This Balsamic Chicken and Watermelon Salad SCREAMS summer! Sweet, vibrant watermelon is layered with sticky sweet balsamic chicken, and then topped with marinated onions, walnuts and a sprinkling of mint for a sophisticated and delicious summer meal.
Love summery salads? Try this Grilled Balsamic Chicken with Strawberry Cucumber Salad, or this Kale Blueberry Salad with Quinoa!
*Today I’m partnering with Sharp Home USA ~ Sharp creates quality home appliances that make life easier!
Contents
A Summery Dream – A Salad Layered with Chicken and Watermelon!
This salad is the perfect summer meal. Hydrating, ripe watermelon, paired with a stick-sweet balsamic glazed chicken.
Layer these on crisp romaine lettuce with a sprinkling of walnuts, fresh mint, and some salty marinated onions for the perfect hot weather dinner.
When it’s hot outside, the last thing you want to do is turn on the oven. All that needs to be cooked for this recipe is the balsamic chicken, which simmers on my Sharp Induction Cooktop in 20 minutes while I’m preparing the rest of these salads!
Sharp makes induction cooktops in a 24 in., 30 in. and 36 in. width (check them out here). Paired with the Sharp European Convection Single Wall Oven, it’s a beautiful addition to my kitchen!
I love that with induction, it’s simple to time your meals to cook perfectly. On my induction cooktop, chicken browns perfectly at a level 6, and then I drop it down to a level 3 to let the balsamic vinegar reduce while the chicken cooks though.
I often use the built-in timers that turn off the burners when my food is done. Even a distracted cook like me can end up with perfectly cooked chicken every time.
Hop on over to Sharp’s website to see if an Induction Cooktop is the right fit for your kitchen!
What You’ll Need
Balsamic Chicken
- Chicken Breasts (or sub boneless chicken thighs, if desired!)
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Avocado Oil (or olive oil)
- Sea Salt & Pepper
Watermelon Chicken Salads
- Romaine Lettuce
- Watermelon (learn the best way to pick a watermelon!)
- Walnuts
- Fresh Mint
- Marinated Red Onions
How to Make Watermelon Chicken Salads
Step 1: Add thinly sliced red onions, olive oil, vinegar, salt and oregano to a large bowl. Toss to evenly coat onions.
Step 2: Allow onions to sit at least a couple hours, but overnight for best results. There is no need to refrigerate the onions. As long as the onions are fully submersed, they will stay good on the counter for up to 5 days.
Step 3: Into a skillet, add avocado oil, and heat over medium high heat. Brown the chicken, and generously season with salt and pepper.
Step 4: Flip the chicken to brown the second side, and add balsamic chicken. Reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer the chicken for about 15 minutes, flipping it to ensure even cooking, until the chicken is cooked throughout and the balsamic vinegar is thick and sticky. If necessary, add 1-2 tablespoons of water to prevent the vinegar from burning if it reduces too much.
Step 5: Onto plates, add chopped romaine lettuce.
Step 6: Add cubed (seeded) watermelon to each salad.
Step 5: Top the salads with sliced balsamic chicken.
Step 6: Garnish the salads with chopped walnuts and mint, and a generous helping of marinated red onions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this Watermelon Chicken Salad Whole30 compliant?
This recipe is Whole30 compliant as written. Be sure not to sub a store bought balsamic glaze because most contain added sugar. This watermelon salad without feta has marinated onions, walnuts and mint, so you won’t miss the cheese! (If you are on the Whole30, also try this more classic recipe for a Whole30 Chicken Salad).
Do cheese and watermelon go well together?
Lots of recipes for watermelon salads use feta cheese. If that’s something you love, sprinkle it on with the walnuts and mint!
How to Store Leftovers
I plate these salads when ready to eat. To meal prep these salads, keep the cooked balsamic chicken, chopped lettuce, cubed watermelon, and marinated onions in separate containers. Reheat the chicken in a skillet, and then assemble the salads when ready to eat.
