Sweet Tangy Blackberry Chicken Salad (Printable)
Grilled chicken atop greens with blackberries, avocado, nuts and a bright blackberry-balsamic vinaigrette.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
04 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
05 - 1/2 teaspoon 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 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
14 - 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
15 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
16 - 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
17 - Salt and pepper to taste
# Directions:
01 - Preheat a grill or skillet to medium-high heat.
02 - Rub chicken breasts with olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Grill or sear for 6 to 7 minutes per side until cooked through and internal temperature reaches 165°F. Let rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly against the grain.
03 - In a small blender or food processor, combine fresh blackberries, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, and extra-virgin olive oil. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
04 - Arrange mixed salad greens in a large serving bowl. Top with sliced chicken, fresh blackberries, thinly sliced red onion, crumbled cheese if using, toasted nuts, and sliced avocado.
05 - Drizzle blackberry vinaigrette over the salad. Toss gently to combine and serve immediately.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The blackberry vinaigrette does double duty, it dresses the greens and ties the whole sweet savory thing together in a way that feels almost effortless.
- It comes together in about half an hour but looks like something you would order at a café that uses cloth napkins and has a waitlist.
02 -
- Do not skip resting the chicken because slicing into it right out of the pan means you lose every bit of moisture you worked so hard to seal in.
- The vinaigrette will thicken in the fridge and look almost jammy, so just whisk in a splash of water or vinegar to loosen it back up.
03 -
- Freeze extra blackberries on a parchment lined sheet pan and transfer to a bag, then pull them out months later to make this vinaigrette when fresh berries are a distant summer memory.
- A tiny pinch of cayenne in the vinaigrette adds a warmth you cannot quite identify but that makes people close their eyes and try to figure out what is in it.