A fresh and easy citrus chicken salad that makes a great lunch or dinner. You can cook the chicken ahead of time and have it on hand to quickly put together this flavorful mayo-free chicken salad.
Chicken and citrus make a tasty pair
It may seem unusual that the combination of olives and oranges sounds a little strange, but the salty taste of the olives and the sweetness of the oranges go very well together. This grilled chicken salad recipe combines these two unique flavors for a great salad option. The garlic-rubbed grilled chicken is a perfect complement to the spicy dressing of this salad. If you prefer, you can grill the chicken in advance, cut it into strips and store it in the refrigerator for up to several days.
This is how you make grilled chicken salad with olives and oranges
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped celery
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
For the salad:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 4 ounces each
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 8 cups leaf lettuce, washed and dried
- 16 large ripe (black) olives
- 2 navel oranges, peeled and sliced
Directions
- To make the dressing, in a small bowl, combine the vinegar, garlic, olive oil, onion, celery and pepper. Stir to mix evenly. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
- Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill or grill. Away from the heat source, lightly coat the grill rack or grill pan with cooking spray. Place the cooking rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat source. Rub the chicken breasts with garlic and discard the cloves. Grill or broil the chicken until browned and just cooked through, about 5 minutes on each side. Place the chicken on a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes before cutting into strips.
- Arrange 2 cups of lettuce, 4 olives and 1/4 of the sliced oranges on 4 plates. Top each plate with 1 chicken fillet cut into strips and drizzle with dressing. Serve immediately.
