Grilled Balsamic Chicken Arugula Salad {Low-Carb}

This Grilled Balsamic Chicken Arugula Salad is low-carb with a balsamic dressing that doubles as a marinade – it’s ready in just 30 minutes!

Ingredients and substitutions

• Olive oil – any neutral oil like sunflower oil or avocado oil will work here.
• Sweet potatoes – feel free to swap out for any other kind of potato such as baby potatoes.
• Chicken breast – chicken thighs are a great and juicy alternative to chicken breasts.
• Arugula – baby spinach or kale would also be good in this salad.
• Plum tomatoes – another tomato like cherry or grape tomatoes can be used instead.
• Carrots – matchstick cut carrots, chopped carrots or baby carrots will all work.
• Red onions – feel free to leave out the onions altogether if you’re not a fan.
• Bocconcini cheese – use fresh mozzarella cheese in place of bocconcini cheese.

Balsamic dressing/marinade

• Olive oil – any neutral oil like sunflower oil or avocado oil will work here.
• Balsamic vinegar – a balsamic glaze, red wine or apple cider vinegar would be the best substitutes here.
• Honey – agave, maple syrup or coconut nectar will also work.
• Dijon mustard – regular yellow mustard, honey mustard or spicy mustard can be used in place of Dijon mustard.
• Salt & pepper – to taste.

How to make chicken arugula salad

1. Roast the potatoes.
2. Make the balsamic dressing.
3. Marinate the chicken.
4. Grill the chicken.
5. Assemble your salads.
6. Drizzle dressing over top and enjoy!

Meal prepping this salad

If you'd like to prep this salad for a week, store individual portions in mason jars. The best way to keep your salads from getting soggy is by keeping them in a mason jar.

The order in which you add the ingredients is simple but important:

• Layer the balsamic dressing/glaze at the bottom.
• Add the chicken.
• Add the cheese, sweet potatoes and veggies.
• Add the arugula over top so it doesn’t wilt or get soggy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Storing and reheating

You can store this salad in mason jars in the fridge for up to 5 days (make sure to follow the layering instructions above). When you're ready to enjoy your salad, move your ingredients from the mason jar into a bowl and enjoy!

If you don’t like cold chicken, you can store the chicken separately. Sprinkle some water over top of the chicken so it doesn’t dry out, microwave for 1-2 minutes and add to the rest of the salad.

Freezing the chicken

Although this salad isn't freezer friendly, you do have the option to freeze the chicken in this recipe for a later date. There are two options when it comes to freezing any extra chicken. If you're freezing cooked chicken, make sure the chicken has cooled to room temperature. Divide the leftovers into individual portions and place them into airtight meal prep containers or freezer-safe bags.

If you’re freezing raw and marinated chicken, place your marinated chicken into an airtight container or a freezer-safe bag and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.

More delicious salad recipes

• Philly Cheesesteak Salad Bowl
• Chili's Santa Fe Chicken Salad
• The BEST Arugula Salad

Meal prep tools for this recipe

• These are the mason jars I suggest for storing.
• You can get larger 32oz mason jars too!
• Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you would rather layer these salads in a different container.
• I like this salad dressing shaker to make homemade dressings and marinades easier.
• These colourful mason jar lids are so fun and perfect for organizing your meals.
• I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.