This Strawberry Chicken Salad recipe combines savory grilled chicken, sweet strawberries, colorful mix-ins, and a delicious strawberry balsamic dressing. Every delicious bite is PACKED with fresh flavor!
I’ve lost track of how many different versions of this strawberry chicken salad recipe I’ve tried over the years, but this is the one I keep coming back to.
Like most good salad recipes, it’s more a formula than a strict recipe–you can add more of one mix in or less of another to match your tastes, but these delicious, fresh ingredients are SO GOOD together!
I have a rule against boring salads, and this salad ALWAYS delivers. From the marinated chicken and colorful salad greens, to savory and sweet mix-ins, and the tangy, sweet flavor of the strawberry balsamic vinaigrette, this delicious salad is the PERFECT light dinner when you’re craving something fresh.
It’s just the kind of salad you’ll love in the spring or summer months, when strawberries are at their best. And the best part is, this chicken strawberry salad recipe starts with simple ingredients…
Simple Ingredients To Start
- Strawberry Balsamic Dressing. I love to make a quick strawberry balsamic dressing with fresh strawberries, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. It’s fresh and light and the sweet and tangy strawberry flavor complements the salad beautifully!
- Chicken Breast. Next, we’ll use some of the dressing to marinate boneless, skinless chicken breasts. They’re lean and packed with protein!
- Spring Mix or Baby Spinach. For some color, I like using spring mix lettuce, but baby spinach is also delicious. Or, you can use a 50/50 blend of spring mix and spinach! (Can’t find either? You can use chopped romaine lettuce or green leaf lettuce instead.)
- Fresh Strawberries. Beautiful fresh sweet strawberries add tanginess and sweetness to this delicious salad.
- Creamy Avocado. You just need a small avocado here! The creamy texture adds some richness and the healthy fats make this salad more filling, all while packing in some extra fiber. Win-win-win!
- Bacon. Technically optional, but when you have it, I recommend adding a little cooked, crumbled bacon for a smoky, salty note of flavor.
- Red Onion. A little goes a long way here! You can either finely dice the onion, or cut a few thin rings (3-4) and slice them in half so you have small pieces.
- Toasted Almonds. For a delightful nutty crunch! Candied almonds also work, if you’re feeling fancy.
- Maybe Some Feta Cheese. Some salty crumbled feta cheese is a classic pairing for strawberries and adds a delicious note of flavor. Dairy-Free? Just skip the feta! Everything else is naturally dairy-free.
How To Make Strawberry Chicken Salad, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.
- First, Make The Dressing. Add 1 cup strawberries, the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, dijon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a blender, food processor (or jar if using an immersion blender.) Puree until very smooth. (This will make more dressing than you need. Leftover dressing will keep about 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.)
- Marinate The Chicken. Place the chicken in a shallow dish or a glass or metal mixing bowl. Drizzle 1/3 cup of the dressing over the chicken and stir to coat the chicken evenly. Cover and let the chicken marinate at room temperature 30 minutes or in the fridge up to 2 hours.
- Cook The Chicken. Grill the chicken 6-8 minutes per side until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Or, air fry at 380 degrees F for 15-18 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 164 degrees F. I recommend working in batches, if needed so the chicken isn’t overcrowded in the air fryer. Let the chicken rest 5 minutes, then thinly slice with a sharp knife.
- Build The Salad. Let everyone build their own salad with the prepared ingredients, or assemble one large salad. In a large bowl, combine spring mix, sliced chicken, strawberries, avocado, red onion, bacon, almonds, and feta cheese. Drizzle with about 1/3 cup dressing and gently stir the salad to coat with dressing. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of flaky sea salt and fresh black pepper.
Shortcuts & Swaps To Try
- Use Store-Bought Dressing Instead! If you’re short on time or on the go, you can use a simple balsamic dressing or red wine vinaigrette instead. (Just promise me that you’ll try the strawberry balsamic dressing someday, because WOW IT IS GOOD.)
- Skip The Bacon. If you’re in a rush, you can skip the bacon here. It’s delicious, of course, but if it’s not easy for you to fit that in, you can skip it.
