Wilted Spinach Salad with Grilled Chicken. A good wilted spinach salad should strike a balance between fresh and warm, tender and crisp. This recipe is easy, flavorful, and a main course salad that is lighter than traditional versions. A salad that’s perfectly suited for grilling season.
What Is Wilted Spinach Salad?
Wilted spinach salad is exactly what it sounds like. Fresh spinach gets tossed with a warm dressing that softens the leaves just enough to take away some of their raw edge. Not cooked. Not mushy. Just lightly relaxed.
What You Can Expect From This Salad
This Chicken and Spinach Salad has earned a permanent place in our weekday meal rotation. Here’s why:
- It comes together in about 30 minutes and can practically be made one-handed without having to put down your after work/before dinner glass of wine. e-a-s-y recipe.
- The combination of flavors here are striking thanks to the warm dressing, salty olives and rosemary dusted chicken tenders.
- Packed with protein with smoky grilled chicken.
- Warm, crisp cool and tender all at once.
- Perfect for grilling season.
- Naturally gluten free.
Why My Version Is Different
- Built for modern home cooks: This recipe focus on weeknight practicality that includes some unique ingredients that you won’t find in old fashioned traditional wilted spinach salads.
- Complete Meal: Grilled chicken makes this a complete meal. Most wilted spinach salads are served as side dishes.
- No Greasy Bacon Dressing: The classic is often served with a hot bacon dressing. I wanted something a little fresher and lighter, so used a dressing I learned in Culinary School that delivers a warm citrus themed flavor profile.
- Texture Matters: So many wilted spinach salads are over-dressed, causing the spinach to over-wilt and become mushy,.
And with the techniques of tossing the chicken and onion in olive oil before cooking and finishing by steaming and wilting the spinach, you end up with a nice texture and wonderful warm flavors.
Let’s take a look:
Ingredients You’ll Need
For The Chicken Spinach Salad
- Chicken Breast Tenders. To make this recipe as easy peasy as possible, purchase pre-cut chicken tenders.
- Baby Spinach: I’ve tested both mature spinach and baby spinach. Baby spinach is consistently better here. The leaves are more tender and wilt evenly.
- Onion: Use a sweet onion, yellow or white onion.
- Olives: Use your favorite. Black olives, Kalamata, Spanish, or even Castelvetrano. Or a combination.
- Almonds: Slivered or sliced.
For The Warm Dressing
- Sherry Vinegar
- Olive Oil
- Orange Juice
- Fresh Rosemary
- Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Ingredient Substitutions
- Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken thighs would be a great substitution for chicken breast tenders. And you can purchase a whole boneless skinless chicken breast and slice it yourself into tenders.
- Vinegar: Red Wine Vinegar is a good substitute for Sherry Vinegar. Or use Apple Cider Vinegar.
- Almonds: Try pine nuts in place of almonds.
- Rosemary: Use dried rosemary in place of fresh.
Expert Tip: Don’t skip toasting nuts when using them for any recipe. Toasting draws the natural oils to the surface of nut, intensifying the flavor and making the nuts crunchier. It simply makes them taste better.
Best Chicken for Wilted Spinach Salad
- Grilled Chicken Breast: My usual choice. Lean, easy and it slices beautifully over the salad.
- Grilled Chicken Thighs: A little richer. A little juicier. Hard to argue with.
- Rotisserie Chicken: Perfect for Winter nights or when turning on the grill feels like too much effort.
- Smoked Chicken: If you happen to have some leftover smoked chicken, use it. The flavor is fantastic with spinach.
Step by Step Instructions, It’s Easy
- Step 1: In a bowl combine chicken and onions. Toss with two tablespoons of the olive oil, rosemary, and ¼ teaspoon each pepper and salt. Set Aside.
- Step 2: For the dressing: In a saucepan combine orange juice; vinegar; and remaining olive oil, pepper and salt. Bring juice mixture just to a bowl. Turn off heat, cover with lid and leave the pan on the warm burner.
- Step 3: Grilling Chicken Tenderloins: Heat a grill to medium high heat, 400 degrees. Using a grill basket so onions don’t fall through the grates, grill chicken and onions for ten minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. Internal temperature using a digital read thermometer should read 165 degrees F, and onions should be tender. Turn several times to brown chicken tenders on all sides and onions receive even cooking.
- Step 4: Place spinach, olives, toasted nuts, grilled chicken, and onions in a large salad bowl and toss to combine. Pour warm dressing over salad mixture and toss lightly. Cover salad with a large plate or tin foil for one to two minutes or just until spinach is wilted. Remove plate. Serve immediately. Makes six servings.
My Tested Method For Perfectly Wilted Spinach
- Hot dressing isn’t better. It will flatten the spinach almost instantly. You lose that beautiful contrast between fresh and wilted. Let the dressing cool for a minute or two before pouring it over the greens. The texture is dramatically better. Spinach in this salad should be treated like a delicate salad green, not a vegetable side dish. You’re coaxing it. Not attacking it with heat.