Other Healthy Summer Salad Recipes
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Watermelon Balsamic Chicken Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb chicken breasts skinless
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 6 cups romaine lettuce chopped
- 6 cups watermelon cubed
- 1/2 cup fresh mint finely chopped
- 1/4 cup walnuts chopped
- marinated red onions
Marinated Red Onions
- 1 red onion large, very sliced thinly
- 6 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp oregano dried
Instructions
Marinated Red Onions
- Add thinly sliced red onions, olive oil, vinegar, salt and oregano to a large bowl. Toss to evenly coat onions.
- Allow onions to sit at least a couple hours, but overnight for best results. There is no need to refrigerate the onions. As long as the onions are fully submersed, they will stay good on the counter for up to 5 days.
Balsamic Chicken Watermelon Salads
- Into a skillet, add avocado oil, and heat over medium high heat. Brown the chicken, and generously season with salt and pepper.
- Flip the chicken to brown the second side, and add balsamic chicken. Reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer the chicken for about 15 minutes, flipping it to ensure even cooking, until the chicken is cooked throughout and the balsamic vinegar is thick and sticky. If necessary, add 1-2 tablespoons of water to prevent the vinegar from burning if it reduces too much.
- Onto plates, add chopped romaine lettuce.
- Add cubed (seeded) watermelon to each salad.
- Top the salads with sliced balsamic chicken.
- Garnish the salads with chopped walnuts and mint, and a generous helping of marinated red onions.
- Drizzle salads with additional oil from the onion marinade, if desired. A sprinkle of balsamic vinegar is also a great addition!
I think you packed in all the summer flavors on this one! Watermelon has always been my fav since I was a wee little one 😉
It’s my son’s favorite– he eats everything on this salad except the lettuce (at 2 years old!). He eats watermelon almost every single day. Always asking for it.
I loooove watermelon – and have been particularly obsessed with it this summer! Just cannot get enough. I love the idea of pairing it with a chicken salad. Amust try! I too try to stay away from cheese so am happy this is a cheese free recipe! YUM!
Cheese isn’t necessary with all the other flavors here!
The flavors in this sound delicious – definitely taking advantage of all things summer! And beautiful pictures. You managed to get such vibrant color in the chopped watermelon – gorgeous!
This is beautiful! Can’t wait to make this!
Watermelon is one of my favorites!! I bookmarked this recipe for future reference. thank you.
Watermelon is one of mine, too. And cherries. Those fruits go on pretty much everything in the summer!
wow this looks sooooo good! I will try and make it without the chicken <3
This has so much in that I love – chicken grilled till it has a gorgeous char, fresh watermelon, the tangy pickled onion and that lovely balsamic to give it the flavour boost. Gorgeous!
Yes, you are exactly right! Tons of flavors here that work so well together. The mint! Don’t forget the mint! So so important.
I love the addition of those pickled onions and watermelon to this salad, then add balsamic, just wow!
Thanks Jacqueline! This salad turned out even better than expected. I was at my mom’s house when I made it, and she isn’t very adventurous with her eating and didn’t think it sounded good– and she is still telling me how much she loved it and how it worked so well together.
Wow such a gorgeous salad! I never thought to put these flavours together, it sounds amazing!
My son loves watermelon and this recipe looks a tasty combination of watermelon and chicken. One to make this summer!
Watermelon is my son’s favorite also!
Wow, such a great recipe here. I love to read your post. Thanks for sharing
Thanks Adele, this has been a popular recipe!
This looks really good and I am excited to try this. Going out later today to get some ingredients. Thank you for this lovely idea.
Ooh, you’re just tailing the end of watermelon season! I hope you can find a good one. We love this salad and made it so many times over the summer!
holy smoky yummy…. this is so so so delicious…. i tried this already and o boy… what a taste and aroma.. loved it. Thanks for sharing
Wow, thanks for letting me know Angela! I can get watermelon year round where I live so I make this salad often. So fresh!