- Use Leftover Cooked Chicken! If you have leftover rotisserie chicken or roasted chicken on hand already, you an absolutely use it here. I just love the flavor of the marinated chicken!
- Swap The Cheese. Feel free to omit the feta or swap in blue cheese crumbles or small pieces of fresh mozzarella cheese instead.
- Change Up The Onion. If you’re not a fan of red onion, you can substitute sliced green onions, some snipped chives, or skip it altogether.
FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Strawberry Chicken Salad
Try It With More Berries! For an even more colorful salad, you can omit the bacon and add a handful of blueberries and raspberries. It’s GORGEOUS and delicious.
Want To Use Store-Bought Dressing Instead? We also like this salad with Brianna’s red wine vinaigrette (the bottle has a strawberry on the front!) or a classic balsamic dressing. It’s a great option for a busy night or when you’re traveling or bringing this salad to an event or dinner.
Lighten It Up! For a lower-fat option, you can use less avocado, or omit the bacon or almonds.
Make Ahead Tips!
If you’d like to make this salad in advance, you can prepare and store all ingredients separately in the fridge, and combine right before serving. (Slice & add avocado right before serving to avoid browning!)
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our Strawberry Chicken Salad recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Recipe Card
Strawberry Chicken Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Dressing
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- 1 cup strawberries halved or quartered
- 1/4 cup olive oil or avocado oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the Salad:
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, pounded to an even thickness*
- 6 cups spring mix or baby spinach
- 1 1/2 cups strawberries sliced or diced
- 1 small avocado sliced or diced
- 4 slices bacon cooked and crumbled (optional)
- 1/4 cup finely diced red onion or a few slices of red onion cut in half
- 1/4 cup toasted almonds
- 1/4 cup feta cheese omit for dairy-free!
- flaky salt & black pepper
Instructions
- First, Make The Dressing. Add 1 cup strawberries, the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, dijon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a blender, food processor (or jar if using an immersion blender.) Puree until very smooth. (This will make more dressing than you need. Leftover dressing will keep about 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.)
- Marinate The Chicken. Place the chicken in a shallow dish or a glass or metal mixing bowl. Drizzle 1/3 cup of the dressing over the chicken and stir to coat the chicken evenly. Cover and let the chicken marinate at room temperature 30 minutes or in the fridge up to 2 hours.
- Cook The Chicken. Grill the chicken 6-8 minutes per side until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Or, air fry at 380 degrees F for 15-18 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 164 degrees F. I recommend working in batches, if needed so the chicken isn’t overcrowded in the air fryer. Let the chicken rest 5 minutes, then thinly slice with a sharp knife.
- Build The Salad. Let everyone build their own salad with the prepared ingredients, or assemble one large salad. In a large bowl, combine spring mix, sliced chicken, strawberries, avocado, red onion, bacon, almonds, and feta cheese. Drizzle with about 1/3 cup dressing and gently stir the salad to coat with dressing. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of flaky sea salt and fresh black pepper.
- Serve & Store. Enjoy right away! If making in advance, store all ingredients separately in the fridge, and combine right before serving. (Slice & add avocado right before serving to avoid browning!
Notes
- Tip For Chicken. Pound the chicken out to an even thickness or buy thin chicken cutlets so they cook evenly. I usually aim for 3/4-1 inch thick.
- Want To Use Store-Bought Dressing Instead? We also like this salad with Brianna’s red wine vinaigrette (the bottle has a strawberry on the front!)
- Lighten It Up. For a lower-fat option, you can use less avocado, or omit the bacon or almonds.
- Dairy-Free. Just skip the feta! Everything else is naturally dairy-free.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.
Find it Online:
https://www.onelovelylife.com/strawberry-chicken-salad/Originally shared March 2018. Fully updated and republished with improved recipe notes, photos, video, and tips March 2025.
Salad is very good. The dressing was too heavy for this salad. Replace the balsamic vinegar with something else
This tastes as gorgeous as it looks! The chicken and strawberries complement each other way better than I would have thought!
This looks gorgeous and the photos make it look amazing!
Hann you so much! Thats so nice of you to day!