This salad starts out with a base of fluffy quinoa which gets topped with grilled chicken, some shredded brussels sprouts, a sprinkling of goat cheese and some toasted almond slices. It's finished off with a bright, tangy homemade raspberry dressing. It's the ideal meal for a summer weeknight!
For some other ideas for great weekday summer meals check out these Grilled Stuffed Peppers, this Asian Chicken Salad with Ramen Noodles or this Sticky Asian Grilled Chicken.
A friend of mine first made a version of this Grilled Chicken Quinoa Salad for me several summers ago. She initially had it at a local Chicago restaurant, then made her version....then I made a few changes when I tested it out.....well, you get the idea. I love recipes that evolve like this!
One of my favorite components of this recipe is the fresh raspberry dressing. This was my first foray into making a fruit-based dressing, so I tested it a number of times to get the right balance of flavors.
How to make this recipe
Check out the tips below if you want to meal prep this recipe. It's the perfect warm-weather lunch or dinner!
- Grill the chicken: After you marinate the chicken, grill it until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Let it cool for a few minutes and then slice it into thin strips.
- Make the dressing: Mix the raspberries and water in a blender until mashed. Then, add the remaining dressing ingredients and continue blending until smooth.
- Start the salad: Add the brussels sprouts to a mixing bowl and pour on about a tablespoon of dressing, then mix well.
- Add the quinoa: Add the quinoa to the brussels spouts and mix until everything is well coated with the dressing.
Finish the salad. Add the goat chees and sliced chicken to the salad. Top with the remaining dressing and toss everything together. Serve immediately or chill. Sprinkle the toasted almonds over the salad just before serving.
Tips for Toasting Nuts
Toasted nuts are another one of my favorite salad toppings. You often see instructions to toast nuts in the oven, however, when I toast nuts, I use a small non-stick pan over medium-low heat. It's easy to toss them so you get an even toasting and it means you don't have to turn the oven on. Just be sure to keep an eye on them, as they can burn quickly once the pan heats up.
Meal Prep Tips
I like this salad because it is easy to make and keeps well. It's a great addition to your weekly meal prep routine.
- Make a nice big batch of quinoa on Sunday or whenever you do your meal prep.
- Grill the chicken at that same time or early in the week. Since this marinade is one of my favorites, I'll often make a double batch of this chicken when I'm grilling it for this recipe.
- The dressing can also be made several days ahead of time in stored in an airtight container in the fridge. It will get a little thick after being in the fridge, so you can add a touch of water or olive oil to thin it out.
- I keep toasted nuts on hand at all times. I usually buy a bag of sliced almonds and toast the entire bag at one time. They can be kept in an airtight container for several weeks.
Recommended Tools
I wanted to share a few key tools I use when making this recipe, as they are things I use frequently in the kitchen.
Magnetic Measuring Spoon Set - I love this set of spoons for two reasons - they are magnetic, so they stay together in the drawer but separate easily when you need to use them, and the set includes a ½ tablespoon, which I find incredibly useful.
OXO Mini Measuring Cup - This is great for making salad dressings and other things that call for 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil or other liquid ingredients. It's much easier to measure once than pour repeatedly into a measuring spoon, making it well worth the $15 price tag!
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Chicken Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, about ½ a lemon
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 16 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts
For the dressing:
- ½ cup fresh raspberries
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- pinch of ground pepper
- ½ tablespoon honey
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
For the salad:
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- ½ cup sliced brussels sprouts
- ½ cup crumbled goat cheese
- ¼ cup sliced toasted almonds
Instructions
- Preheat grill to 400°F (medium high heat)
- Mix garlic, vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice, pepper, mustard, thyme and olive oil in a small bowl. Place chicken in a small plastic bag and pour olive oil mixture in. Marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Remove chicken from marinade, discarding any excess marinade. Season with salt and pepper.
- While the chicken is marinating, make the dressing by placing the raspberries and water in a blender; blend until smooth. Add vinegar, pepper and honey. Blend again until all ingredients are incorporated. Add olive oil and blend until smooth.
- Grill chicken for 5-6 minutes per side until done. Remove from grill and let cool slightly. Slice into thin strips.
- In a medium bowl mix the brussels sprouts with 1 tablespoon raspberry dressing. Add quinoa and mix well. Divide among 4 small bowls. Top each with chicken, goat cheese and toasted almonds. Add dressing to taste.
Notes
This post was originally published in June 2019. It was updated in May 2025 with some new information and photos. No changes were made to the original recipe.
GiGi Eats
I wish I could eat quinoa! It's a favorite among so many people!!!! But I do love me some chicken and can certainly eat that!
Neli @ Delicious Meets Healthy
This quinoa and chicken salad sounds fantastic! And that raspberry dressing is wow!! 🙂 5 stars
Julie @ Tastes of Lizzy T
Prettiest salad ever! Looks so fresh for summer!
Patti
I do love my salads and this homemade raspberry dressing looks especially wonderful!
Derek @ Dad With A Pan
That vinaigrette though! Makes me want to cook this up for lunch now!
Byron Thomas
That looks so damn good! I'm making the raspberry dressing for sure!
FoodieGirlChicago
Thanks Byron! I make the raspberry dressing all the time - it's great on tons of things!
Nataliya Friend
Berry-based dressings are the best and this looks/sounds delicious. 🙂
Byron Thomas
I love this... looks so good!
Chrisy @ Homemade Hooplah
Loving the flavors of the chicken with the sweetness of the dressing. Sounds delish!
Jill Silverman Hough
Nice! I love the combination of chicken, berries, almonds, and goat cheese, And the quinoa and brussels sprouts must add nice texture. I bet it'd be good with a few raspberries garnishing the top as well!
Kimberly Ann @ Bake Love Give
I love that you used shredded brussels sprouts! This salad sounds fantastic.
FoodieGirlChicago
Thanks Kimberly - it has become one of my favorites. I actually like brussel sprouts now!!