Discover the ultimate **Grilled Chicken Waldorf Salad** recipe – a vibrant, flavorful, and satisfying meal perfect for any occasion! This modern twist on a classic salad combines tender grilled chicken, crisp fruits, crunchy nuts, and a light, homemade vinaigrette dressing that will tantalize your taste buds. Whether you’re seeking a hearty main course for two or an impressive side dish, this recipe promises a delightful culinary experience.
There’s an undeniable allure to a truly gourmet salad – not just in its beautiful presentation, but in the symphony of flavors and textures it offers. Each bite should be a delightful anticipation of the next, and this **Grilled Chicken Waldorf Salad** delivers exactly that. It’s a culinary creation that transforms a simple salad into a memorable dining event, proving that healthy eating can be incredibly indulgent and exciting.
While rooted in the tradition of a **classic Waldorf Salad**, this recipe introduces an array of fresh, innovative ingredients that elevate it far beyond the ordinary. You’ll find the familiar sweetness of grapes, the crisp bite of celery, and the satisfying crunch of apples and walnuts. However, this version takes a delightful detour with the addition of juicy pears, savory prosciutto, succulent grilled chicken, and tangy blue cheese. Instead of a single type of lettuce, we incorporate a vibrant trio of lettuces for varied texture, complemented by the unexpected crunch of fresh broccoli florets. And here’s the best part: it eschews the heavy, mayonnaise-laden dressings of yesteryear for a bright, refreshing white balsamic vinaigrette. This incredible recipe comes from my talented friend, Haley, whose innate ability to combine ingredients results in truly spectacular dishes.
Perfect Dinner for Two: A Culinary Solution for Empty Nesters
For many, cooking for two can feel like an entirely new challenge. As recent “empty nesters” ourselves, my husband and I found ourselves navigating this culinary landscape after our two youngest headed off to college. While they’re just an hour away and visit often, the weekdays present a unique opportunity to rediscover cooking for a smaller household. Gone are the days of preparing elaborate meals for a crowd of eight; now, it’s about crafting dishes that are just as satisfying but scaled for two. It’s true, we’ve enjoyed more takeout and simplified meals like creamy tomato soup with grilled cheese or grilled turkey Havarti sandwiches, but this salad offers a much-needed, wholesome alternative.
What makes this salad a standout for couples is its incredible heartiness. It’s robust enough to banish any “salad for dinner?!” skepticism, ensuring a truly filling and satisfying meal. This recipe yields two generously sized salads, perfectly portioned for a romantic dinner or a substantial lunch. Yet, its beauty lies in its adaptability: it can easily be scaled down for individual servings or expanded when the kids come home, allowing you to seamlessly transition back to cooking for a larger family feast.
Why This Gourmet Chicken Waldorf Salad is a Must-Try
- Packed with Protein Power: Our Waldorf salad isn’t just delicious; it’s a powerhouse of protein. Featuring tender, juicy grilled chicken breasts (or thighs!) that have been perfectly brined, this salad provides sustained energy and helps you feel fuller longer. Beyond the chicken, crispy strips of savory prosciutto and nutrient-rich walnuts add even more protein and healthy fats, making it an ideal choice for active lifestyles or a satisfying meal any day.
- Remarkably Versatile: One of the greatest attributes of this salad is its incredible versatility. While we absolutely adore it with grilled chicken and prosciutto, this recipe is easily adaptable to suit various dietary preferences. Simply omit the chicken and prosciutto for a delightful meatless option that’s still bursting with flavor and texture. It’s equally delicious both ways, making it a flexible choice for diverse palates and occasions.
- Ideal for Intimate Meals (Dinner for Two): Crafting well-balanced and exciting meals for just two people can sometimes be a challenge. This Grilled Chicken Waldorf Salad is perfectly designed to address that. Its array of fresh, wholesome ingredients ensures a complete and satisfying meal, making it an excellent choice for a well-rounded main course for a romantic dinner, a light lunch, or any time you’re cooking for a smaller gathering.
- An Exquisite Side Dish: Beyond its potential as a main course, this vibrant salad shines as a stunning and flavorful side. Its beautiful colors and complex flavors make it a perfect complement to a wide range of dishes, from rich pasta entrees and comforting casseroles to delicate grilled fish or roasted chicken. The scratch-made vinaigrette elevates it further, ensuring it stands out from typical side salads.
