Grilled Chicken Breast with Strawberry Salsa
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Always tender, always juicy, use this simple technique and get perfect grilled chicken — without a marinade — every single time. This grilled chicken breast served with strawberry salsa is a fresh and delicious gluten-free meal you can prep and serve in just 20 minutes!
Believe it or not, all you need for juicy grilled chicken is boneless skinless chicken breasts, a little olive oil, and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. The secret is in how you grill the chicken and I’m sharing all the tips with you today!
Use this same easy technique for grilling boneless chicken thighs — they’re great for chicken sandwiches or chopped for salads.
Craving more grilled chicken recipes? My Greek chicken kabobs served with fresh cucumber sauce and pita bread is an absolutely delicious, healthy meal. Chicken with caramelized lemon vinaigrette is another easy dinner option. Or, you may like this easy marinade for pork chops instead.
Grilled Chicken Breast: behind the recipe
My friends know that I’ve been a little busy lately taking a non-credit digital photography class (I’m planning to share more in a post this later this week) which means that I’ve struggled to find time to devote to cooking and blogging.
Obviously, that’s not a good thing for my food blog! My weekends have been spent doing class photography assignments (getting shots that don’t necessarily involve food) when I’m normally cooking and dreaming up recipes.
Thank goodness for my supportive husband because he suggested we make something easy on the grill for dinner last night and I was able to capture a few shots to share with you!
Our meal all started with some beautiful Florida strawberries — they were the perfect subject for practicing lighting and luminance photography skills.
Key ingredients and substitutions
- Chicken — For a healthy portion, look for boneless skinless chicken breasts that are the size to fit in your open palm, about 4 to 5 ounces each.
- Olive oil — For this recipe, you can use either light or extra virgin olive oil, or canola oil.
- Strawberries — Choose berries that are bright red, with no white spots. They’ll be ripe and sweet. If you like blueberries, they could be substituted. (I make blueberry salsa for grilled pork tenderloin sometimes!)
- Red bell pepper — Adds texture to the salsa and mild flavor that doesn’t overpower the berries.
- Jalapeño pepper — For a little more heat, leave in a few of the seeds if you like.
Making grilled chicken
This easy chicken recipe uses Bobby Flay’s technique and it’s always juicy and delicious!
STEP 1 | Flatten chicken
- Normally, one end of the chicken breast is thicker than the other, but the ensure even cooking it needs to be an even thickness.
- Place the chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet to gently pound it to an even 1/2 inch thickness.
STEP 3 | Grill chicken
- Heat the grill to high heat, about 450 degrees.
- Brush the chicken breasts on both sides with olive oil, then season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Cook the chicken on one side, without flipping, until it is golden brown, slightly charred, and has nice grill marks. Flip and continue grilling until just cooked through, and the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees on an instant read thermometer.
tips
- If you don’t have a meat thermometer, you can check for doneness by looking for these things:
- Check the juices. When you pierce the chicken with a fork or knife, the juices should run clear without any visible pink.
- Check the size. Chicken gets smaller as it cooks. If it looks the same size as when you started, it’s not done yet.
- Check the texture. Chicken should be firm and not rubbery or jiggly when it is done.
STEP 4 | Let it rest
- Probably the most important step, don’t immediately cut into the chicken once you remove it from the grill!
- Resting for 5 minutes keeps the juices inside so that the chicken doesn’t dry out.
How to make strawberry salsa
- If you have time to prep the salsa ahead of time as the flavors continue to meld as it sits.
- Hull the strawberries and dice into 1/4 inch pieces. Dice the red onion, red bell pepper, and jalapeño.
- Combine the berries and veggies, then season with lime juice and a pinch of salt.
tip
- Leftover salsa served with tortilla chips make a tasty snack, too! I love these handy new Ziptop containers for storing leftovers! Never lose another lid! You can get your own set with my affiliate link and take 15% off any order with my discount code: LIFELOVEANDGOODFOOD15.
Serving suggestions
- Make this dish into chicken tacos and serve with flour tortillas and a little queso fresco crumbled on top.
- Add a tossed green salad with homemade Greek dressing or buttermilk blue cheese dressing.
- Brush the chicken with your favorite barbecue sauce during the last few minutes of grilling for easy BBQ chicken.
Frequently asked questions
Simply put, don’t overcook it! I always grill boneless skinless chicken with no problem, but you can use boneless chicken with the skin on and remove it after you grill if you like. The skin will help hold in more moisture.
Grill chicken over direct heat so that you get a good sear and nice grill marks. These chicken breasts grill in a very short amount of time, so you’ll need to man the grill carefully.
Start cooking the chicken with the lid down to maintain the heat of the grill. Once you flip it, however, you can leave the lid up until it is done.
Grilled Chicken Breast with Strawberry Salsa
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 qt. strawberries diced
- ½ small red onion diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 medium jalapeño pepper seeded and minced
- 1 small lime juiced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- ½ bunch fresh cilantro chopped (optional)
Instructions
Chicken
- Heat a gas grill to high heat, approximately 450 degrees.
- Remove the chicken from the packaging and pat dry with paper towels. Place the chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet to gently pound the chicken to an even 1/2-inch thickness.
- Brush the breasts on both sides with olive oil and season with the salt and black pepper.
- Cook the chicken on grill for 4 to 5 minutes on the first, until golden brown and slightly charred. Flip and continue grilling until just cooked through, 3 to 4 more minutes, or until an instant read thermometer inserted in the center reads 155 degrees.
- Transfer the chicken to a platter or cutting board and tent with foil rest 5 minutes before serving with the salsa.
Strawberry salsa
- Place the diced strawberries, red onion, red bell pepper, and jalapeño in a large bowl; stir together gently.
- Add the lime juice, salt, and cilantro, if using, and toss gently.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Check the juices. When you pierce the chicken with a fork or knife, the juices should run clear without any visible pink.
- Check the size. Chicken gets smaller as it cooks. If it looks the same size as when you started, it’s not done yet.
- Check the texture. Chicken should be firm and not rubbery or jiggly when it is done.
Nutrition
Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
About Sheila Thigpen
Recipe Developer, Food Photographer, Food Writer
Sheila Thigpen is the publisher of Life, Love, and Good Food — a Southern food blog — and the author of Easy Chicken Cookbook and The 5-Ingredient Fresh and Easy Cookbook. After 20+ years in the publishing industry, she retired in 2018 to focus on her own creative endeavors full time. She and her husband live near the beautiful Smoky Mountains and have a precious little granddaughter who has stolen their hearts. As an influencer, Sheila has collaborated with brands like Creamette, Kroger, HERSHEY’S, Hamilton Beach, Garafalo Pasta, OXO, Smithfield, Valley Fig Growers, and more.
