This BALSAMIC TOMATO CHICKEN SALAD is packed with simple fresh ingredients and takes less than 30 minutes to make! The perfect side for that summer backyard barbecue party!
I love summertime. I mean who doesn’t, with lazy mornings and light nights my kids get to relax instead of me barking at them to get out of bed and telling them to hurry up and eat their breakfast. Seriously every day is a mad dash to get out of the door before the school bell rings.
I’m proud to say that in five years of school my daughter has never been late. Where’s my certificate?
Summer for me also means backyard entertaining and grilling. But you can’t just provide a whole mess of meat, there has to be some variety including salads. This chicken salad is perfect as a side dish, easy to make, and tastes amazing! My hot tip is to buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it the night before you plan to serve it. That way all of the work is done and you don’t have to roast a chicken in the middle of summer.
With minimal ingredients, this chicken salad still manages to wow my friends and guests who come and eat with us. Maybe it’s the creamy balsamic dressing or the crunchy red and yellow peppers but whatever it is, I’m asked over and over if this salad will be on the table.
Add some diced fresh Roma tomatoes, fresh chopped cilantro, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds to complete the dish. I think some juicy shrimp would work just as well as chicken, I need to try that soon and see how it tastes.
One thing I do know for sure, you’ll love this chicken salad so be prepared to make it on repeat all through the summer!
Ingredients
- 1 rotisserie chicken shredded
- ¼ cup chopped green onions
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 red pepper sliced into thin strips
- 1 yellow pepper sliced into thin strips
- 1 large tomato seeded and diced
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
For The Dressing
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt and cracked black pepper
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Put the shredded chicken in a large bowl making sure the pieces aren't to large.
- Add the green onions, cilantro, red peppers, yellow peppers and tomato.
- In a blender combine the balsamic vinegar, honey, cumin, salt and pepper.
- Blend on high speed and slowly add the olive oil until it starts to thicken slightly.
- Add about half of the dressing to the chicken and toss well.
- Add more dressing if you prefer.
- Taste and season with more salt and black pepper if desired.
- Transfer to a large serving bowl and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds.
- Serve at once.
Nutrition
If you enjoyed this recipe, try these:
Orzo Salad with Balsamic Grilled Chicken
Pasta Salad with Mango Citrus Yogurt Dressing
Gerre Gannaway says
I’ll make this today and rate it after eating it. It struck me that we have every ingredient that it calls for. (There probably aren’t a lot of folks who have toasted sesame seeds lying around, but my wife is Korean, and she toasts sesame seeds at least twice a week.) Thanks for posting the recipe.