Kale salads are by far the superior salad. They’re so versatile and even make for the best leftovers. This hearty kale salad has seasoned grilled chicken, avocado, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries and a creamy spicy tahini dressing.
The sweetness of the cranberries pair so well with the spicy tahini dressing. This salad is an easy-to-make dinner or lunch or have on hand for the week.
I marinated the chicken in a simple spice blend and lemon juice, but this recipe can easily be made with your favorite spices. The tahini dressing is on of my absolute favorites to keep in the fridge to make meal time easier. It’s creamy and spicy, and can be used as a dressing for so many things.
What you’ll need for this Grilled Chicken Kale Salad
This recipe comes together with just a few simple ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Boneless chicken breast
- Kale salad mix, or bagged shredded kale. I love using a mix with shaved brussels sprouts and cabbage
- Avocado
- Pumpkin seeds & dried cranberries
- Homemade spicy tahini dressing– this dressing is seriously so good, and can even be made with almond or peanut butter
- Marinate the chicken in your spices, olive oil, garlic and lemon juice
- Prepare the tahini dressing and massage half of it into your kale salad. Massaging or mixing it into the kale first will help soften the kale, making it easier to chew and digest
- Grill the chicken on a heated pan for 3-4 minutes per side
- Chop the chicken and add it to the kale salad with the avocado, pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries
- Toss the salad with the remaining dressing and enjoy!
This kale chicken salad is so good and easy to make, you guys are going to love it!
Other salad recipes you’ll love:
Farro and Beet Salad with Mint Vinaigrette
Wild Rice Harvest Salad
Crispy Quinoa Kale Salad
Grilled Chicken Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
Grilled Chicken
- 4 boneless chicken breast, about 1 1/2 lbs
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more to grill
Kale Salad
- 10 oz bagged kale mix. I used one with shaved brussels sprouts and cabbage
- 1 avocado, cubed
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
Spicy Tahini Dressing
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 3 tbsp coconut aminos, or 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp harissa or chili garlic sauce
- 1 tsp honey
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- 1 clove garlic
- Pinch salt
- 4 -5 tbsp of water
Directions
- Prepare the chicken marinade: Into a bowl, add in 2 tbsp of olive oil, the lemon juice and crushed garlic. Add the chicken to the bowl and season with the spices. Toss together to combine and let it marinade while you prepare your ingredients.
- Make your tahini dressing by blending the dressing ingredients together. Start with 4 tbsp of water and add more if needed if the dressing is too thick.
- Add the kale to your salad bowl and pour half the dressing over the kale. Massage the dressing into the kale or mix well with tongs.
- Heat a skillet or grill pan with a little olive oil on medium heat. Grill the chicken for about 3-5 minutes per side. Cook time will depend on the thickness of the chicken.
- Remove from pan and let rest for 1-2 minutes before slicing.
- Add the remaining toppings to the salad along with the chopped chicken and mix in the rest of the dressing.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
We made this for dinner last night and it was the best chicken I’ve ever had! We made it in the Wonder Oven from Our Place instead of a skillet though to save time and it was so good. We will be prepping this chicken every week now.
Thank you, Shauna! I’m so happy to hear.