You guys, this salad is pure summer sunshine.
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Chicken breasts are marinated in a simple mix of lemon juice, olive oil, salt, sugar and pepper, then grilled over dual-heat fire until golden on the outside and tender within. The lemon grilled chicken is then sliced and paired with curly lettuce, rich avocado, crispy bacon, colorful cherry tomatoes and a rustic basil dressing. Each bite of this salad always seems to be better than the last. There are lot different flavor combinations on the plate, making this salad a pure delight to eat. It’s not that bad on the eyes either 😉 Continue reading for the recipe.
The key to cooking perfectly juicy boneless, skinless chicken breasts on the grill is a dual-heat setup. This means that part of the grill is hot (direct heat) and part is warm (indirect heat). You cook the breasts over indirect heat until they reach 140°F, then finish them on the hot side to get that golden exterior. The indirect cooking will allow the chicken to slowly heat through while the direct cooking provides the flavorful exterior. The finished chicken is tender and juicy on the inside with a savory, smokey crust. This method couldn’t be easier too. Just make sure you’ve got a good thermometer!
Basil dressing is a great way to use up that excess of basil you may have growing in your garden. Simply blend together two handfuls of basil leaves (about 2/3 cup) along with lemon juice, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper, and you’ve got basil dressing! There’s no emulsifiers in this recipe (mustard or mayo), so it’ll be more of a loose dressing flecked with bits of basil rather than a smooth cohesive sauce. Seriously give this a try. You’ll want to put it on all of your salads for the rest of the summer! Store any leftover in the fridge for up to 2 days.
This lemon grilled chicken recipe will make enough chicken for 8 salads. Below, I’ve provided salad ingredient guidelines in a per person format, so you can scale this recipe up or down as needed. Make a salad for 1 or for 8! Leftover chicken can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Grilled Lemon Chicken Salad with Basil Dressing
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- For the dressing:
- 2 handfuls of basil, about 2/3 cup
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
For the salad:
- Grilled lemon chicken, 1/2 a breast per person
- Leafy lettuce greens, 3 large leaves per person
- Sliced avocado, 1/2 an avocado per person
- Halved cherry tomatoes, 10 halves per person
- Chopped crispy bacon, 2 slices per person
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, salt, pepper, sugar and olive oil. Place chicken in a large zip-top bag and pour over marinade. Seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Let rest in the fridge for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Meanwhile prepare a dual heat grill*. Pull the chicken out of the marinade and let any excess drip off. Place the breasts on the cooler part of the grill, thicker part towards the direct heat. Cover and let cook until the bottom develops light grill marks (6 to 8 minutes). Flip the breasts and this time have the thinner part of the chicken towards the direct heat. Continue cooking until the thickest part of the chicken registers 140°F (8 - 11 minutes). Move chicken over to the direct heat and cook until the exterior turns golden and darker grill marks form (2 - 4 minutes). Flip and repeat with other side until chicken hits 160°F (2 - 4 minutes longer). Let rest for 5 minutes, then slice as needed.
- To make the dressing, place the basil leaves in a small food processor or blender, and pulse until chopped. Add the lemon juice, a couple pinches of salt, several turns of black pepper and honey, pulsing to combine. Add the olive oil, and process until combined. Season to taste with additional salt, pepper and honey.
- To assemble the salad, line a large platter with lettuce leaves, then top with sliced chicken, avocado, tomatoes and bacon. Drizzle basil dressing over top. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Enjoy immediately!
Notes
Here are some other summer salad recipes on Kitchen Konfidence:
todd wagner says
Absolutely in LOVE with this basil dressing idea (and this lovely salad, of course). I hate it how we always let so much basil go to waste. Never again! Thank you, Brandon!!
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Todd!! Yeah, now I need to come up with a way to use all the mint growing in my garden as well!
averie @ averie cooks says
I love everything about this post…first, great bowl! Love your Shun knife too 🙂 And the dressing, huge basil fan! And your stellar tips about indirect heat first, then sear it on the hot side. Never knew this! I just got a new grill so this is going to come in handy!
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Averie!! I recently got that Shun knife and I LOVE it!! And I’ve got basil exploding in my garden, so I’ve been using it a lot recently!
Amy - The Cook Report says
This basil dressing sounds so good, there is nothing more summery to me than the taste and smell of basil. The pictures of the salad are stunning as well!
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks so much Amy!! Yeah the basil paired with the lemon is really perfect for summer. Enjoy!
Sarah says
Doubled the recipe and made this for a bridal shower this weekend! So beautiful and so tasty! Everybody loved it and it was easy to prep most of
It ahead of time. We will definitely be keeping this one in our rotation.
Brandon Matzek says
Hi Sarah, I’m so glad to hear that you and your guests enjoyed the salad!! Thanks for sharing.
Roy's Farm says
Love chicken most, am going to try this soon. Thank you!