This salad may look like one of the ones from the most recent issue of Fine Cooking, but the similar ends with the nut-crusted chicken and the peaches. I loved the way their looked, but I’m not a fan of creamy dressings or almonds and their had both. I also decided to grill the peaches to enhance their sweetness (and because I love grilled peaches!).
I used an apricot vinaigrette similar to the one I used on the summertime salad that I posted last week. The sweet dressing and the sweet peaches sounds like a lot, but a healthy dose of cracked black pepper balances the flavors and gives the salad a nice spiciness.
Pecan Chicken Salad with Grilled Peaches
- 1/2 c. pecans
- 1 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 lb chicken tenders, pounded to 1/4″
- 2 Tbs olive oil, divided
- 2 peaches, thickly sliced
- 2 Tbs apricot preserves
- 2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
- 6 cups mixed lettuce (I used a blend of romaine, endive, and radicchio)
- Freshly cracked black pepper
Pulverize pecans using a food processor and a rolling pin. Pour into a shallow dish. Put beaten egg in to second shallow dish. Salt and pepper the chicken tenders. Dredge in egg and then in nuts. Shake to remove excess.
Heat 1 Tbs oil in a large skillet. Cook chicken in batches until cooked through. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate.
Grill peaches over a medium-high flame until they begin to caramelize.
Meanwhile make dressing: mix preserves and vinegar. Slowly whisk in oil until combined.
Arrange chicken and peaches on top of lettuce. Drizzle with dressing and liberally top with cracked pepper.
Serves 2.
Tiffany O. says
01/24 at 11:41 pmyummmm, grilled peaches!
Jess @ Floptimism says
08/18 at 1:35 pmHi there! Just the other week I used the ingredients in this recipe as inspiration to create my own version of a grilled peach, pecan & chicken salad, and absolutely LOVED how it turned out! I blogged about it, linking back to this post as the original source for the recipe, and wanted to stop by with the link in case you were interested. Thanks for the delicious idea!
http://bit.ly/1ahOh6V
Marta says
11/03 at 11:54 amI love the recipes you post on your website. I have been going through your index to chose some great recipes to try and this one really caught my eye and I can’t wait to try it!
Debi Shawcross says
06/04 at 9:14 amGrilled peaches and pecans are a wonderful addition to the grilled chicken. Great summer dish!
gaga says
06/03 at 11:41 pmAh, how nice. Perfect for a nice outdoor summer meal.
Sophie says
06/03 at 2:49 amWhat a lovely dinner to get trough the hot summer,….excellent!
Albany Jane says
06/02 at 1:32 pmRockING! My mom is a picky eater, but I’ll wager she will give this tasty looking dish a try. Thanks for the recipe!
Erica says
06/02 at 6:51 amThis seriously looks heavenly! I have been seeing the fresh peaches popping up all over the place down here- now I will have to pick some up 🙂
DebinHawaii says
06/01 at 11:23 pmWhat a gorgeous salad! Love the grilled peaches with the pecan-crusted chicken and that apricot dressing sounds like the perfect pairing!
Natasha - 5 Star Foodie says
06/01 at 10:01 pmIt’s summertime! What a delicious salad with pecans and grilled peaches!
Natalie says
06/01 at 8:46 pmThat looks amazing! The perfect summer salad.
Christina@DeglazeMe says
06/01 at 8:35 pmI love grilled fruit, especially paired with savory things. YUMMMMM. I bet this would be good also with grilled pineapple.
Reeni says
06/01 at 8:29 pmWhat a beautiful salad. I like the sweet and savory flavors, and especially the grilled peaches!
Katherine says
06/01 at 4:41 pmI would love this for dinner. Grilled fruit is fantastic. You added my favorite nut, pecans.
Sarah says
06/01 at 3:24 pmI’ve never grilled fruit before either! I’ve always wanted to try it!! Looks great– so colorful!
CG the Foodie says
06/01 at 2:01 pmI LOVE grilled fruit! Delicious!
Mo says
06/01 at 2:59 pmsuuuuper YUM
Jenn@slim-shoppin says
06/01 at 12:48 pmYour dish looks amazing. I’ve never tried grilling fruit before. Every summer I say I am going to try it and for whatever reason I don’t!
Thanks for sharing such a healthy recipe!
Heather says
06/01 at 1:32 pmthat looks wonderful! And doesn’t seem too tough to make, I’ve made pecan crusted chicken before and it was fantastic on its own too.
rebecca subbiah says
06/01 at 1:01 pmthat looks wonderful yummy
doggybloggy says
06/01 at 12:58 pmsweet precious mercy this should be my lunch!