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Summer Strawberry Chicken Salad with Honey Lime Salad Dressing

This delicious Strawberry Chicken Salad with spinach is the perfect blend of fruity, sweet, and savory. Strawberry marinated chicken makes this summer chicken salad recipe the perfect way to eat healthy in season, topped with a refreshing, creamy honey lime salad dressing. 

Summer Chicken Salad with Strawberries

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While there are several chicken and strawberry salad recipes out there, I don’t think any of them include strawberry-marinated chicken.

So, this strawberry chicken salad is a bit different from the rest. I am confident when I say this strawberry spinach salad is the best chicken summer salad.

While I commonly load up on the root veggies and starchier carbs in the winter, in the summer, I’m more about the light summer salads with fruit.

Strawberry baked oatmeal in the morning, spinach chicken strawberry salad for lunch, and a mint strawberry fizz cocktail paired with dinner.

Like a good watermelon salad, strawberries are a great addition to any salad.

Some other favorites are my mango quinoa salad, goat cheese quinoa salad and a simple cantaloupe salad.

But this strawberry chicken salad has the slightest edge up because it’s a complete meal with a creamy yogurt honey lime dressing that just leaves you wanting more.

And a summer salad with chicken can be so light and refreshing.

Plus, add these whole grain croutons and you have a satisfying crunch factor.

Why You’ll Love This Summer Strawberry Chicken Salad

  • Real strawberry-marinated chicken – No fake stuff in this chicken strawberry salad! Use those summer berries for good and make this nutritious salad!
  • Filling and balanced – A healthy balance of carbs, fat and protein in this delicious spinach chicken strawberry salad – everything you want in the summer. Delicious, lean chicken, a strawberry sauce marinade, fresh, crisp greens, creamy goat cheese, and a cool and creamy honey lime salad dressing. 
  • Great for family dinners or gatherings – If you’re sick of boring salads and want to bring an upgraded summer salad to your next gathering, this strawberry spinach chicken salad is the way to impress your guests.
  • Easy to make in bulk – Cook the chicken and plate the salad, but save the dressing for just before enjoying. This is an easy make-ahead lunch option for those busy weeks when you’re trying to scurry the kids off to camp. You can probably get 2-4 servings out of this chicken strawberry salad recipe.
Chicken and strawberry spinach salad served in white bowl topped with greek yogurt dressing

I promise you this – your summer green salad with strawberries is never going to be the same!

Ingredients for Chicken Summer Salad

  • chicken
  • salad greens – I used a spinach/arugula blend
  • avocado
  • goat cheese
  • strawberries

For the Dressing

  • olive oil
  • lemon juice
  • lime juice
  • honey
  • whole milk greek yogurt
Ingredients for easy honey lime dressing recipe to pair with summer strawberry salad


HOT TIP

When the chicken is done cooking, let it soak in the strawberry marinade for 5-10 minutes before decorating on the salad. 


How To Make Chicken and Strawberry Salad

First, you’ll need to cook your chicken. If you have a certain way you like to prepare your chicken (on the grill or stove or oven, etc.) you can cook it your way.

MY TIP

I love baking my chicken because it produces a juicier vs. drier chicken breast.


While the oven is heating, season your chicken. I like to use olive oil, paprika, garlic, and thyme.

Place your chicken in a baking pan and bake for 10 minutes. Turn over, and bake for 15-20 more minutes, or until white throughout.

While the chicken is baking, you’ll want to make your strawberry marinade. 

Then, you’ll assemble everything! Prepare your salad greens, and top with avocado, goat cheese, and diced strawberries.

Chicken and strawberry salad in white bowl topped with honey lime salad dressing

Make The Strawberry Marinade

What makes chicken summer salad recipe so unique is the strawberry chicken.

I boiled down strawberries into a thicker sauce and used that to marinate the chicken. So, there are strawberries on the salad but the strawberry chicken is also a highlight in the salad.

It may sound intimidating but it’s super easy. It takes about 20 minutes and you do it while the chicken is in the oven. 

Here’s what you need:

After a few minutes, your strawberry sauce will start to bubble and thicken.

Boiling strawberries for strawberry marinade for summer chicken salad

While this is happening, you can start making your greek yogurt dressing. 

