This grilled chicken artichoke salad was one of the first dishes I fell in love with when I moved to Knoxville. Excited to try all the new restaurants, I set my sights on Central Flats and Taps, one of the highest-rated spots my friends couldn’t stop raving about. So, on date night, my hubby and I gave it a try.
Dan became obsessed with their spicy hot wings while I swooned over the grilled chicken artichoke salad (they call it the Spicy Chicken Salad). It was so simple and fresh that I was pretty sure I could recreate it at home and save some moo-lah.
Why 30-Minute Grilled Chicken Artichoke Salad is Perfect for Food Lovers
I was right! I was able to make this scrumptious grilled chicken artichoke salad in under 30 minutes and for a fraction of the cost. Though I love date night and having someone else wash the dishes, I was excited to make something at home that tasted so “restaurant quality.” Let me show you how I made it:
Step 1: The Salad
This is super simple: just lettuce and cucumber. I used a bag of spring mix and then diced a cucumber with the skin still on. Later on, you’ll need a can of drained artichokes and some roasted red peppers. I bought them in a jar from Mezzetta’s.
Step 2: The Chicken
This step is also really easy: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts put into a ziplock bag and smothered in Italian dressing. Use as much dressing as you like. I think I used about 3/4 cup to 1 cup. I let it marinate for about 10-15 minutes, but you could leave it for up to an hour.
Heat up your skillet with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, and then grill the chicken. I used my cast iron skillet since it is well seasoned, but you could easily use a large saute pan, a grill pan, or outdoor BBQ. Cook the chicken for about 5-7 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
Remove the chicken and let it rest for a few minutes while you prepare the rest of the salad. When you’re done, cut it into slivers.
For each plate of grilled chicken artichoke salad, I took a generous portion of greens and topped it with roasted red bell peppers and artichokes. Then I sprinkled on feta cheese. Blue cheese also tastes wonderful on this salad.
Step 3: The Dressing
The standard ratio for a vinaigrette dressing is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. You can dress it up with fancy ingredients like grainy mustard, shallots, or your favorite herbs. But I like my balsamic vinaigrette simple. I whisked up 3 Tablespoons of olive oil, 1 Tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, and a pinch of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper (maybe a 1/8 tsp of each). Bada bing, bada boom… DONE! Whisk it up and pour a little over your grilled chicken artichoke salad.
If you want to make a large batch of this dressing and keep it in the fridge for salads throughout the week, try this proportion and shake it in a mason jar:
3/4 cup olive oil + 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar + 1/2 tsp Kosher salt + 1/2 tsp ground pepper + optional add-ins = SUPER YUMMY BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE!
Optional add-ins could be minced garlic, herbs (such as oregano or basil), shallots, honey, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, etc.
Enjoy Your 30-Minute Grilled Chicken Artichoke Salad
And there you have it! A beautiful, healthy, and restaurant-quality grilled chicken artichoke salad in 30 minutes! My family and I enjoyed the salads with copycat Starbucks black tea lemonade and M&M peanut butter bars for dessert.
I think this salad would also be great to serve at a large dinner party or at a backyard BBQ. Toss it at the last minute with the balsamic dressing so it doesn’t get soggy. Is this a salad you think you’ll try? Leave me a comment below and let me know! Happy cooking, y’all!
