NatureSweet® Grilled Chicken Salad

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By
Sally Vargas
Sally Vargas
Sally Vargas

Sally is the author of four cookbooks and is a regular correspondent for the Boston Globe Wednesday Food Section. She also is a food photographer.

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Published June 22, 2021
Sally Vargas
naturesweet grilled chicken salad

A summer feast awaits you with this quick, fresh, and healthy salad of sliced grilled chicken atop Fresh Express® Sweet Butter™ lettuce, NatureSweet® Cherubs® tomatoes, cucumbers, and grapes. Make a quick marinade with lime juice, Nature Nate’s® honey, and soy sauce punched up a notch with Cayenne pepper. Save a little of the marinade on the side to make a glaze. All you have left to do is grill the chicken and top the salad with tangy Litehouse® Homestyle Ranch Dressing and Fresh Gourmet® Crispy Onions.

It all adds up to an easy salad with great contrasts: sweet and spicy glazed chicken, juicy tomatoes and grapes, crisp cucumbers, and a zesty, creamy dressing topped off with the crunch of can’t-stop-eating-them crispy onions. All in under thirty minutes! That’s summer living at its best.

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Tips for making this salad:

  • Before adding the chicken, reserve some of the marinade to make a glaze. A quick reduction of a portion of the marinade in the microwave gives the chicken extra sweetness from Nature Nate’s® honey and a nice hit of heat from the Cayenne.
  • Pound the chicken to an even thickness: Most chicken breast halves have one end that is thicker than the other. The best way to keep them juicy is to cook them evenly: pound the thicker side to match the thin side, or to a thickness of about 1/2 inch. Place the breasts between 2 layers of plastic and use a rolling pin or a mallet to gently pound the breasts. 
  • For the juiciest chicken: Grill the chicken quickly over a hot fire and use a thermometer. Three to five minutes per side gives you a golden chicken with a juicy interior. To guarantee great results, an instant-read probe thermometer should measure 165ºF when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken. Let the chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing. 

NatureSweet® Grilled Chicken Salad

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Servings 4
Yield 4

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons Nature Nate’s® honey
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper, or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the grill
  • 4 (6-ounces each) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 2 packages Fresh Express® Sweet Butter™ lettuce
  • 1 pint NatureSweet® Cherubs® tomatoes, halved
  • 1 English cucumber, sliced
  • 1 cup halved red seedless grapes
  • 6 tablespoons Litehouse® Homestyle Ranch Dressing, or to taste
  • 6 tablespoons Fresh Gourmet® Crispy Onions, or to taste

Method

  1. Make the marinade:
    In a large bowl, whisk the lime juice, Nature Nate’s® honey, soy sauce, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and Cayenne pepper until blended. Whisk in the olive oil. Scoop out and reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade and transfer to a microwave-safe container.

  2. Reduce the reserved marinade to a glaze:
    Microwave the reserved marinade for 30 to 60 seconds, or until it boils for about 30 seconds and reduces to a glaze. Set aside to brush on the cooked chicken.

  3. Pound and marinate the chicken: 
    Place each breast between 2 layers of plastic wrap and pound with a mallet or rolling pin to an even thickness of 1/2 inch.

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    Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Place in the bowl of marinade and turn to evenly coat them. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, or up to 4 hours. Remove from the fridge while you heat the grill.

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  4. Grill the chicken:
    Light the grill and build a hot fire, or heat a gas grill to high. 

    Just before grilling, dip a folded square of paper towel in oil and use tongs to coat the grates with oil. 

    Cook the breasts for 3 to 5 minutes on one side, or until the chicken browns. Turn and cook for 3 to 5 minutes more. The internal temperature should register 165ºF.

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    Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and brush with the reserved glaze. Let rest while you assemble the salad.

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  5. Assemble the salad: 
    In 4 individual salad bowls, arrange the lettuce, NatureSweet® Cherubs® tomatoes, cucumbers, and grapes. 

    Slice the chicken into strips and arrange them on top. 

    Drizzle with the Litehouse® Homestyle Ranch Dressing and sprinkle with the Fresh Gourmet® Crispy Onions. Serve and enjoy!

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