Grilled lemon rosemary chicken piled on a mountain of fresh greens dressed with rosemary honey tahini dressing, with roasted carrots and dates, grilled pineapple, and candied almonds.
For all the layers of flavor this salad's got going on, it'll be on the table in about 60 minutes, preferably eaten outside at the end of a long summer day, cocktail in hand.
Lemon Rosemary Grilled Chicken Salad with Tahini Dressing
THIS is the way I like to eat salad, especially in the summer. There is so much going on in here... layers and layers of flavors and textures, each bite giving you something slightly different from the last.
Lemon Rosemary Grilled Chicken Salad Recipe Notes:
Follow the recipe instructions to get the chicken in the brine 30-60 minutes before you want it to be on the grill. Letting the chicken soak for a bit in a sugar-salt brine tenderizes and flavors the chicken from the inside out.
After brining, you'll coat the chicken with a simple lemon-rosemary rub and then baste it on the grill with a mixture of butter, rosemary, and mustard. This brine-rub-baste progression adds layers of flavor to the chicken in a matter of minutes.
While the chicken soaks in the brine, prepare the lemon rub and basting mixtures, get the carrots and dates in the oven to roast, and make the candied almonds. Then, while the chicken and pineapple are on the grill, whip up the tahini dressing.
Of course, the quickest way to make this salad is to already have some grilled chicken and roasted carrots and dates in your refrigerator because you made them earlier in the week and just saved the leftovers. That's usually what I do.
Lemon Rosemary Grilled Chicken and Roasted Carrots and Dates make a fantastic meal. When I make them, I just make enough to ensure we can have this salad later in the week.
More Hearty Main Dish Salad Recipes:
- Niçoise Salad with Bacon and Pomegranate Molasses Vinaigrette
- Chili Glazed Chicken Salad with Roasted Vegetables
- Cornbread Salad with Italian Sausage and Tomatoes
- Couscous Salad with Spring Veggies and Agrodolce
- Potato Salad with Creamy Green Sauce and Tuna
- Steak Salad Wraps
- Israeli Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette and Roasted Nuts
- Taco Salad with Pork Carnitas
Lemon Rosemary Grilled Chicken Salad with Tahini Dressing
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 8 cups mixed greens
- Roasted Carrots and Dates
- Lemon Rosemary Grilled Chicken
- 1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into large slices or rings. (Can also use canned pineapple rings.)
For the Candied Almonds:
- 1 cup whole almonds
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- a dash of ground cayenne pepper
For the Tahini Dressing:
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup tahini
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- Pinch of cayenne pepper (add more to taste)
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare Lemon Rosemary Grilled Chicken and Roasted Carrots and Dates .
- After grilling the chicken, lay the pineapple slices on the grill. Cook just until they begin to caramelize, about 2-3 minutes per side. Cut grilled pineapple into chunks.
To Make the Candied Almonds:
- Heat almonds, sugar, butter, salt, and cayenne in a heavy skillet over medium heat.
- Cook, stirring constantly, until almonds are toasted and sugar is completely melted and a very deep golden brown, 5-10 minutes.
- Dump the almonds onto a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper and let cool. Break into chunks.
To Make the Tahini Dressing:
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a blender and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
To Assemble the Salad:
- Cut chicken into bite-size chunks.
- Pile 2 cups of greens on each plate and drizzle with a bit of tahini dressing. Top with a handful of carrots and dates, chicken, pineapple chunks, and almonds.
- Category: Salads
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