- Effortlessly Easy Preparation: Don’t let the gourmet presentation fool you; this Waldorf salad is surprisingly simple to prepare. While the chicken requires an overnight brine for maximum moisture and flavor, the active preparation time is minimal. Once your chicken is brined and cooked, it’s just a matter of chopping your fresh produce and assembling the components. It comes together quickly, making it a fantastic option for busy weeknights or relaxed weekend meals.
What is a Waldorf Salad? A Modern Interpretation
Traditionally, a Waldorf salad is recognized for its delightful medley of crisp and colorful ingredients. The classic version typically features a combination of grapes, crunchy nuts (often walnuts), crisp apples, celery, and fresh lettuce. These ingredients are then usually bound together and dressed with a sweetened mayonnaise or yogurt-based dressing, offering a creamy and mildly sweet profile.
However, our rendition of the Waldorf salad ventures beyond tradition, offering a sophisticated and savory-sweet evolution. Think of it as the beloved classic reimagined with a modern palate in mind. We’ve introduced additional layers of flavor and texture, transforming it into a more substantial and complex dish. The result is a vibrant salad with a fresh, fruity, and distinctly savory twist that we are confident you will absolutely adore. Prepare to fall in love with this elevated version!
Essential Salad Ingredients
Salt (for Brine): Crucial for the chicken brine, which is the secret to incredibly moist and flavorful chicken. Remember that different types of kosher salt can vary in their salinity, so adjust as needed. Brining helps the chicken retain moisture during cooking, resulting in a tender texture.
Water (for Brine): You’ll need five cups of water to create the perfect salt-to-water ratio for an effective brine, ensuring optimal flavor penetration and moisture for the chicken.
Apple: The quintessential crunch and sweet-tart flavor of a Waldorf salad. Choose your favorite variety; crisp options like Gala, Honeycrisp, or Granny Smith work beautifully, each offering a slightly different balance of sweetness and tartness.
Grapes: Halved red grapes infuse the salad with bursts of sweet, juicy fruitiness, providing a delightful contrast to the savory elements. They add a natural sweetness that perfectly complements the other ingredients.
Pear: Adds an extra layer of fresh, tender, and subtly sweet fruit flavor. Anjou or Bartlett pears are excellent choices for their juicy texture and mild sweetness. Ensure your pears are ripe but firm, displaying a lovely yellow hue for optimal taste and texture.
Celery: Provides that essential crisp and refreshing crunch, along with a subtle earthy flavor that is characteristic of a classic Waldorf salad.
Broccoli: Finely chopped broccoli florets are a fantastic addition, boosting the nutritional content and introducing a unique, satisfying crunch. It’s a simple way to incorporate more vibrant greens into your salad.
Lettuce (Bib and Romaine): To create an interesting textural base, we combine bib lettuce for its delicate, buttery leaves and romaine for its crispness and slightly more robust flavor. This duo offers a delightful mouthfeel and freshness.
Radicchio: This striking red-leafed vegetable, similar in texture to cabbage, brings a delightful bitter and slightly spicy note to the salad. It adds depth of flavor and a beautiful splash of color, commonly found in gourmet Italian cuisine, and can also be grilled or roasted for other applications.
Flavorful Toppings
Walnuts: Toasting walnuts beforehand intensifies their nutty flavor and adds an irresistible crunch. You can substitute with pecans or almonds for a different, but equally delicious, nutty profile.
Blue Cheese: Crumbled blue cheese introduces a wonderful tangy, pungent, and creamy element that beautifully balances the sweetness of the fruit and the richness of the chicken. If blue cheese isn’t your preference, crumbled goat cheese or even feta makes a fantastic alternative.
Chicken: We recommend two boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or a mix of breasts and thighs for varied texture and juiciness). Brining and grilling the chicken ensures it’s tender, succulent, and perfectly seasoned, providing a substantial protein base for the salad.
Prosciutto: Crisp, pan-fried prosciutto adds an incredible salty, savory depth and a delightful textural contrast. Its smoky, delicate flavor perfectly complements the sweetness of the fruit and the tang of the blue cheese, creating an ideal sweet and savory combination.
Homemade Vinaigrette Dressing
Olive Oil: The foundation of our vinaigrette, a good quality olive oil lends a robust, silky texture and fruity undertones. Choose your favorite extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor profile.
