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 in season, topped with a refreshing, creamy, honey lime salad dressing. 

As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases. You can read more here about our Disclaimer and Privacy Page.

While there are several chicken and strawberry salad recipes out there, I don’t think any of them include strawberry-marinated chicken, as this one does. It makes this summer strawberry salad unique and outstanding!

I am confident when I say this strawberry spinach salad is the best chicken summer salad you’ll find. The ratings tell the story themselves – over 30 5-star ratings.

While I commonly load up on the root veggies and starchy carbs in the winter, in the summer, I’m more about the light summer salads with fruit. And a summer salad with chicken adds some light, lean protein that works so well.

Here’s a perfect summer day of food. Strawberry baked oatmeal in the morning, spinach chicken strawberry salad for lunch, and a mint strawberry fizz cocktail paired with dinner.

this Post!

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.

Yet, this summer salad with chicken is also so light and refreshing. Plus, add these whole grain croutons and you have a satisfying crunch factor.

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

Why You’ll Love This Summer Strawberry Chicken Salad

• Real strawberry-marinated chicken – Use those summer berries for good and make this amazing chicken strawberry salad.
• Filling and balanced – Delicious, lean chicken, a fresh strawberry sauce marinade, 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 brings the impressive factor.
• Easy to make ahead – 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 or need a summer lunch idea.

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

Ingredients

• chicken – cooked to your liking (or use leftover cooked 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

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.

I prefer to bake my chicken because I love a juicy 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.

Make The Strawberry Marinade

The kicker as to what makes the 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.

It takes about 20 minutes and you do it while the chicken is in the oven. 

Here’s what you need:

• Strawberries
• lemon juice
• coconut sugar
• water boiled down.

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

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.

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!

Storage

Store your strawberry chicken salad in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.

Making in advance:

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.

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.

Best Summer Pairings

Looking for some summer options to pair with this chicken strawberry salad? Here are some of my favorites:

• Hummus pasta salad
• Chicken sweetpotato kabobs
• Sweetpotato turkey burgers
• Strawberry fizz cocktail

Servings 4

The Best Chicken Strawberry Salad Recipe

Sarah Schlichter, MPH, RDN

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 in season, topped with a refreshing, creamy, honey lime salad dressing. 

4.69 from 32 ratings

Print Pin

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

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 Greek Yogurt

For the Strawberry Marinade

• 1 pound strawberries, sliced about 2 cups
• 2 Tbsp coconut sugar
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

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!

Equipment

Nutiva Organic Non-GMO Unrefined Granulated Coconut Sugar, 1 Pound (Pack of 3)

Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil, First Cold Pressed, (2 Liters) 68 fl. oz.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 598kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 39gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 119mgSodium: 285mgFiber: 10gSugar: 28g

Did you make this recipe?Let us know how it was!