This Keto Blackberry Balsamic Chicken Salad is an easy dinner salad that's perfect for summertime suppers! It combines baked or grilled chicken breasts, greens, crisp veggies, buttery avocado, nuts and fresh blackberries with a rich blackberry balsamic vinaigrette.
Ready to try one of my best chicken salads? This Blackberry Balsamic Grilled Chicken Salad has an appetizing blend of sweet and savory flavours. Tossed with a dressing made with rich balsamic vinegar and sweet blackberries, it's an ideal summertime dinner salad.
And for all of you following a low-carb or Keto diet, this one is for you, too!
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❤️Why you'll love this balsamic chicken salad recipe
- It takes advantage of in-season berries.
- It's fresh and healthy.
- It's easy to make with hardly any cooking required!
Crunchy veggies, creamy avocado and juicy chicken on a bed of healthy salad greens form the base for this salad. Top it with fresh blackberries and then drizzle it all with a tangy, rich Blackberry Balsamic Dressing.
Boom! Dinner is done! An ideal meal for relaxed summer evenings.
Not only is it quick, but you'll be eating one of the most nutritious berries you can find. Blackberries burst with antioxidants, they're rich in Vitamins, C, K and A and they're an excellent source of fiber. Brain health? They may promote that too.
A definite plus for us as we age!
🛒 Ingredients
Ready to make a healthy salad with an oh-so-delish blackberry sauce for chicken? Here's what you'll need.
- chicken breasts: boneless, skinless breasts or you can sub chicken thighs.
- seasonings for chicken: thyme, salt and pepper
- salad greens: mixed. I use a spring mix and add cabbage and radicchio for colour
- cruciferous veggies: broccoli and cauliflower florets. You can blanch them if you'd like. I like them raw so I don't bother.
- avocado: just one to share
- pecans: or walnuts, or your favourite nuts or seeds. Toast them if you'd like to heighten their flavour.
- fresh blackberries
- Blackberry Balsamic Dressing: find the easy blender recipe below.
🔪 Instructions
- First, make the dressing. No cooking required! Simply add all ingredients to a high-speed blender, then blend until smooth.
- Next, cook the chicken on a grill, or sear it in a skillet and then finish cooking it in the oven.
- While the chicken breasts are cooking, arrange the salad ingredients in two shallow bowls.
- Let the cooked chicken rest for a few minutes to seal in all the juicy goodness, then slice and add to the salad. Don't miss this resting step. It makes a big difference to how moist the chicken will be. Check that the internal temperature has reached 165°F.
- Drizzle your salad generously with Blackberry Balsamic Dressing and serve right away. (Note: I drizzled the dressing sparingly before taking the photos, but then added lots more!)
🔁 Possible variations
- Substitute other low-carb veggies for broccoli and cauliflower. Try sliced bell peppers, cucumbers or zucchini.
- Add your favourite nuts or seeds.
- Serve on a bed of spinach instead of mixed greens.
- Add some thinly sliced red onion for a sweet flavour and bright colour.
- Add a smattering of feta cheese or goat cheese.
❓Questions readers ask
Cut open a blackberry and you'll discover why. Depending on the variety of blackberry you have, some are quite red inside, even when their exterior is black.
Storing Blackberry Balsamic Chicken Salad
This blackberry balsamic chicken salad holds up well when leftover. Using crisp romaine and crunchy raw vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower helps to keep it fresh the following day.
Add avocado just before serving, as it will turn brown if left exposed to the air. Store in a covered container in the fridge.
🗒 More chicken dinner salad recipes
Dinner salads make an easy, nutritious meal. Some of my other favourite chicken salads are:
- 30-Minute Chimichurri Chicken Dinner Salad
- Caribbean Shredded Jerk Chicken Salad
- Marinated Lemon Chicken Greek Salad
- Fennel Apple Chicken Salad with Pumpkin Spice Pecans
- Skinny Chopped Chicken Taco Salad
More healthy salad recipes
I hope this dinner salad made an easy summer dinner for you! When you make this Blackberry Chicken Salad please leave a comment and a star rating below. Thanks in advance! Subscribe to my newsletter and have new recipes delivered straight to your inbox once a week.
This popular recipe was originally published in 2019. I've updated it with extra information to make it more helpful.
📖 Recipe Card
Blackberry Balsamic Grilled Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Grilled Chicken Breasts
- 2 medium chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- sea salt and pepper
Salad
- 4 cups mixed salad greens
- ½ cup broccoli florets
- ½ cup cauliflower florets
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup pecans
- ½ cup fresh blackberries
Blackberry Balsamic Dressing
- ½ cup blackberries
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce or coconut aminos (for paleo)
- 1.5 teaspoon sweetener Monkfruit with erythritol (keto), honey (paleo) agave or sugar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, extra virgin
- ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt, or Kosher salt
Instructions
Blackberry Balsamic Dressing
- Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and process until smooth.
Grilled Chicken Salad
- Brush chicken breasts with olive oil, and sprinkle with dried thyme, salt and pepper. Sear on a greased grill (or in an oven-proof skillet) on each side for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned. Transfer to a 425°F. oven to finish cooking for 15-20 minutes or until a meat thermometer shows an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove from oven, tent with foil and let rest for 10 minutes
- While chicken is cooking, arrange salad greens, vegetables, pecans and blackberries in bowls.
- Top with sliced chicken breasts and drizzle generously with Blackberry Balsamic Dressing.
Maddie
I picked up a package of blackberries just so I could make this recipe. Definitely a winner! Will be making this one often!
Elaine
Thanks so much for the 5 stars, Maddie!
Dee
That dressing is to-die-for! I made this for my in-laws on the weekend and they LOVED it ! Thanks for another great recipe! 5 stars!
Flavour & Savour
Hi Dee,
You're very welcome! Comments like yours make my day! Thanks for letting me know it was a hit.