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About This Recipe
Looking for the perfect summer meal? This Blueberry Grilled Chicken Salad is the perfect balance of fresh, flavorful, and satisfying. It combines smoky, balsamic grilled chicken with sweet, juicy blueberries, crisp greens, creamy cheese, and crunchy bacon—all tied together with the best homemade blueberry vinaigrette. This delicious salad is packed with tons of flavor and texture and is perfect for a quick lunch or weeknight dinner.
The best part of this salad is all the seasonal produce. The juicy, plump blueberries bring a burst of sweet flavor into every bite. Combine that with the salty bacon and creamy cheese and it’s just magic in a bowl!
Another great thing about this salad? It’s easy to prep ahead and endlessly customizable. Feel free to swap the chicken for steak, blueberries for strawberries, or add your favorite nuts for extra crunch! Whether you’re a fan of fruity salads or just looking for a lighter, wholesome meal, this salad is one you’ll want to make on repeat.
For more delicious salads, try my Balsamic Grilled Chicken Salad with Strawberries and Goat Cheese, Magic Spice Salmon Superfood Salad, Healthy Taco Salad with Ground Turkey or my Blackened Salmon Salad with Air Fried Salmon Bites.
Why You’ll Love This Blueberry Salad
- The perfect summer salad: It’s light, seasonal, and full of fresh produce at its peak.
- Sweet and savory: The combination of juicy blueberries and smoky grilled chicken creates the perfect balance.
- Packed with protein: Full of lean grilled chicken, this salad is both satisfying and filling.
- Quick and easy: Made with simple ingredients and minimal prep, it’s a great option for busy weeknights or weekday lunches.
- Great for meal prep: Prep all the components ahead of time and assemble when ready to eat.
- Chicken: I used boneless and skinless chicken breast but you could also use chicken tenderloins or boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
- Balsamic vinegar: You can substitute white balsamic vinegar.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Use a high-quality extra virgin olive oil that has a neutral flavor.
- Seasonings: Italian seasoning, garlic clove, salt, and black pepper
- Greens: I used a spinach and spring mix blend but any type of greens work. You could use arugula, romaine, shredded kale leaves, etc.
- Goat cheese: Personally, I prefer the goat cheese in a log but you can also use the pre-crumbled kind. You could also substitute feta, blue cheese, or your favorite cheese! Omit to make dairy-free.
- Fresh blueberries and pears: Feel free to substitute for strawberries or apples, or any other fresh fruit in season.
- Bacon: I like to use thick, center-cooked bacon so it holds up well in the salad. Follow this recipe for the best crispy oven bacon.
- Blueberry vinaigrette: You definitely don’t want to skip out of this homemade blueberry balsamic vinaigrette. However, if you need to save a little time feel free to use another store-bought dressing of choice.
- Protein: Feel free to substitute the chicken with any other grilled chicken you have on hand, salmon, shrimp, or steak bites.
- More toppings: Add any of your favorite salad toppings like cucumbers, red onion, carrots, peaches, etc.
- Nuts: Add some crunch by adding almonds, walnuts, pecans, or pistachios.
- Different dressing: Try my light balsamic vinaigrette, creamy balsamic dressing, or skinny honey mustard.
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
1. In a small bowl, whisk the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper.
2. Add chicken to a zip-top bag, pour in the marinade, seal the bag, and toss until thoroughly coated. Place in the fridge to marinate for 1-2 hours, or longer if time allows.
3. If making, go ahead and add all the ingredients to a small blender or food processor and pulse until blue and well combined. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
4. Heat grill or grill pan (or a heavy bottom skillet) over medium-high heat. Brush with a little olive oil. Shake off excess marinade and add the chicken. Grill for 4-5 minutes.
5. Flip and grill another 4-5 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165F. Remove from heat and move to cutting board to rest before slicing.
6. Add salad greens to a bowl. Slice grilled chicken into strips (or dice) and add to the bowl with the goat cheese, blueberries, pears and bacon. Toss with blueberry vinaigrette or dressing of choice just before serving and enjoy!
Store chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
This recipe makes 4 servings of balsamic chicken. If meal prepping in a container together, prep up to 2 servings at once. Otherwise, the lettuce may get soggy. Store the remainder of chicken and dressing separately.
Helpful Tips
- Chicken: If you’re using thick chicken breasts, butterfly the breasts or pound chicken to an even thickness for quicker, more even cooking.
- Firm, fresh blueberries: Choose plump, sweet blueberries that are deep blue in color—these hold up best in salads.
- Chop small: I highly recommend taking a minute to chop everything SMALL! Chopping everything up small helps you get more flavor into each bite.! For the lettuce/greens, I will typically just run my knife through them several times on the cutting board before adding them to the bowl.
- Wait to dress: If making this salad for meal prep, you can go ahead and assemble your salads but wait to toss with the dressing until ready to eat. These little 2oz plastic cups with lids are my favorite for packing/traveling with dressing.
Can I use frozen blueberries for this salad?
For the salad, I would recommend only using fresh blueberries. I love using frozen blueberries in yogurt bowls and baked goods, but I have just found using fresh taste and holds up best in this salad. For the dressing, you can use frozen blueberries if needed. Just make sure to thaw and drain the blueberries so it doesn’t water down the dressing too much.
Does it matter if the protein is served warm or cold?
For the most part, it doesn’t. Feel free to add your protein straight from the grill to the salad or use cold leftovers. If you are using a more delicate green like spinach, I would recommend letting the protein cool so the warmth doesn’t cause wilting.
Can I make this salad ahead of time?
Yes! Prep the chicken, greens, and toppings in advance, but wait to assemble and dress the salad until just before serving to keep it fresh and crisp.
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!
Blueberry Grilled Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Chicken marinade:
- 1 lb. boneless chicken breast
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (30g)
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (30g)
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/4 tsp salt & black pepper each
Salad:
- 8 cups spinach and spring salad mix
- 4 oz. goat cheese crumbled
- 2 cups fresh blueberries (280g)
- 2 green pears (290g) diced small, ~2 cups
- 4 pieces bacon cooked & crumbled
- Blueberry vinaigrette or dressing of choice, to serve
Blueberry vinaigrette:
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries (70g) rinsed
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (120g)
- 2 Tbsp honey (42g)
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (30g)
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice or to taste
- 1 garlic clove minced
- salt & pepper to taste
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Instructions
- Marinate: In a small bowl, whisk the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper. Add chicken to a zip-top bag, pour in the marinade, seal the bag, and toss until thoroughly coated. Place in the fridge to marinate for 1-2 hours, or longer if time allows.
- Blueberry vinaigrette: If making, go ahead and add all the ingredients to a small blender or food processor and pulse until blue and well combined. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
- Cook chicken: Heat grill or grill pan (or a heavy bottom skillet) over medium-high heat. Brush with a little olive oil. Shake off excess marinade and add the chicken. Grill for 4-5 minutes, then flip and grill another 4-5 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165F. Remove from heat and move to cutting board to rest before slicing.
- Assemble: Add salad greens to a bowl. Slice grilled chicken into strips (or dice) and add to the bowl with the goat cheese, blueberries, pears and bacon. Toss with blueberry vinaigrette or dressing of choice just before serving and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