Vinegar (White Balsamic and White): A combination of white balsamic vinegar and regular white vinegar provides a bright, tangy, and subtly sweet acidity. White balsamic offers a gentler, less aggressive tang compared to dark balsamic, ensuring the dressing is vibrant without overpowering the salad’s fresh ingredients.
Honey: Just a touch of honey perfectly rounds out the dressing, balancing the acidity of the vinegars and adding a delicate natural sweetness without making it cloying. It creates a harmonious flavor profile.
Shallots: Minced fresh shallots contribute a delicate, aromatic flavor profile, similar to garlic but milder and slightly sweeter. They add an essential depth and fragrance to the dressing.
Mayonnaise: A small amount of mayonnaise helps to emulsify the dressing, giving it a light creaminess that beautifully coats the salad greens without feeling heavy or overly rich.
Lemon (Juice and Zest): Freshly squeezed lemon juice brightens the entire dressing with its vibrant citrus notes. The lemon zest, packed with essential oils, adds an aromatic intensity that truly makes the vinaigrette shine.
Salt and Pepper: The fundamental seasonings to taste. Adjust these to your preference to perfect the blend of flavors in your homemade vinaigrette.
How to Craft Your Gourmet Grilled Chicken Waldorf Salad
Crafting this elevated Waldorf salad with grilled chicken is surprisingly straightforward, especially once the chicken has completed its brining process. The steps are designed for ease and maximum flavor. For precise measurements and a detailed recipe card, please refer to the section below.
Step 1: Brine the Chicken for Optimal Juiciness
Begin by preparing the brine. In a large container or a resealable bag, combine the salt and water. Submerge the raw chicken breasts completely in this brine. Ensure the container is covered, then refrigerate it overnight. This crucial step infuses the chicken with moisture and flavor, guaranteeing tender and succulent results when grilled.
Step 2: Prepare the Zesty White Balsamic Vinaigrette
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the white balsamic vinegar, honey, minced shallots, mayonnaise, white vinegar, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Whisk these ingredients vigorously until well combined. While continuously whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. This gradual addition helps to emulsify the dressing, creating a smooth, cohesive, and perfectly balanced vinaigrette. Cover the bowl and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble your salad, allowing the flavors to meld beautifully.
Step 3: Toast Walnuts and Crisp Prosciutto
Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the walnuts and toast them gently, stirring frequently, until they become fragrant and lightly golden brown. Be careful not to burn them. Remove the walnuts and set them aside. In the same skillet, add the prosciutto slices and cook until they are wonderfully crispy. Once crisp, remove them from the pan and set them aside to cool, allowing them to become even crispier.
Step 4: Grill the Brined Chicken to Perfection
Remove the chicken breasts from the brine and pat them dry. Preheat your grill to a medium-high heat. Grill the chicken until its internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius), which you can verify with a reliable meat thermometer. Once cooked, let the chicken rest for a few minutes before slicing it into strips or cubes. Resting ensures the juices redistribute, keeping the chicken tender and moist.
Step 5: Assemble the Fresh Salad Base
In a spacious large bowl, gently toss together the bib lettuce, romaine lettuce, and chopped radicchio. This forms the vibrant, crunchy base of your salad. Next, add the cubed apples, halved red grapes, delicate pear slices, chopped celery, and fresh broccoli florets. Toss all these ingredients together once more until they are evenly distributed, creating a colorful and inviting mix of fruits and vegetables.
Step 6: Dress, Top, and Serve Your Gourmet Salad
Pour the prepared white balsamic vinaigrette over the salad mixture in the large bowl. Toss everything gently until all the greens and ingredients are lightly and evenly coated with the dressing. Next, divide the dressed salad onto individual serving plates. Finally, artfully arrange the toasted walnuts, crumbled blue cheese, crispy prosciutto, and sliced grilled chicken on top of each salad. Serve immediately to enjoy the freshest flavors and textures!
Your exquisite Grilled Chicken Waldorf Salad is now ready to be savored! Enjoy every delicious, fresh, and flavorful bite.
Don’t Forget to Pin This Recipe!
Ensure you save this incredible Grilled Chicken Waldorf Salad recipe so it’s always on hand for your next meal planning. It’s truly versatile and makes a stunning centerpiece for brunch, a satisfying lunch, or an elegant dinner. Pin it now and add a touch of gourmet flair to your culinary repertoire!
