Grilled Chicken Salad

AI Prompt -> Can you give me a recipe for a delicious grilled chicken salad for one?

Grilled Chicken Salad

Recipe

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 1 small chicken breast (about 4-6 oz)

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp lemon juice

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp paprika

• Salt and pepper to taste

For the salad

• 2-3 cups mixed greens (such as spinach, arugula, or romaine)

• 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)

• 1/4 cucumber (sliced)

• 1/4 avocado (sliced)

• 1 tbsp red onion (thinly sliced)

• 1 tbsp feta cheese (optional)

• 1tbsp sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds (optional for crunch)

For the dressing

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp lemon juice (or balsamic vinegar)

• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper

2. Coat the chicken breast with the marinade and let it sit for 10-15 minutes (optional but recommended for extra flavor)

3. Preheat your grill (or grill pan) over medium heat

4. Grill the Chicken for about 6-7 minutes per side or until fully cooked through and internal temperature reaches 165 degree F (75 degree C)

5. While the chicken is grilling, add the mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, and red onion on a plate. Sprinkle with feta cheese and seeds if you’re using them.

6. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice (or vinegar), Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper

7. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently

8. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing

9. Add the chicken breast to the top of the salad

Discussion

When AI tells you that something is “optional but recommended for extra flavor” you do that optional step. Allowing the chicken to marinate for 15 minutes was a great decision. The flavor on the chicken packed an amazing punch and broke up the nothingness of the salad.

The dressing was also pretty good, but it was too oily for my liking. I still don’t have any Dijon mustard, so I opted for my Carolina Reaper Honey Mustard. I think this was the reason that the olive oil didn’t break down very well. I will probably use pre-made dressing in the future.

Calorie wise, the salad was about 450 calories, and I didn’t include the feta cheese, mixed greens (I used Iceberg Lettuce), avocado, or any of the other vegetables. The entirety of the calories came from the 4 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast (around 250 calories) and the about 1.5 tbsps olive oil I used in this recipe (around 200 calories). It was good, but the dressing made the calories jump too high in my opinion.