Watermelon Balsamic Chicken Salad
This summer salad is full of all my favs — sweet, juicy watermelon, sticky glazed balsamic chicken, and topped with marinated onions, mint and walnuts. Sophisticated, but very easy! NOTE: The marinated onions are best if made the night before. If you don't have that much time, try to allow them to marinate at least 1 hour.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 348kcal
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!
Video
Notes
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!
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 156mg | Potassium: 985mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 7712IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 3mg