Blackberry Chicken Salad (with easy dressing from scratch)

When that hot summer sun is shining, we crave light lunches that take little time to whip up. That’s how blackberry chicken salad found its way onto our table. The fresh blackberries, red onion, and iceberg lettuce make the perfect summer lunch. Oh, and don’t forget the balsamic blackberry dressing; it’s bursting with flavor!

This blackberry chicken salad is part of my Summer Table Series here on the blog! Each week this summer, I’m sharing three recipes that belong on your summer table.

This series is full of fun drinks like fresh mint iced coffee, fresh supper recipes like my sweet pepper sheet pan chicken, and seasonal sourdough baked goods like sourdough peach scones.

I’d love for you to join us! Fill out the form below so you don’t miss a recipe. They’ll be sent straight to your inbox every Thursday this summer.

Simple blackberry chicken ingredients

For this recipe you’ll only need a few simple ingredients:

• ground chicken
• sea salt
• ground black pepper
• garlic powder 
• onion powder 
• head of iceberg lettuce
• red onion 
• fresh blackberries
• raw honey 
• balsamic vinegar 

Let’s cook the chicken!

I chose ground chicken to keep this recipe super quick and simple. When it comes to summer lunches, we all know we want something easy.

To cook the chicken, you’ll just heat a pan on medium heat, add in the ground chicken, and cook for 8–10 minutes. It’s so simple.

Prep the fruit and veggies with care

This salad is full of delicious summer produce like blackberries, red onion, and iceberg lettuce. You’re going to chop the lettuce, dice the onion, and slice the blackberries. It only takes a few minutes!

Don’t forget the homemade dressing!

Homemade salad dressing from scratch always tastes 100 times better than any store-bought version. It’s so fresh and adds tons of flavor.

For my blackberry balsamic dressing, you’ll simply combine fresh blackberries, honey, and balsamic vinegar in a blender. It takes less than a minute and tastes like the sweet summer season we’re in.

Put together your own salad tool kit

If you love salads, you’ve got to put together a little tool kit for your kitchen. This will make homemade salads simple to whip up at home. Here’s what’s in mine, even though I don’t make salads often:

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• Large glass bowl with lid | Perfect for servings and storing
• Bamboo Salad forks | They make tossing super simple
• Blender | The easiest way to make dressings from scratch

Storing leftover salad

If you don’t plan to eat the entire bowl of salad, keep the dressing off and add as much as you want to your bowl(s). This will make storing leftovers a breeze. You can store undressed salad in the fridge for 3–4 days.

Substitutions you can try

• You can swap the ground chicken for boneless, skinless chicken breast.
• If you don’t have a red onion, use a yellow or white onion instead.
• If you don’t have balsamic vinegar, swap it for apple cider vinegar.
• You can add any nuts or dried fruits of your choice if you desire.

Blackberry Chicken Salad (with easy dressing from scratch)

Molly LaFontaine

When that hot summer sun is shining, we crave light lunches that take little time to whip up. That's how blackberry chicken salad found its way onto our table. The fresh blackberries, red onion, and iceberg lettuce make the perfect summer lunch. Oh, and don't forget the balsamic blackberry dressing; it's bursting with flavor!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 minutes mins

Total Time 18 minutes mins

Course Lunch

Cuisine American

Servings 2 to 3 servings

Ingredients

  

For the Chicken

• 1/2 pound ground chicken
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder

For the Salad

• 1/2 of a head of iceberg lettuce
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1 cup 6oz of blackberries
• 2 Tbsp raw honey
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Instructions

 

• Add ground chicken, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to a skillet on medium heat and cook for 8-10, until fully cooked.
• Set aside and let cool while making the rest of the salad.
• Chop lettuce into shreds and place in a large salad bowl.
• Finely dice half of a red onion and measure out 1/4 cup. Add to the salad bowl and store the rest away for another use.
• Measure out half of the blackberries around 1/2 cup, roughly chop into large chunks, and add to the salad bowl.
• Now add cooked ground chicken to the salad bowl and set bowl aside.
• In a blender combine the rest of the blackberries ( 1/2 cup), honey, and balsamic vinegar. Blend until smooth.
• Pour the dressing over the salad. Toss to combine and enjoy!

Notes

Storing leftover salad

If you don't plan to eat the entire bowl of salad, keep the dressing off and add as much as you want to your bowl(s). This will make storing leftovers a breeze. You can store undressed salad in the fridge for 3–4 days.

Keyword blackberry chicken salad, blackberry chicken salad recipe

More Summer Meal Recipes You’ll Love

• Sweet Pepper Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
• Easy Citrus Marinated Chicken Breast From Scratch
• Simple Ground Chicken Burgers (no breadcrumbs)
• Easy Lemon Thyme Sheet Pan Chicken and Potatoes