- Cover: Covering the salad for a couple of minutes helps flavors marry and spinach to take on flavor and soften.
- Over Dressing: The first time I made this recipe, I treated spinach like a vegetable headed for a sauté pan. Which resulted in soggy spinach. Spinach keeps softening after the dressing hits it. Even after you stop tossing. Go easy with the dressing, adding a little at a time. What looks perfect in the bowl can turn limp a few minutes later.
Tips For Success
- Dry Spinach: Rinse and dry spinach leaves before making this salad. Use a colander and rinse with cold water. Drain and spread spinach leaves onto a large kitchen towel. Roll the towel up and then pat to absorb the liquid from the spinach leaves. Or better yet, use a salad spinner.
- Timing Matters: Don’t dress the salad early. Wait until you’re ready to serve. A few extra minutes can completely change the texture.
- Serve Immediately: This salad is best eaten right after preparing. However, you can make the dressing in advance and re-heat when you’re ready to assemble and serve.
- Grilling Tip: Use a grill basket for grilling chicken tenderloins and onions. That way they won’t fall through the grates.
- No outdoor grill? You can sear the meat stovetop using a grill pan set over medium high heat.
Make Ahead, Storage and Leftovers
- Make Ahead: Grill the chicken and mix the dressing ahead of time.
- Leftovers and Storage: If you want to save leftovers, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for one day, after that the spinach will lose it’s charm. To serve leftovers, let the spinach and chicken sit on the counter for about 30 minutes to take the chill off and eat at room temperature. Unfortunately trying to reheat the wilted spinach will only result in over-cooking it and it will turn flat in flavor in undesirable in texture.
What To Serve With Wilted Spinach Salad
Even though this is a main course salad, there’s always options for additional items.
- Grilled corn on the cob is a Summery side that completes the meal. Or try Cast Iron Skillet Potatoes.
- In the Winter, I’ve cooked the chicken stove-top and served it with some Spicy Tomato Soup.
- Cheesy Cornbread is always a good option here.
- Serve chicken and spinach salad with my recipe for Grilled Peach Salad. I can’t think of a better Summer meal.
FAQS
Wilting spinach means to heat it to a point to simply soften the leaves, but doesn’t cook the spinach long enough to break it down. For this recipe, the warm dressing and the technique of mixing it with hot chicken and covering the ingredients to create steam will soften the spinach and keep it bright green and pleasant to eat.
No. It’s already cooked and the texture will simply not work.
Yes, as soon as you toss the salad with the dressing, move it to the refrigerator. It’s ok served cold or at room temperature. Just don’t try to reheat and don’t make it a day in advance. Texture will be compromised.
It’s packed with vegetables, protein, and healthy fats. Pretty hard to argue with that.
Recipe for Wilted Spinach Salad
This recipe for wilted spinach salad is a fresh spinach salad tossed with a warm dressing that slightly softens the leaves without fully cooking them. This version turns the classic side dish into a satisfying meal by adding grilled chicken, creating a salad that’s hearty enough for lunch or dinner.
In the world of salads, the vibrant and crisp green leaves of lettuce often steal the limelight. However, next time you’re thinking about a main course salad, turn your attention to spinach for some unique charm.
Explore More Main Course Salads
And if you’re looking for more main course salad recipes, don’t miss my category for Salad Recipes. You’ll find lots of healthy dinner options including the most popular on my site for Taco Salad Made with Catalina Dressing.
And if you’re looking for more grilled chicken ideas, don’t miss my recipe for Grilled Half Chicken. It’s totally the way to go when grilling a whole chicken.
If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.
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Wilted Spinach Salad with Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast tenderloins or boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 medium onion halved lengthwise, cut into thin wedges
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon rosemary fresh, crushed, or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ¾ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- ½ Cup Orange Juice
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 12 ounces baby spinach leaves
- ¼ cup olives sliced, pitted Kalamata works good here
- ¼ cup pine nuts toasted, or slivered almonds, toasted
Instructions
- In a bowl combine chicken and onions. Toss with two tablespoons of the olive oil, rosemary, and ¼ teaspoon each pepper and salt. Set aside.
- For the dressing: In a saucepan combine orange juice; vinegar; and remaining olive oil, pepper and salt. Bring juice mixture just to a bowl. Turn off heat, cover with lid and leave pan burner to keep warm.
- Heat grill or indoor grill pan to medium high heat.
- Heat a grill to medium high heat, 400 degrees. Using a grill pan so onions don't fall through the grates, grill chicken and onions for ten minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. Internal temperature using a digital read thermometer should read 165 degrees F, and onions should be tender. Turn several times to brown chicken tenders on all sides and onions receive even cooking.
- Place spinach, olives, nuts, chicken, and onions in a large salad bowl and toss to combine. Pour warm dressing over salad mixture and toss lightly. Cover salad with a large plate or tin foil for one to two minutes or just until spinach is wilted. Remove plate. Serve immediately. Makes six servings.
