Grilled and cubed chicken breasts are tossed with mangoes, cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, mandarin oranges, cantaloupe, strawberries, watermelon, cucumber, radish, celery, and leafy greens, and topped with chopped pecans, cashews, and almonds in this super colorful and ultra flavorful chicken fruit salad recipe. Seasoned with a simple lemon and oil dressing, this is the ultimate summer salad.

You can buy grilled chicken and use the breast to make this recipe or grill chicken breasts at home, for warm, tender, and juicy meat that will make this salad spectacular. If you want a healthier salad, cook skinless chicken breasts but it will be a lot more flavorful with the skin on. Boneless chicken breast is also good but cooking it with the bone makes it more tasty since the a lot of the flavor is concentrated in the bone and oozes out while cooking. Take the bone off (and the skin of you want less fat) after cooking and then slice the meat into large cubes for making the salad.

Overcooking the chicken will make it leathery and dry, and undercooking makes it unsafe. For perfectly grilled chicken breasts with crunchy skin and moist, tender meat, rinse and thoroughly dry the chicken breasts then sprinkle with some salt over and under the skin. Allow this to marinade in the refrigerator for at least two hours, covered in plastic wrap or lid. You can also season the chicken with herbs, spices, or sauce, and some pepper depending on your preference. Before grilling, allow the chicken to come to room temperature, which should take about 30 minutes.

The best way to toast the chicken is over direct, high heat to quickly sear the skin and seal in the juices. Place the chicken on the hottest part of the grill to make grill marks. When the flesh turns opaque, flip the chicken to cook the other side.

Ingredients

4 grilled chicken breasts (season as you prefer), cooled and cut into cubes

1 lb. of mixed leafy greens such as Spring Mix or any lettuce type you prefer

1 cup each blackberries; raspberries; dried cranberries (unsweetened); and mango (cubed)

2 cup each mandarin (or tangerine) oranges (peeled and sectioned); cantaloupe (cubed); sliced strawberries; watermelon (cubed)

1 cup each cucumbers (chopped); radishes (diced); celery (sliced)

Lemon Juice (to taste)

Olive oil (to taste)

Salt and Pepper (to taste)

1 cup pecans, cashews, or almonds or a mix (optional)

Preparation Instructions

1 In a large bowl, mix together all the fruits and vegetables. Add the cubed chicken. You can either add it cold or warm, but it is more flavorful and juicy when added warm. Add the greens and gently turn to mix the ingredients.

2 Drizzle preferred amounts of lemon juice and olive oil over the salad. Add salt and pepper to taste to the salad. Again, gently turn the salad to blend all ingredients. Garnish with nuts. Serve as is or with your favorite dressing.