Simple Grilled Chicken Salad Bowls (gluten-free)

Simple Grilled Chicken Salad Bowls
gluten-free | grain-free | dairy-free | tree nut free | egg free
by Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | July 06, 2023
This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information.

One of my favorite chicken recipes is grilled chicken salad! These simple grilled chicken salad bowls turn nutritious, wholesome ingredients into a flavorful and delicious summer meal. To be honest, I’m not a huge chicken fan, and it’s not just because I raise chickens. I have always found chicken to be a plainer meat, with not as much natural flavor as red meat. There are only a few select chicken meals that I actually love, and grilled chicken salad is one of them! I enjoy making this meal and my whole family likes that they can customize their own bowls any way they like. These easy salad bowls are the perfect, quick homestead meal that everyone will enjoy!

Modern Pioneer Recipe

This simple grilled chicken salad is an amazing modern pioneer recipe! Having chicken as a staple meat on the homestead would have become more customary after the early pioneers got settled on their land and later pioneers were able to bring out chickens with them on their long trek across the prairie.

However, once chickens did make it to the Wild West, fresh eggs were a priority, then fresh chicken meat. Beef, pork, and venison would have been the first choice of many early pioneers since those were the most readily available meats. Later on though, chickens became a staple that the pioneers could raise on their homestead.

Even though I don’t qualify these simple grilled chicken salad bowls as a pioneer recipe, they still make for an amazing, sustainable modern pioneer recipe! These bowls can be loaded with nutritious ingredients that you make or raise right on your homestead, no matter where you are at on your modern pioneer journey! During the summer, I enjoy using homegrown lettuce and carrots to make these salad bowls, and adding in any additional veggies that happen to be doing well in the garden.

The nice things about salads is that they are extremely allergy-friendly! Unless you can’t tolerate vegetables or meat, then you can fix yourself up a delicious salad that is nutritious and good for you! These grilled chicken salad bowls are…

• gluten-free
• grain-free
• tree nut free
• dairy-free
• egg free
• corn free
• sugar free

For more nutritious salad ideas, make sure you check out this flavorful taco salad recipe or this fun grain-free pasta salad recipe!

Modern Pioneer Chicken Grilling Tips

Grilling used to intimidate me. I was much more comfortable using the stovetop or oven for my baking and cooking, so I usually let my dad do most of the grilling for our meals. However, grilling is not really that complicated, especially if you are doing a simple meat like chicken. You can make your grilled chicken as fancy or as simple as you like. 

#1. Marinade– My favorite, simple way to grill chicken is to start with a good marinade. I like to use Bragg’s organic vinaigrette salad dressing or a my homemade chive vinaigrette. It gives the chicken a good flavor and helps it stay moist during the grilling process. I let my cut up chicken breasts or chicken tenders soak in a good amount of marinade for at least 9-10 hours, sometimes overnight. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can try making your own marinade dressing! I know that there are a lot of good, healthy, homemade marinade recipes out there, just do a quick search on Pinterest.

I enjoy making a chive vinaigrette when the chive flowers are in bloom. It adds some spice and variety to my marinade options!

#2. Grill Time– After the chicken has marinated, I grill it up! Grilling times and methods may vary depending on your grill. My dad’s grill is a char-broil grill. I grill the chicken over medium to low heat (about 350°F) for 10-12 minutes, flipping the chicken half way through. You will know the chicken is cooked through when you cut the chicken and the juices run clear, not pink in color. You can also use a meat thermometer to test the chicken. The chicken is done when the internal temperature of the thickest piece is 165°F.

Looking for more summer grilling ideas? Check out this grilled venison backstrap (my favorite grilled recipe of all time!) or this grilled salmon recipe (another family favorite!).

Chicken Salad Ingredient Guide

One really great thing about these grilled chicken salad bowls is that they are so customizable! The ingredients I have listed are just the tip of the iceberg for all the toppings you could add to your salad bowl!

These are my favorite chicken salad ingredients: 

• Organic Romaine Lettuce- You could also mix in organic spinach, kale, Swiss chard, arugula, or various herbs (I like basil, parsley, chives, or dill).
• Homemade Organic Coleslaw– I make a dairy-free coleslaw using Primal Kitchen mayo, apple cider vinegar, and honey.
• Organic Carrots- When I don’t have coleslaw made up to put on my salad, I opt for fresh sliced carrots.
• Daiya Cheese- Daiya dairy free, nut free cheese is a great dairy-free cheese alternative for salads, but I also like using raw, unpasteurized cheese when it’s available.
• Bread and Butter Pickles (organic)- I love adding pickles to my salad because they add a sweet, crisp texture and taste.
• Canned Beets- Sometimes I add a few of my home canned beets to my salad.
• Organic Candy Onions– I eat candy onions like an apple, but I also like them on my salad! Regular onions also work too! They add great flavor to any salad.
• Organic Plantain Chips- Instead of croutons, I use plantain chips or grain-free crackers!
• Purely Elizabeth Granola- I never would have thought to put granola on a salad until I saw it listed as an idea on the back of the granola bag! It adds a sweet crunch to the salad. Homemade granola would taste good too!
• Sunflower Seeds- Sunflower seeds add a mild seedy flavor to the salad and add some great nutrition!
• Braggs Vinaigrette- I like to top off my salad with this salad dressing or my homemade ranch dressing.

