, avocado oil, coconut aminos, and apple cider vinegar. Set aside.
- 4. In another small bowl, make vinaigrette: combine lime zest and juice, extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic and salt. Whisk with fork until combined. Set aside.
- 5. Once grill has heated, place chicken breast on lightly oiled grates (to prevent chicken from sticking) and cook for about 3 minutes on each side with grill cover closed.
- 6. Using basting brush, brush chicken with honey lime mixture. Grill chicken for about 1-2 minutes before flipping and brushing other side, and cooking for an additional 1-2 minutes – until cooked through and middle no longer pink. Remove chicken from grill and allow meat to rest on plate.
- 7. While meat is resting, prepare salad bowls with ingredients. 8. Slice chicken breasts and transfer to salad bowls. Top with vinaigrette. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information
[Tweet “Definitely adding this Grilled Honey Lime Chicken to my summer grilling menu!”]
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I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
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