The Fascinating Origin of the Waldorf Salad
The iconic Waldorf salad boasts a rich history, named after its birthplace: the prestigious Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. This classic dish made its grand debut around 1893, specifically prepared for a charity ball held in honor of St. Mary’s Hospital. The original creation was famously simple, featuring just a few key ingredients: crisp apples, fresh celery, and a creamy mayonnaise dressing. Over the decades, it has evolved and been adapted in countless kitchens worldwide, becoming a timeless favorite that continues to inspire culinary creativity.
Expert Tips & Tricks for a Perfect Chicken Waldorf Salad
- Smart Storage for Leftovers: To maintain the crispness and freshness of your salad, it’s best to store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. A crucial tip: keep the vinaigrette dressing separate from the salad greens. This prevents the lettuce and other vegetables from becoming soggy, ensuring your salad stays vibrant and delicious for longer.
- Alternative Chicken Cooking Methods: While grilling imparts a wonderful smoky flavor, there are many ways to prepare the chicken for this salad. If grilling isn’t an option, consider baking it in the oven, pan-searing it on the stovetop, using an air fryer for extra crispiness, or even cooking it in an Instant Pot for speed. This recipe is also a fantastic way to utilize leftover cooked chicken or even holiday turkey, such as a flavorful Thanksgiving Turkey or a succulent Smoked Turkey!
- Grape Variations for Different Flavors: Feel free to experiment with different types of grapes! While red grapes offer a beautiful color and sweet pop, white (green) grapes can also be used for a slightly different flavor profile and visual appeal. Both varieties will add a delightful burst of sweetness.
- Avoid Overcooking the Chicken: The key to a tender and juicy chicken is to avoid overcooking it. Always use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature reaches precisely 165°F (74°C). Overcooked chicken can become dry and tough, detracting from the overall texture of your salad.
More Delicious Salad Recipes You’ll Adore
- Peach Basil Chicken Salad
- Cranberry Fluff Recipe with Marshmallows
- Easy Grape Clementine Salad
- Summer Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Poppyseed Dressing
- Marinated Vegetables
- Easy French Vinaigrette Pasta Salad
- Green Salad with Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette (A nod to Dante, in Omaha!)
- Pickled Beet Salad with Pears, Walnuts and Goat Cheese
Now, let’s gather our ingredients and create this absolutely gorgeous salad!
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Rating: 5 out of 5 stars (2 votes)
Print Recipe
Grilled Chicken Waldorf Salad
- Prep Time
- 15 mins
- Cook Time
- 15 mins
- Additional Time
- 8 hrs (for brining)
- Total Time
- 8 hrs 30 mins
- Cuisine
- American
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 1444 kcal
- Author
- Michaela Kenkel
Equipment
- Thermapen Mk4 Instant-read Thermometer
- Char-Broil 4-Burner Cart Style Liquid Propane Gas Grill
- Whisks for Cooking, 3 Pack Stainless Steel Whisk
- 3 Piece Wooden Salad Set
- 12-Piece Black Sharp Knife Set with Covers, Cutting Board and Sharpener
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
For the Chicken Brine:
- 1/4 cup salt
- 5 cups water
For the White Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 Tablespoon shallots, minced
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
For the Salad:
- 1 apple, cubed
- 1 cup red grapes, halved
- 1 pear, sliced
- 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
- 1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped broccoli
- 1 small head bib lettuce
- 2 cups radicchio, chopped
- 2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- 4-5 slices prosciutto, cooked crispy
Instructions
- Place chicken in the brine, cover, and place in the refrigerator overnight.
- In a bowl, mix all of the vinaigrette ingredients except the olive oil with a whisk. Slowly add in the olive oil, whisking constantly. Cover and store in the refrigerator.
- Toast the walnuts and crisp up the prosciutto in a skillet. Set aside.
- Remove chicken from the brine and grill it until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees with a meat thermometer. Slice.
- Toss the lettuces together in a large bowl. Add in fruits and veggies and toss once again.
- Add vinaigrette and toss again.
- Place dressed salad onto plates, top with cheese, toasted walnuts, crispy prosciutto, and grilled chicken.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
- Calories: 1444 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 70g
- Protein: 70g
- Fat: 101g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 79g
- Cholesterol: 187mg
- Sodium: 16956mg
- Fiber: 12g
- Sugar: 48g