Grilled Chicken Wilted Salad is a super easy and super flavorful weeknight dinner idea. A splash of red wine vinegar, a sprinkle of olives and pine nuts and you’ve got a very healthy chicken spinach salad.
Healthy Eating During The Week
That’s my MO – so I can splurge on the weekend. 🙂 During the week I try to plan lots of light-meal salads for dinner. They’re salads that contain lean meats, lots of greens and vegetables tossed into a single dish meal with a lively vinaigrette.
Not only are they delicious and healthy, they also make way for weekends filled with cheeseburgers, Italian sausage laden pasta dishes, bacon and egg breakfasts and dare I mention…ice cream topped cinnamon bun bread.
This Grilled Chicken Wilted Salad is one of my favorites. 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.
The combination of flavors here are striking thanks to the warm dressing, Kalamata olives and rosemary dusted chicken tenders. And with the techniques of tossing the chicken and onion in olive oil before cooking and finishing by steaming the whole dish covered with a plate, you end up with a nice texture and wonderful warm flavors.
Let’s take a look:
Recipe for Grilled Chicken Wilted Salad
I hope you give this incredibly easy recipe for grilled chicken and spinach wilted salad a try and if you do, please come back and give the recipe a star rating. And leave a comment about your experience with the recipe.
And if you have a favorite grilled chicken salad recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.
More Chicken Salad Recipes:
- Creamy Tangy Avocado Chicken Salad
- Chinese Chicken Salad
- Sweet Chili Mustard Grilled Chopped Chicken Salad
Grilled Chicken Wilted Salad is a super easy and super flavorful weeknight dinner idea. A splash of red wine vinegar, a sprinkle of olives and pine nuts and you've got a very healthy chicken spinach salad.
- 1 pound chicken tenderloins
- 1 medium onion halved lengthwise, cut into thin wedges
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon rosemary fresh, crushed, or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 3/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 12 ounces baby spinach leaves
- 1/4 cup olives sliced, pitted Kalamata works good here
- 1/4 cup pine nuts toasted, or slivered almonds, toasted
- Heat indoor electric grill or grill pan over medium heat.
- In a bowl combine chicken and onions. Toss with two tablespoons of the olive oil, rosemary, and 1/4 teaspoon each pepper and salt.
- Grill chicken and onions on grill rack or in grill pan for ten minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink, internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F, and onions are tender, turning once.
- Meanwhile, for dressing, in a saucepan combine juice; vinegar; and remaining olive oil, pepper and salt. Bring juice mixture just to boiling; remove from heat. Place spinach, olives, pine nuts, chicken, and onions in an extra-large salad bowl; toss to combine. Pour warm dressing over salad mixture. Toss lightly. Cover salad with a large plate for one to two minutes or just until spinach is wilted. Remove plate. Serve immediately. Makes six servings.
Grilled Chicken Wilted Salad …It’s What’s for Dinner.
larry says
April 16, 2011 at 1:16 pmThis 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.
Lea Ann says
April 16, 2011 at 3:51 pmI love that dressing that you’re talking about….LOVE it.
Russ says
April 16, 2011 at 1:30 pmAny salad I make tends to be wilted…no matter my intentions. 😉
Lea Ann says
April 16, 2011 at 3:51 pmWell that makes you the expert! 😉
Nancy says
April 16, 2011 at 1:48 pmSounds 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!
Lea Ann says
April 16, 2011 at 3:50 pmI 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. 🙂
Nancy says
April 16, 2011 at 3:56 pmShe will be happy to hear that 😉 I’ll let her know she is not in danger of being used for this dish.
pam says
April 16, 2011 at 8:10 pmThis sounds wonderful!
Lea Ann says
April 17, 2011 at 6:22 amThanks Pam! 🙂
Barbara | VinoLuciStyle says
April 16, 2011 at 8:36 pmFirst, 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.
Lea Ann says
April 17, 2011 at 6:22 amWell I mean really, can you slice an onion with a glass of wine in your hand? 🙂
Vickie says
April 16, 2011 at 9:34 pmI’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! 😛
Lea Ann says
April 17, 2011 at 6:20 amTOOOOOO 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.
Boulder Locavore says
April 17, 2011 at 5:00 amLiar! ‘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….)
Lea Ann says
April 17, 2011 at 6:15 amToo Funny Toni. And yes, that ice cream topped cinnamon bun bread from last weekend caused an entire week of this type of food. 🙂
My Carolina Kitchen says
April 17, 2011 at 5:03 amMake with one hand and healthy? Now you’re talking. Fabulous photos as always Lea Ann.
Sam
Lea Ann says
April 17, 2011 at 6:13 amThanks Sam. 🙂
Brian Meagher says
April 17, 2011 at 7:45 amThe 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.
Chris says
April 17, 2011 at 2:13 pmThis is one of my favorite ways to use leftover grilled chicken! Guilt free and tasty.
Lea Ann says
April 17, 2011 at 2:16 pmThanks Chris.
Karen Harris says
April 18, 2011 at 6:04 amThis looks just wonderful. My mom used to make a wilted salad when I was a child. This brings back wonderful memories.
Lea Ann says
April 18, 2011 at 6:36 amMy mom made one with warmed bacon grease vinaigrette and it was soooooo good.
Design Wine and Dine says
April 18, 2011 at 7:29 amOR…get your husband to cut the onions so you can keep sipping away! 🙂
Love this recipe!!!!!!!!
Lea Ann says
April 18, 2011 at 7:48 amI love how you think!!! 🙂
freshandfoodie says
April 18, 2011 at 9:09 amThis 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!
Lea Ann says
April 18, 2011 at 4:59 pmThe wine part is important! 🙂
Velva says
April 18, 2011 at 4:09 pmA definitely good salad when you are eating light but, need to be satisfied.
Hope you have a awesome week.
Velva
Lea Ann says
April 18, 2011 at 4:57 pmThanks Velva
Zia Liz says
April 18, 2011 at 4:59 pmThis recipe became my favorite when you included wine as part of the preparation! Think I’ll have to make it tonight…
Kathleen says
April 18, 2011 at 6:16 pmGreat photo and delicious sounding salad!
Reeni says
April 19, 2011 at 7:25 pmDelicious flavor combinations – everything I love! I thought I’d be eating more salads by now but it’s still chilly soup weather here! Soon.
Lea Ann says
April 20, 2011 at 6:11 amI’ve been eating lots of salads already, even though it’s still pretty cold here.
Karen says
April 22, 2011 at 11:03 amThis looks and sounds so good. I just can’t wait to get our garden going so I can have fresh spinach!
Lea Ann says
April 23, 2011 at 6:28 amI’m with ya sistah! I can’t plant anything until May 10, I imagine it’s ever later for you.