I have also seen people add nuts, boiled eggs, avocados, potatoes, and tomatoes to their salad bowls! Go ahead, get creative! 

On days that I’m not feeling creative, my simple salad bowls looks like this: organic romaine lettuce, cheddar cheese shreds, chopped carrot, plantain chips, grilled chicken and topped off with some salad dressing.

Tips for Making a Salad Bowl

Since these grilled chicken salad bowls are so simple, I didn’t really have any recipe tips for you. Instead, I thought I’d offer some salad bowl tips!

Making salad bowls are pretty straightforward and self explanatory! In my family, we have salad at least once a week (usually more) and each family member has their own way of making their salad. Here is how my family assembles our salad bowls: 

• Start with a base of green- you can shred or break up your greens (lettuce, kale) or add whole small greens (baby kale, baby Swiss chard, baby spinach)
• Add other veggies- after the greens are down, I add my coleslaw, carrot, onion, beets, pickles, or other veggies
• Sprinkle on some cheese- I add cheese shreds or slices next
• Add your meat- on top of the veggies and cheese I add my cut up grilled chicken and sometimes a sprinkle of organic bacon bits
• Put on the crunchies- next I crumble on my chips, crackers, and/or granola
• Sprinkle on the seeds- then I add my sunflower seeds, you could also try sesame seeds or chia seeds
• Drizzle on the salad dressing- lastly I add my dressing!

That’s how I make my salad bowl, but you can do it anyway you want! Just have fun putting together your own flavorful salad bowl! If you are serving a lot of people, you may want to set up a salad bar and have everybody go down the bar and add what ingredients they like.

Sometimes it’s nice to serve a side with a salad. Some of my favorite salad sides include these grain-free cheese rolls or this grain-free cinnamon swirl bread!

Nutritious Summer Meal

Not only are these grilled chicken salad bowls easy to make but they are also super nutritious! You are getting leafy greens, a variety of vegetables, protein, and healthy seeds. The salad dressing you choose can also provide some health benefits! I like to use dressings that contain apple cider vinegar and olive oil. 

I typically try to stay away from putting fruit on my salad because fruit and the proteins in meat do no digest well together. It’s better to have them separately. I also don’t put corn on my salad. I love corn, but it does cause inflammation and I have a mild intolerance for it. Beans are another topping I stay away from because I try to limit the legumes in my anti-inflammatory diet.

I use organic ingredients for my salads because they are healthier for you and for the environment. Choosing organic, non-GMO ingredients helps you make sustainable and healthy food choices! That goes for choosing organic, pasture-raised, non-GMO chicken too! Of course, growing your own salad ingredients is ideal.

On my homestead, I enjoy growing my own lettuce, carrots, snow peas, and onions to use in fresh, homemade salads!

To keep the crunchy toppings healthy, stick to grain-free crackers or gluten-free granola made with coconut oil. Limiting the amount of canola oil or vegetable oil in your diet can help you eat healthier. Those oils are commonly used when making chips, even healthy chips like plantain chips.

Now I’m sure you can’t wait to make your own grilled chicken salad bowl! This nutritious salad is simple, filling, and delicious. It makes the perfect homestead meal for an individual or enough to feed a crowd (just make sure you plan on a 1/4lb of chicken per person)!

Where to Find the Ingredients

• Bragg’s organic vinaigrette salad dressing
• Bragg’s apple cider vinegar
• SoDelicious coconut milk beverage
• Purely Elizabeth gluten-free granola
• Samai plantain chips
• Barnana plantain chips
• Simple Mills sea salt crackers
• Primal Kitchen ranch dressing
• Anthony’s organic sunflower seeds
• Epic bacon bits
• Simply Organic onion powder
• Simply Organic garlic powder
• Chosen Foods avocado mayo
• Supplies: stainless steel grilling tongs, char-broil grill

These simple grilled chicken salad bowls are nutritious and delicious! I love making my salad and enjoying all the different flavors combined into one delicious meal! This gluten-free, grain-free, and dairy-free homestead meal is perfect for any occasion. I love that this meal is bursting with nutrition, but also full of flavor! It’s a simple meal that gets put on the homestead menu at least once a week during the summer months, and I don’t complain! Grilled chicken salad is one of my favorite salads!

Make sure you don’t miss any other chuckwagon meals! Get our weekly modern pioneer newsletter which has a new pioneer or modern pioneer recipe in it each week!