Make Honey Lime Salad Dressing

If you’ve never paired yogurt dressing with a spinach chicken strawberry salad, you’re in for a real treat!

Sometimes, balsamic or my apple maple vinaigrette is all I want for something light and easy. But, this easy greek yogurt dressing recipe helps to further transform this unique summer chicken salad.

Making your own creamy salad dressing is SO easy – greek yogurt dressings are nice and thick, plus provide extra protein!

A thicker dressing helps balance the hearty spinach salad with chicken and strawberries.

Simply mix olive oil, lemon juice, lime juice, honey, and yogurt. Exact measurements are below, but you can cater it to your own taste too!

Strawberry Chicken Salad with goat cheese in white bowl

Best Pairs For Summer Chicken Salad Recipe

Looking for something to pair with this chicken strawberry salad?

Here are some of my favorites:

chicken strawberry salad with pinterest text overlay

FAQ

Can I make this strawberry summer salad ahead of time?

Yes, you can prep this in advance! Boil down your strawberries and use that “syrup” to coat the chicken for an extra day or two. You can also assemble the greens and salad, and add the avocado and yogurt dressing the day of, before enjoying.

How to store chicken salad with strawberries

If you are making this a day early before a BBQ or cookout, I would suggest making the yogurt dressing, but don’t pour it on the salad until right before you plan on enjoying. The creamy yogurt will saturate the greens and may make things overly soggy.

Can you grill the chicken?

Absolutely! You can cook the chicken however you prefer. You would follow the same steps otherwise.

TRY some of these other EASY recipes!

Summer Chicken Salad with Strawberries and Honey Lime Salad Dressing
Yield: 4

The Best Chicken Strawberry Salad Recipe

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

This Summer Strawberry Chicken Salad is the perfect blend of fruity, sweet and savory. Topped with strawberry marinated chicken, it's the perfect way to eat a strawberry summer salad, topped with a cool, refreshing honey lime dressing.

Ingredients

For the Chicken Strawberry Salad

  • 16 oz chicken, cut and grilled
  • 4-6 cups salad greens
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 1/4 cup goat cheese
  • 1/2 cup strawberries, sliced

For the Dressing

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp lime juice
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 1/2 cup Whole Milk Green Yogurt

For the Strawberry Marinade

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Season chicken with olive oil and favorite spices (I used paprika, garlic and thyme). Place chicken in baking pan and bake for 10 minutes, before turning over and baking for 15-20 more minutes, or until cooked throughout.
  3. While chicken is baking, start your marinade. Mix strawberries, coconut sugar, water and lemon juice is small pot and bring to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, until the sauce begins to thicken (about 10 minutes). Continue simmering until it gets syrupy.
  4. Lastly, prepare your salad greens. Top with avocado, goat cheese and diced strawberries. Prepare ingredients for your dressing and mix.
  5. Once chicken is done, cut chicken up and let it soak in strawberry marinade for 5-10 minutes, before decorating on salad.
  6. Top with dressing and enjoy!

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 598Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 119mgSodium: 285mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 10gSugar: 28gProtein: 39g

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  1. Yum this looks good! I’m not usually much of a salad person, but I’ve been on a big salad kick lately. I love strawberries on salad, but it never would have occurred to me to marinated the chicken in a sauce made from strawberries!

  2. This looks amazing! I used to only eat sweet salads, but have been on a savory salad kick for several years. This salad may be the ticket to get me back on the sweet side!

  3. This salad looks delish! I usually like only dried fruit on my salad like dates, craisins, etc. If I do fresh fruit, then it’s always strawberries or pears so I’ll def try this salad.

  4. Oh my goodness! Between those saucy strawberries and the creamy dressing, this salad is loaded with flavor. I absolutely love fruit on my salads, but I’ve never thought to heat it and make a marinade. That’s so clever! This recipe is perfect for a summer party.

    xxMeah

  5. I’m glad you get to cherish a few more quiet weekends before a busy month of travel! And wow, I have never heard of strawberry marinated chicken but it looks so summery and flavorful. I think you’ve convinced me to sing up for Nicole’s course.

  6. Holy wow. This is incredible. Everything from the yogurt dressing to strawberry marinade to adding avocado and GOAT CHEESE. You’re a genius. Can’t wait to dig into this.

    I wonder what it would be like if you baked the chicken in the strawberry marinade?

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