Summer Strawberry Chicken Salad
This easy and healthy, yet satisfying strawberry pecan salad is perfect for easy-breezy summer dinners or casual entertaining. It’s got flavor and texture galore between the juicy chicken, crisp lettuce, sweet strawberries, crunchy lightly toasted Fisher Pecan Halves, savory cheese, and a creamy pecan butter vinaigrette. The chicken is wonderfully juicy and tender thanks to a marinade using homemade pecan butter, among other ingredients. As a nice time saver, the marinade and the vinaigrette begin as one in the same. Yes to double-duty ingredients. In the photo below, the pecan butter is darker and on the right, and from it you make both the marinade and vinaigrette, which is lighter and on the left. Even though there are a few components to the strawberry chicken salad as you’ll notice in the recipe section, in simple terms it’s as easy as making pecan butter, marinating chicken, assembling a salad, and shaking together a vinaigrette. Easy peasy.
What’s in Strawberry Chicken Salad?
To make this grilled chicken salad with strawberries and pecans, you’ll need:
Fisher Pecan Halves Olive oil Kosher salt and pepper Apple cider vinegar Honey Chicken breasts Lettuce Strawberries Shredded white cheddar cheese Dried cranberries
How to Make Strawberry Pecan Salad
First, make homemade pecan butter by breaking out your food processor and adding Fisher Pecan Halves. I have a detailed step-by-step photo post of what happens when you make homemade peanut butter and the same is largely true for pecan butter with regard to the transformation of whole nuts into smooth, creamy, heavenly nut butter. Fisher Nuts are preservative free and non-GMO Project Verified. Fisher has nine varieties of recipe nuts certified as Heart Healthy by the American Heart Association. The resealable bag helps keep the nuts fresh for longer. Look for their new packaging on store shelves. After making the pecan butter, add some to a ziptop plastic bag along with the chicken and other marinade ingredients. After marinating, grill your chicken, assemble the salad, and then drizzle with tart-yet-sweet pecan butter vinaigrette. You’re going to love everything about this summer strawberry salad.
Can I Prep the Pecan Vinaigrette in Advance?
Absolutely! If you plan on making this strawberry chicken salad throughout the week, feel free to whip up a batch of pecan vinaigrette on Sunday to enjoy later. The vinaigrette will last many weeks in the fridge.
Can I Add Extra Veggies?
Of course! You’re welcome to load up this strawberry pecan salad as you see fit. Mix and match veggies, dried fruits, nuts and seeds, and so on.
Tips for Making Strawberry Chicken Salad
Store-bought nut butters just cannot compare to the pure and natural homemade flavor. You’ll likely have extra pecan butter after making this strawberry salad, which is great by the spoonful, on toast, crackers, or make chicken again. I added some cinnamon and sugar to some of the extra and made cinnamon-sugar pecan butter and it was delicious. If your pecan vinaigrette dressing seems too thick, thin it out with a little vinegar and olive oil. Next time you make the vinaigrette, try adding less pecan butter. All blenders and food processors are different, so it’s possible that yours made a thicker pecan butter than mine did. I love grilling the chicken fresh for this strawberry chicken salad, but you can grill a few chicken breasts in advance to throw into salads like this one throughout the week. Do whatever is easiest for you!
More Summer Salad Recipes:
Strawberry, Avocado, and Kale Salad with Strawberry-Apple Cider Vinaigrette – Make a kale lover out of anyone in this healthy salad with creamy avocado and juicy berries! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes!
Apple, White Cheddar, and Grilled Chicken Salad – All the flavors just pop in this fast, easy, and healthy salad! The Honey-Apple Cider Vinaigrette doubles as marinade + salad dressing to save time!
Chicken Gyro Salad with Tzatziki Sauce — Chicken gyros transformed into a healthy salad with an easy homemade tzatziki sauce that’s loaded with tangy dill flavor! Ready in 20 minutes!
Ravioli and Summer Vegetable Spinach Salad – Crisp-tender zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, and chickpeas over spinach with cheesy ravioli and a dijon vinaigrette! A healthy yet hearty salad!
Spinach Blueberry Superfoods Salad – So many textures and flavors in this hearty salad filled with superfoods! Spinach, blueberries, dried cranberries, almonds, and more! Easy, satisfying, healthy, and tastes amazing!
Balsamic Chicken Caprese Salad – Juicy chicken coated in balsamic along with plump tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and basil! Easy, healthy, ready in 15 minutes! The caprese salad you’ll make again and again!
Garden Fresh Quinoa Salad – Loaded with everything fresh, light, healthy! Great for parties, potlucks, and lunch boxes because there’s no mayo! Easy and flavorful!
Twelve Superfoods Salad – Trying to eat healthier? Make this easy, flavorful salad! Loaded with everything healthy and it tastes awesome! Kale, quinoa, edamame, blueberries, grapes, seeds, nuts, and more!
Loaded Chicken Taco Salad with Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing – Fast, easy, fresh and healthy! All your favorite taco flavors in one big kickin’ salad that everyone will love!
Honey Lemon-Glazed Salmon Salad – Coated with a tangy-sweet glaze that doubles as a light and bright salad vinaigrette! Fast, easy, fresh and healthy! An awesome 15-minute meal!
BLT Chopped Salad with Homemade Creamy Buttermilk Ranch Dressing – Fast, fresh, healthy, and satisfying!
Greek Pita Chip Salad — Greek salad just got a makeover!! Still uses classic ingredients like red peppers, cucumbers, onions, olives, and feta but now there are PITA CHIPS for extra crunch and texture! EASY, HEALTHY, ready in 10 minutes!!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Fisher nuts. The opinions and text are all mine.
