This is one of my favorite salad combinations by far. From the dressing to the goat cheese to the perfect chicken marinade.. this recipe is sure to be a winner in your family! Healthy Grilled Chicken and Goat Cheese Salad is one we have on repeat as the months get warmer and that delicious farmers market produce is ready to go! I provide you with the ultimate chicken marinade to use while grilling all Spring and Summer long… PLUS the recipe for the perfect salad AND the recipe for the scrumptious Raspberry Vinaigrette. I mean… can it get better than this? Let’s get started!
A Healthy & Easy Chicken Marinade You Will Want ALL Year Long
Now this chicken marinade is our go to, always! If we are wanting some grilled chicken this is our exact conversation
“Alright we should grill some chicken tonight”
“Lemon Dijon?”
“Absolutely!”
*** end conversation
hahah I mean it is a no brainer and I cannot wait for it to be a no brainer for you!
- 1 package boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 10)
- Dijon Mustard ( 1/2 cup)
- Lemon juice (1/2 cup)
- 2 tsp Worcester Sauce
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp salt & pepper
- Add chicken thighs into large freeze plastic bag. Then pour lemon juice, Worcester sauce, Dijon Mustard, garlic, salt and pepper. Then shake until fully coating the chicken.
- Then marinade the chicken in the fridge for 2 hours
Watch Below To See Just How Easy It Is!
Making Your Own Dressing is Easy?!
I am the biggest fan of making your own dressing! In this Healthy Grilled Chicken Salad with Goat Cheese the Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing is the best! Salads can be delicious, nutritious and healthy, that is until the dressing is involved. “Low Fat” “Organic” “All Natural” are all key phrases that are plastered on the front of dressing bottles. However, it doesn’t take much for them to be able to use those phrases and at the end of the day, those phrases are not what matters– the ingredients are.
Below is a very popular low fat salad dressing here are the ingredients:
water, corn syrup, vinegar, sugar, whey (from milk), modified food starch, container less than 2 % of salt, soybean oil, dried garlic, xanthin gum, artificial color, phosphoric acid, propylene, glycol alginate, dried onions, spice, natural flavor, potassium sorbet and calcium disodium edta (to protect flavor), caramel color
Now what does that really mean?
How ingredient lists work is that the ingredient that the product is made most of is 1st and then the 2nd most is second and so forth. So when we have a “low fat” food or product that isn’t naturally low fat, the manufacturers need to replace that taste— so what does it look like they are replacing it with? Yep…. sugar. Corn syrup a form of sugar is the majority of this dressing, second to water, the fourth ingredient is plain sugar as well.
Not all fat is bad. Let me say that again, not all fat is bad. Actually good fats help you get the most out of your veggies in your salads! The fat soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K require fat for absorption. Absorption– meaning your ability to absorb the benefits of those vitamins! So in reality if they are not eaten with quality ingredients in your salad dressing you are not getting the most out of your salad! ( MIND BLOWN! Friends I never knew this until I started looking into it!)
I am all about balance and I sure do look at ways I can cut fat out of my diet at times. However when it comes to cutting down fat I urge you to look at what the company is putting in the product to cut fat out. What actually are they using to substitute it? In the case above it is large amounts of sugar which has the opposite effect you are looking for.
Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing for The Healthy Grilled Chicken and Goat Cheese Salad
This is a 7 ingredient dressing we can pronounce, minimal sugar, no additives, preservatives or artificial colors/flavors! It really can be so simple to throw together a dressing for the week or two weeks ahead. I promise once you start doing it regularly you won’t even notice it anymore! Plus the taste of homemade dressing is just not even comparable to store bought, trust me
- 1 cup Light Olive Oil
- 2/3 cup Raspberry Blush Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 tbsp chopped shallots
- 1 small garlic clove minced
- 2 tsp honey
- 1/2 tso salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Other HGHF Dinners That You Must Make
The Best Crock-Pot Chuck Roast
Apple Gorgonzola Salad with Honey Shallot Dressing
The Best Chicken Teriyaki Bowl
Quick Guacamole Black Bean Burgers
The Best Tuna Noodle Pasta
Do you have to use light olive oil in the dressing for the Healthy Grilled Chicken and Goat Cheese Salad?
I always highly recommend using light olive oil when making salad dressing. Regular olive oil has a very over powering taste when it comes to salad dressing. You want to make sure you get all the delicious flavors of the dressing and it isn’t masked my the olive oil.
Chicken thighs are used in this recipe, can you use chicken breasts for the Healthy Grilled Chicken and Goat Cheese Salad?
You could use chicken breasts with this marinade as well!
What is the best way to store the chicken?
Store the chicken in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days
Do you have to grill the chicken or can you bake them in the oven?
I have never baked them in the oven, however you could place each chicken thigh on the cooking rack for 35- 40 minutes at 400 degrees. When I try it I will make sure to report back asap!
Healthy Grilled Chicken and Goat Cheese Salad
Ingredients
Dijon Lemon Chicken Marinade
- 1 package boneless skinless chicken thighs about 10
- 1/2 cup Dijon Mustard
- 1/2 cup Lemon juice
- 2 tsp Worcester Sauce
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp salt & pepper
Raspberry Vinaigrette
- 1 cup Light Olive Oil or Grapeseed Oil
- 2/3 cup Raspberry Blush Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 tbsp chopped shallots
- 1 small garlic clove minced
- 2 tsp honey
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Healthy Grilled Chicken and Goat Cheese Salad
- 16 oz Mixed Greens
- 10 oz plain goat cheese
- 6-8 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 1 15 oz can of drained and rinsed garbanzo beans
Instructions
Dijon Lemon Chicken
- Add chicken thighs into large freeze plastic bag. Then pour lemon juice, Worcester sauce, Dijon Mustard, garlic, salt and pepper. Then shake until fully coating the chicken.
- Then marinade the chicken in the fridge for 2 hours
- After grill chicken thighs on direct heat for 3-4 minutes and then flip to the other side for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the grill when the internal temperature is 165 degrees.
Raspberry Vinaigrette
- Place dressing ingredients into a immersion blender safe container. Immersion blend until full smooth and incorporated.
Healthy Grilled Chicken and Goat Cheese Salad
- Once the chicken and dressing is done, it is time to assemble
- Place mixed greens in a large dinner bowl. Add on steamed golden beets, pumpkin seeds, goat cheese and the garbanzo beans. Drizzle with the homemade Raspberry Vinaigrette and sliced Dijon Lemon Chicken!
- Enjoy!
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