Hawaiian-style grilled chicken, sweet mango, and a tangy citrus dressing bring out all the BEST fresh flavors in this gorgeous summer salad! It’s almost too pretty to eat.
You could say this week is like my favorite week ever. Have I mentioned lately how much I freaking love my grill??
And salads. And summer. Gosh, I love summer. Except the heat. I don’t like that it’s been mid-90s this week with 1 million % humidity. It does awful and unspeakable things to my hair and also makes me want to take up permanent residence in the pool.
But grilled chicken salad helps. It helps a LOT. Just gazing upon all that glorious color instantaneously puts me in a good mood.
Or just a salad-craving mood. More often that last one.
I just really, really, REALLY love this particular part of summer, guys. I want it to last forever. There’s still the anticipation of months of nice weather, fresh in-season produce, chillaxing, and GRILLING on the horizon.
Ahhhh…I just love it. Especially that last one obviously.
I’ve also recently decided that in order to feel more at one with my grill, I need an outdoor kitchen like these ones STAT. My family’s already in the middle of renovating our sun porch, so I’m trying to convince them that it wouldn’t be TOO much trouble to just build me a little outdoor kitchen while they’ve got all the tools on hand and such.
Pretty sure I got laughed at. I’m still working on it.
So this grilled chicken salad!! Let’s finally talk about it. —>
- Hawaiian pineapple-style marinated/grilled chicken. Sweet, tangy and SO darn juicy. This marinade is LIFE-CHANGING.
- Sweet ripe mango, silky avocado, roasted red pepper, crisp romaine lettuce…oh heavens, YAAS.
- Zippy citrus vinaigrette that pretty much seals our whole dream salad deal. Wham, bam, thank you, ma’am.
You see, it’s absolutely just basic components but WHOA they are are a force to be reckoned with when thrown into one salad bowl.
And I’m about ready to throw myself into the salad bowl, if we’re being real here.
I highly encourage you to follow my shining example.
Hawaiian Grilled Chicken Mango Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
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Ingredients
- CHICKEN:
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon agave syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets
- SALAD:
- 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 large mango peeled and diced
- 1 large roasted sweet pepper thinly sliced
- 1 avocado pitted and diced
- VINAIGRETTE:
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the chicken: In a large bowl, whisk pineapple juice, soy sauce, ginger, agave, salt, and pepper until smooth. Place chicken in a resealable plastic bag. Pour marinade over chicken and seal bag. Marinade chicken in refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade. Grill chicken over medium-high heat, turning once until chicken registers 165F, about 10-15 minutes. When chicken is cool enough to handle, slice into thin strips. Set aside.
- Make the salad: In a large bowl, combine lettuce, mango, sweet pepper, avocado, and chicken strips. Set aside for a moment to prepare the dressing.
- Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk all dressing ingredients until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- When ready to serve salad, pour dressing over top and toss to combine. Enjoy!
Nutrition
If you’re a salad freak…right this way!!
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Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
This is such a pretty salad! Grilled chicken is my favorite protein to add to salads, as I could eat them just about every day. I love the mango in here! Gives it such a fresh flavor, especially with that citrus dressing. This is definitely my kind of meal!
Sarah says
Grilled salads are totally my jam too! Can’t get enough this time of year. 😉
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
We love summer too! and nothing beats grilled chicken and grilled veggies!!! this salad is beyond beautiful and looks SO GOOD!!!!!
Sarah says
Aw you’re too kind, Alice!! Thanks for the sweet words!
Cyndi - My Kitchen Craze says
This salad looks amazing and perfect for these HOT days we’re having in Vegas. I love summer and all the fresh foods, but hate the heat 🙂
Sarah says
Oh, I’ll bet it gets SO hot in your neck of the woods, Cyndi! Stay cool, friend!
mira says
I love grilling, too! This salad is gorgeous!Love the dressing! Pinning to try it!
Sarah says
Thanks as always for pinning, Mira!! xoxo
Rachel @ Bakerita says
You’re so right – this is definitely the best part of summer, and this salad is the perfect way to take advantage of the warm weather and ALL the mangos! I need to start using the grill more – starting with this salad!
Sarah says
Oh you most DEFINITELY need to try this salad, girl!! It’s life-changing. 😉
Tara @ KitchenSanity says
This looks so refreshing! I’ve been trying to hang on to “summer” as we head in to colder weather.