Chicken and Strawberry Salad Recipe - Easy Summer Lunch

Jump to Recipe

A chicken and strawberry salad recipe doesn’t need to be complicated to be absolutely delicious! This light and simple version comes together in minutes and is my go-to lunch during strawberry season. What makes our recipe special is how the light olive oil and balsamic glaze dressing doesn’t overpower the ingredients, letting every fresh flavor shine through. This light yet hearty salad is packed with juicy strawberries, chicken, a handful of other ingredients, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze, making it taste restaurant-quality without the restaurant price tag.

Close up of a bowl of chicken and strawberry salad in a large white serving bowl with salad ingredients around it.

I’ve been making this salad for years, and honestly, during the summer months when strawberries are at their peak, I find myself making this two or three times a week. It’s become such an easy favorite that I find myself prepping a double batch of grilled chicken weekly to have on hand specifically to make this for quick lunches or light dinners during the week. The beauty of this salad is that it’s endlessly customizable. You can use a pretty wide variety of cooked chicken, choose your favorite salad greens, add or skip the cheese, and swap the toppings based on what sounds good that day.

This is also a salad that saves you serious money if you’re someone who loves ordering salads from restaurants or drive-throughs. Once you realize how easy and affordable it is to make at home, you’ll wonder why you ever paid for it before!

Still need more salad ideas? Try our kale and quinoa power salad or our curried chickpeas salad next!

You’ll Love This Chicken Strawberry Salad Recipe!

Ready in minutes. Using chicken that’s already been cooked saves you so much time, allowing you to whip together this salad faster than you can drive through a restaurant. Perfect for busy weekday lunches or when you want something light and fresh.

Light and simple ingredients. No heavy dressings or long ingredient lists here. Just fresh greens, protein, fruit, veggies, and a simple drizzle. You taste every single ingredient, and that’s exactly what makes it so good.

Customizable to your preferences. Don’t like goat cheese? Skip it or use feta cheese, parmesan, or whatever cheese you prefer. Want more crunch? Add nuts, seeds, or croutons. Love a different dressing? Swap it out. This is your salad, make it your way!

Ingredients for Our Strawberry Salad Recipe

Ingredients needed to make our recipe for a strawberry salad with chicken.

Salad greens of choice. Red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, spring mix, or spinach all work beautifully. Choose whatever leafy greens you love, or use a combination. You’ll need a generous handful or two for a single serving.
Grilled chicken. This is your protein base. While we love grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast, especially in the summertime, you can also use frozen chicken tenders (baked or cooked up in your air fryer for a crispy twist), shredded chicken, rotisserie chicken, or any leftover cooked chicken you have. The key is having good protein on hand that you can grab easily.
Fresh strawberries. Fresh berries add natural sweetness and brightness to this salad. Wash, remove the stems, and chop them into bite-sized pieces.
English cucumber. Adds refreshing crunch and fresh flavor. One mini cucumber per salad is a great starting point, but feel free to add more!
Crumbled goat cheese. Creamy goat cheese adds a lovey tangy element to the salad that balances the sweetness of the strawberries.
Olive oil. A light drizzle is all you need. Quality olive oil makes a difference here since it’s doing all the work as your dressing.
Balsamic glaze. This is the key to the flavor. A drizzle of balsamic glaze adds tangy-sweet depth without being heavy. I love the Bertolli and Alessi versions, I did NOT like the Trader Joe’s version.
Salt. I never used to salt my salads, but after a spirited debate with my Superintendent on my last construction jobsite, I tried it. And honestly, I add a dash of salt to my salads pretty frequently now. Especially since we’re not using a premade dressing, adding a little sprinkle of salt really makes the flavors pop in this recipe.

All ingredient measurements and full recipe details can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Helpful Equipment

Not to be dramatic, but having a salad spinner has been life-changing for us! I avoided getting one for years, and now it’s one of the most used kitchen gadgets we have. Especially if you’re using leaf lettuces (like the lettuce I’m showing that I snagged out of my garden), it keeps your greens dry and crisp, which makes such a difference in how your salad tastes.

How to Make Chicken and Strawberry Salad

Process shot showing the lettuce being added to a large white bowl.

Add your greens to a bowl. Start by adding your favorite salad greens to a large bowl. I generally eyeball this and start with a generous handful (or two).

Process shot showing the cucumber and strawberry pieces added on top of the lettuce.

Top with cucumber and strawberries. Add your chopped cucumber and fresh strawberries onto the bed of greens. The order doesn’t really matter, so arrange it however looks good to you.

