• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe

Kitchen Konfidence logo

menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
  • ×

    Home / Recipes / Ingredient / Chicken

    30 Jul 15, 2016 Chicken  |   Jump to Recipe

    Grilled Lemon Chicken Salad with Basil Dressing

    You guys, this salad is pure summer sunshine.

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Grilled Lemon Chicken Salad with Basil Dressing

    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.

    Grilled Lemon Chicken Salad Ingredients

    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!

    Grilled Lemon Chicken

    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.

    Grilled Lemon Chicken Salad

    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

    Grilled Lemon Chicken Salad with Basil Dressing

    by Brandon Matzek
    Chicken method adapted from here.
    4 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Servings 1 serving

    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

    * To prepare a dual-heat setup on a gas grill, preheat the grill with all burners on. When you're ready to cook, turn off the flames on one side of the grill and proceed with instructions above. For a charcoal grill, mound hot coals on one side of the grill, then preheat the grate and proceed with instructions above.
    Tried this recipe?Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can check it out!

    Here are some other summer salad recipes on Kitchen Konfidence:

    Grilled Kale Caesar with Torn Croutons

    Grilled Kale Caesar with Torn Croutons

    Warm Corn Salad with Bacon and Ramps

    Warm Corn Salad with Bacon and Ramps

    Watermelon and Tomato Salad

    Watermelon and Tomato Wedge Salad

    Summer Salad with Vanilla Vinaigrette

    Summer Salad with Vanilla Vinaigrette

    Tomato Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

    Tomato Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

    30
    Brandon and Federico
    Brandon

    I’m Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, cocktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Did you make a recipe? Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can see the how it went!

    More Chicken

    • Truffle Butter Chicken Thighs Recipe
    • Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
      Instant Pot Chicken Tacos Recipe
    • Roasted Chicken and Delicata Squash
      Roasted Chicken Thighs and Delicata Squash Recipe
    • Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
      Chicken and Wild Rice Soup Recipe
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • WhatsApp
    • Email

    Categories: Chicken Tags: avocado, bacon, basil, black pepper, honey, kosher salt, lemon, lettuce, olive oil, sugar, tomato

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. todd wagner says

      July 15, 2016 at 2:45 pm

      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!!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        July 15, 2016 at 3:50 pm

        Thanks Todd!! Yeah, now I need to come up with a way to use all the mint growing in my garden as well!

        Reply
    2. averie @ averie cooks says

      July 15, 2016 at 6:12 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        July 15, 2016 at 6:52 pm

        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!

        Reply
    3. Amy - The Cook Report says

      July 16, 2016 at 4:51 am

      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!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        July 17, 2016 at 10:31 am

        Thanks so much Amy!! Yeah the basil paired with the lemon is really perfect for summer. Enjoy!

        Reply
    4. Sarah says

      July 24, 2016 at 8:02 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        July 25, 2016 at 8:14 am

        Hi Sarah, I’m so glad to hear that you and your guests enjoyed the salad!! Thanks for sharing.

        Reply
    5. Roy's Farm says

      October 1, 2016 at 10:54 am

      5 stars
      Love chicken most, am going to try this soon. Thank you!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    Brandon and Federico

    I'm Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, cocktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Read More…


    Popular Posts

    • Pork Ribs on the Grill
      Pork Ribs on the Grill
    • Sriracha Aioli Recipe
      Sriracha Aioli Recipe
    • Zucchini Pizza Recipe
      Zucchini Pizza Recipe
    • Jorge's Green Chilaquiles Recipe
      Jorge’s Green Chilaquiles Recipe

    GET THIS FREE 40-PAGE ECOOKBOOK! SIGN UP BELOW

    ebook cover 2021
    Subscribe Here

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Get Social!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    Quick Links

    • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Copyright & Licensing
    • Download my E-Book!
    • See All Recipes

    Kitchen Konfidence is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

    All Content & Images © 2024 Kitchen Konfidence

    Scroll Up