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Move over boring salads...this Pesto Grilled Chicken Avocado Salad will become your new favourite salad, using a pesto dressing to double as a marinade! | https://cafedelites.com
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4.80 from 5 votes

Pesto Grilled Chicken Avocado Salad

Move over boring salads...this Pesto Grilled Chicken Avocado Salad will become your new favourite salad, using a pesto dressing to double as a marinade!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Servings: 4 serves
Calories: 346kcal
Author: Karina

Ingredients

Dressing:

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons basil pesto, (homemade or store bought)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice, (adjust to your tastes)
  • 1-2 tablespoons water, (optional -- for a thinner consistency)
  • 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • cracked pepper, to taste
  • 4 (1 pound or 500g) skinless, boneless chicken thigh fillets (or chicken breasts)

Salad:

  • 4 cups Romaine, or Cos lettuce leaves, washed and dried
  • 1 large cucumber, diced
  • 1 cup grape (or cherry) tomatoes, diced
  • 1/2 red onion, sliced
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta
  • Lemon wedges, to serve
  • 2 tablespoons extra pesto, to serve
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil or parsley, to garnish

Instructions

  • Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients in a large jug. Pour out half of the dressing into a large, shallow dish. Refrigerate the remaining UNTOUCHED marinade to use as a dressing later.
  • Add the chicken to the marinade in the bowl; marinade chicken for 15-30 minutes (or up to two hours in the refrigerator if time allows). While waiting for the chicken, prepare all of the salad ingredients and mix in a large salad bowl.
  • Once chicken is ready, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a grill pan or a grill plate over medium-high heat. Grill chicken on both sides until browned and completely cooked through.
  • Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes; slice and arrange over salad. Drizzle salad with the remaining UNTOUCHED dressing. Serve with lemon wedges, extra basil pesto AND chopped basil or parsley, to garnish.

Notes

I recommend adding a couple tablespoons of oil to the extra pesto when serving your salad, before tossing! This of course depends on the thickness of your pesto. We like ours runnier for easier drizzling. You could also mix it with water to cut down on fat or calories, if you wish!
Use this homemade basil pesto recipe or store bought pesto!

Nutrition

Serving: 360g | Calories: 346kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 944mg | Potassium: 601mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 5105IU | Vitamin C: 18.2mg | Calcium: 162mg | Iron: 1.4mg