Notes
-
Dry Spinach: Rinse and dry spinach leaves before making this salad. Use a colander and rinse with cold water. Drain and spread spinach leaves onto a large kitchen towel. Roll the towel up and then pat to absorb the liquid from the spinach leaves. Or better yet, use a salad spinner.
-
Timing Matters: Don’t dress the salad early. Wait until you’re ready to serve. A few extra minutes can completely change the texture.
-
Serve Immediately: This salad is best eaten right after preparing. However, you can make the dressing in advance and re-heat when you’re ready to assemble and serve.
-
Grilling Tip: Use a grill basket for grilling chicken tenderloins and onions. That way they won’t fall through the grates.
-
No outdoor grill? You can sear the meat stovetop using a grill pan set over medium high heat.
Nutrition
Grilled Chicken Wilted Salad …It’s What’s for Dinner.
Why Trust My Recipes? I am a Culinary School Graduate and a lifelong student of home cooking. I hope to inspire you try to cook as often as you can. I’ve been cooking for 50 years, and my recipes are tried and true tested and tested and then tested again before published. To read more take a look at my About Page.
I have the same motto as you- eating healthy during the week so I can indulge a bit over the weekend. This grilled chicken with wilted salad sounds wonderful. And I really love the warm dressing.
This looks and sounds so good. I just can’t wait to get our garden going so I can have fresh spinach!
I’m with ya sistah! I can’t plant anything until May 10, I imagine it’s ever later for you.
Delicious flavor combinations – everything I love! I thought I’d be eating more salads by now but it’s still chilly soup weather here! Soon.
I’ve been eating lots of salads already, even though it’s still pretty cold here.
Great photo and delicious sounding salad!
This recipe became my favorite when you included wine as part of the preparation! Think I’ll have to make it tonight…
A definitely good salad when you are eating light but, need to be satisfied.
Hope you have a awesome week.
Velva
Thanks Velva
This looks fantastic — I love the wilted salad with the kalamata olives. Plus, anything I can cook while drinking a glass of wine is a winner in my book!
The wine part is important! 🙂
OR…get your husband to cut the onions so you can keep sipping away! 🙂
Love this recipe!!!!!!!!
I love how you think!!! 🙂
This looks just wonderful. My mom used to make a wilted salad when I was a child. This brings back wonderful memories.
My mom made one with warmed bacon grease vinaigrette and it was soooooo good.
This is one of my favorite ways to use leftover grilled chicken! Guilt free and tasty.
Thanks Chris.
The bacon looks awesome! We’ve made candied bacon before, but not with the pepper and cayenne. We will be trying your version.
We practically *always* bake our bacon now, as we love how well it cooks. A little tip – use a sheet of parchment paper on the pan. Makes clean-up much easier.
Make with one hand and healthy? Now you’re talking. Fabulous photos as always Lea Ann.
Sam
Thanks Sam. 🙂
Liar! ‘Ice cream topped cinnamon bun bread’? Now how would you expect a girl to keep reading after that Lea Ann? I did reign in my overactive salivary glands, however and continued to read. What a yummy recipe. Love simple, good food (and the idea of ice cream topped cinnamon bun bread….)
Too Funny Toni. And yes, that ice cream topped cinnamon bun bread from last weekend caused an entire week of this type of food. 🙂
I’ll have you know, I laughed out loud when I read that you could practically make this one handed so as not to interrupt wine-time! In fact, I laughed so hard I spilled a little of my wine, or at least that’s the excuse I’m going to use. After the third glass and all, it’s hard to say what caused the spillage. Now back to that killer recipe – this sounds like the perfect weekday meal. I like fast, healthy, one-dish dinners that don’t interfere with my drinkin! 😛
TOOOOOO funny! I knew you’d appreciate that one, but man I’m sorry to hear it caused a spillage. And yes, I’m convinced that’s totally the reason for the loss of beverage. I sure hope you like it if you try it.
First, thank you for giving us the proscribed wine break…whew; that is good to know!
Second…this is a great weekday meal and similar to what I will often do; quick, easy and light. And yum.
Well I mean really, can you slice an onion with a glass of wine in your hand? 🙂
This sounds wonderful!
Thanks Pam! 🙂
Sounds delicious – I’ll pass this on to the chef. I bought him a grill pan for xmas! We’re eating light these days 🙂 Nice work!
I love my grill pan, I’m sure Neal will too. Forgot to tell you, got the post card of Sophia, she’s on my refrigerator. 🙂
She will be happy to hear that 😉 I’ll let her know she is not in danger of being used for this dish.
Any salad I make tends to be wilted…no matter my intentions. 😉
Well that makes you the expert! 😉
This sounds really good Lea Ann and I’m sure the salad queen will love it. We’re harvesting leaf lettuce and spinach now and had our first wilted lettuce (southern style), using hot bacon grease and vinegar as a dressing. Not too healthy but very good.
I love that dressing that you’re talking about….LOVE it.