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My Grilled Chicken Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing is an easy summer salad recipe with so much flavor! Complete with crisp, fresh veggies and deliciously creamy buttermilk ranch dressing, you can make this simple salad using freshly grilled chicken or leftovers.
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Best Chicken Breast Salad
I love making dinner salad recipes over the summer! When it’s hot outside, there’s nothing like a refreshing salad for dinner or lunch. This Grilled Chicken Salad with homemade buttermilk ranch dressing is by far one of my family’s favorites of all the summer salad recipes I make!
Complete with fresh veggies (including my favorite, avocado!), this easy grilled chicken salad is truly so delicious. Give it a try this summer and I know you’ll be hooked!
I love adding some chopped Crispy Air Fryer Bacon to this salad for even more flavor!
How to Make Grilled Chicken Salad
To make this easy recipe for grilled chicken salad, follow our tips:
- Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness before marinating to ensure even cooking.
- Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. Chicken should be cooked to 165°F to ensure doneness. Don’t over-cook it!
- Allow grilled chicken to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
- Customize your salad by using your favorite salad veggies and salad greens. Add-ins like crumbled cheese, nuts, croutons, or seeds are great additions! I like sunflower seeds for salad.
Ingredients
- Boneless chicken breasts
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper
- Garlic powder
- Dried oregano
- Fresh baby spinach (or salad greens of choice)
- Red onion
- Bell pepper
- Cucumber
- Grape or cherry tomatoes
- Avocado
- Salad dressing (I highly recommend our Buttermilk Ranch Dressing)
To make the best grilled chicken for salad, season it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano. This makes flavorful chicken that pairs beautifully with the buttermilk ranch dressing and crisp vegetables.
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
- Buttermilk
- Greek yogurt or sour cream
- Mayonnaise
- Olive oil
- Minced garlic
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh chopped dill, chives, and parsley
- Onion powder
- Lemon juice
My homemade buttermilk ranch dressing is so easy to make and pairs beautifully with this easy summer salad. I guarantee you’ll love it!
FAQs
Many of the steps to making this salad can be done ahead of time. The chicken can be marinated for up to 12 hours (if marinating for more than 30 minutes, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge).
Bring the chicken to room temperature before grilling. Grilled chicken has the best flavor straight off the grill, but you could even grill the chicken ahead of time and store in the fridge until ready to assemble the salad!
You can also wash and chop all the veggies ahead of time and store covered in the fridge.
However, don’t slice the avocado ahead of time (it will brown!), and add the salad dressing when assembling the salad so your greens don’t wilt.
Our homemade buttermilk ranch dressing is a delicious dressing for grilled chicken salad. You could also try homemade blue cheese dressing or creamy balsamic dressing.
Yes! Freshly grilled chicken for salad works best, but you can use leftover sliced chicken if you prefer. It will be delicious with the flavors of this easy summer salad recipe.
Yes! My grilled chicken salad recipe is perfect for a keto meal plan with only 11 carbs for a full meal.
Easy Summer Salad Recipes
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📋 Recipe
Grilled Chicken Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
Equipment
- A grill or grill pan
- Medium bowl
- Serving bowl
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Meat thermometer (optional but recommended)
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach
- ¼ red onion sliced
- 1 bell pepper any color, sliced or diced
- ½ medium cucumber sliced or diced
- 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
- 1 avocado sliced
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup  Greek yogurt or sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Dill chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Chives chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Parsley chopped
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Combine olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano in a medium bowl. Place chicken breasts in bowl and let marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Heat a grill to medium-high heat and brush with more olive oil. When ready, add chicken and cook about 5 minutes on each side, until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove chicken to a cutting board and let rest while you prepare the rest of the salad.
- In a large salad bowl or serving plate, add spinach and veggies.
- Slice the chicken and toss with the salad.
- Top with homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, or your salad dressing of choice. Serve and enjoy!
To make homemade buttermilk ranch dressing
- Combine all dressing ingredients in a large mason jar and stir together. Close lid tightly and shake well to finish mixing.
Notes
- Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness before marinating to ensure even cooking
- Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. Chicken should be cooked to 165°F to ensure doneness. Don’t over-cook it!
- Allow grilled chicken to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing
- Customize your salad by using your favorite salad veggies and salad greens, if what is listed here doesn’t suit your tastes. Add-ins like crumbled cheese or croutons or seeds are great additions, if desired.
Let us know what you think or ask a question about the recipe!