Process shot showing the chicken and goat cheese added on top of the lettuce, cucumbers, and strawberries.

Add your chicken and cheese. Place your cooked chicken on next then sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese (or whatever cheese you’re using).

Process shot showing the balsamic glaze being drizzled over the top of the salad.

Drizzle with olive oil, balsamic glaze, and a dash of salt. Add a light drizzle of olive oil to the top of the salad, then a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Finish with a shake or two of salt. Enjoy!

Strawberry Salad Variations and Mix-In Ideas

Use different types of chicken. Use rotisserie chicken for convenience, frozen chicken tenders for a crispy twist (one of my favorite ways to enjoy this salad), crockpot shredded chicken, or whatever leftover cooked chicken you have in your fridge. You can also use chicken thighs if preferred. The best chicken is the one you actually have prepped and ready to go!
Try different dressing options. If preferred you can use a balsamic dressing, champagne vinaigrette, poppy seed dressing, a strawberry vinaigrette, or even a simple Italian dressing in place of the olive oil and balsamic glaze drizzle.
Add fresh blueberries. Adding a handful of fresh blueberries alongside the sweet strawberries is another way to add a pop of sweetness and color when they’re in-season in the summertime. Doing this is a fun way to change things up and make the salad feel different.
Change up the cheese (or skip it). Our base is crumbled goat cheese, but you can try crumbled feta, shredded parmesan, or skip the cheese altogether if that’s your preference.
Add crunch. I love adding roasted and salted pepitas to this salad! Pecans, walnuts, sliced almonds, or croutons are other great ways to add a nice textural contrast and keep this salad interesting.
Add avocado. If you want to add some more creaminess, or are trying to incorporate more healthy fats into your diet, adding some slices of avocado is a great option for this salad.
Add red onions. If you love raw onions in your salads, add some thinly sliced red onions to your salad bowl.
Toss in a grain. If you’d like, add a little cooked quinoa or cooked farro for added fiber and textural variation.

Expert Tips for Making Chicken and Strawberry Salad

Make sure your chicken is ready to go. The best chicken for this salad is the one you have prepped and easy to grab! We like to double our grilled chicken or crockpot shredded chicken recipes so there is always cooked protein on hand during the week.

Assemble right before eating. For the best texture, add your greens to a bowl, top with everything else, and dress it right before you eat. This ensures your greens are crisp (not soggy).

Pack it smart for lunch. If you’re taking this to work or on a picnic, pack all the salad components (greens, cucumber, strawberries, chicken, cheese) in a lidded container and pack the olive oil and balsamic glaze separately. Add the dressing right before you eat so the greens don’t get soggy.

Grilled Chicken Strawberry Salad FAQs

Can I make this salad ahead of time?

You can have various components ready to go for this salad, but you’ll want to wait to assemble and dress the salad until it’s time to eat.

You can cook the chicken several days in advance and have it ready to go. However, for the best results, cut up your strawberries and cucumber close to when you want to assemble the salad (ideally day-of, but the day before works ok too). This keeps them fresh and crisp. Keep your greens separate until you’re ready to assemble.

Is this salad good for meal prep?

Yes, this is a decent salad for meal prep with a few guidelines. Cook your chicken on the weekend and it’ll keep for several days. However, you’ll get the best results if you cut up your strawberries and cucumber closer to when you want to eat them (day-of or the day before). Keep your greens separate from everything else, then assemble and dress right before eating. This keeps everything fresh and prevents the greens from getting soggy.

When packing for lunches or picnics, I recommend packing the salad and dressing separately. Layer the “dry” ingredients in a glass container with a lid and bring your dressing ingredients along separately. When ready to eat, add your drizzle your “wet” ingredients on top and enjoy!

Can I use frozen strawberries?

I wouldn’t not recommend using frozen strawberries because the texture gets very soft when thawed, and they release too much liquid which will make your salad soggy. If fresh strawberries aren’t available, this probably isn’t the salad to make right now. Fresh strawberries are really essential for this salad.

Love This Recipe? Give One of These Easy Lunch Recipes a Try Next!

Oh hey, did you make this one? ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Meredith, creator of Our Love Language is Food, holding out a veggie tray with our creamy avocado dip in the center of it.

Drop a 5-star rating and leave me a comment below! It genuinely helps this little corner of the internet grow, and I read every single one. You can also tag me @ourlovelanguageisfood on Instagram (I love seeing your versions!). Want more recipes like this? Join my weekly newsletter and I’ll send them straight to you!

Chicken and Strawberry Salad