PSA: fruit in salad is absolutely delicious and one of the BEST ways to use up summer produce. There, I said it.
This sweet and savory, protein-packed chicken berry salad was part of an AK Salad Challenge we did back in 2018 and it’s so delicious that I had to reshare it with some tweaks and updates. This beauty is filled with healthy fats from avocado and almonds, protein from chicken and quinoa, and tons of amazing flavor from fresh berries and a homemade raspberry balsamic dressing.
You can even marinate your chicken in more of the raspberry balsamic before cooking it for extra tangy flavor — highly recommend!
As always, I included tons of great ways to customize this salad recipe with your fav fruits and veggies, different proteins, and so much more. Layer it up in a mason jar for the ultimate meal prep lunch, or triple or quadruple it to serve a crowd!
The key to making a salad in a jar
I love making and storing salads in jars because they’re such an easy, fun way to meal prep! The key to a perfect mason jar salad is to layer the ingredients in a way that they don’t get soggy. You’ll always want to put the dressing at the bottom, followed by crunchy veggies, protein, and greens at the top. Get all of my mason jar salad tips & recipes here!
For example, in this chicken berry salad, you’ll want to keep the zippy arugula at the top so that it doesn’t get wilted and soggy in the balsamic dressing!
Everything you’ll need to make this chicken berry salad
This incredible chicken berry salad is packed with protein and healthy fats to keep you full all afternoon and is the perfect combo of sweet and savory. The ingredients are inexpensive too! Try shopping for berries at your farmer’s market. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- For the dressing: I highly recommend using my homemade raspberry balsamic dressing that’s made with super simple ingredients. You can also use your fav store-bought berry vinaigrette.
- Chicken: you’ll need cooked, diced or shredded chicken breast. Marinade and cooking tips below!
- Quinoa: this chicken berry salad also has protein-packed quinoa, which adds a lovely, nutty flavor and amazing texture. Learn how to cook perfectly fluffy quinoa here!
- Fruits & veggies: we’re loading this salad up with fresh strawberries, blueberries, creamy avocado and zippy arugula.
- Almonds: for a little extra crunch and healthy fats you’ll also add some toasted sliced almonds.
- Goat cheese: creamy goat cheese crumbles add the perfect tangy bites to the salad.
The perfect chicken for this berry salad
This chicken berry salad is a great way to use up leftover chicken or even rotisserie chicken, but if you’re cooking it from scratch we recommend:
- Marinating the chicken in the same raspberry balsamic dressing that you’ll use for the dressing
- Grilling or baking it
- Then dicing it up or shredding it using one of these techniques!
Make this summer chicken berry salad your own
Just like so many of my salad recipes, this one is super easy to customize with what you have on hand. Here’s what I recommend:
- To make vegan or vegetarian: simply omit the chicken and add 1 cup of chickpeas, or 1 cup of cooked, cubed tofu. Learn how to grill tofu here! To make it vegan you’ll also want to omit the goat cheese.
- For the cheese: you could also swap the goat cheese for feta crumbles if you prefer a saltier bite!
- Choose your produce: feel free to use any berries you’d like — I think raspberries and blackberries would also be delicious. You could also swap the arugula for spinach.
- Try a new grain: I love the earthy, nutty flavor of quinoa, but you could also add orzo, barley, or farro.
Two ways to toast almonds
You can easily toast your own almonds right at home for this chicken berry salad, and there are two ways to do it: on the stovetop or in the oven!
- Stovetop method: Add sliced almonds to a pan and place over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 2-5 minutes until almonds are slightly golden brown. Remove from heat and allow to cool before adding them to the salad.
- Oven method: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place sliced almonds on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes until fragrant and golden brown, stirring once halfway through baking. Watch carefully so that nuts do not burn!
How to make this chicken berry salad in a jar
- Make the dressing. Start by making the raspberry balsamic dressing, or choosing your fav store-bought berry balsamic dressing.
- Cook the quinoa. If you don’t already have cooked quinoa, learn how to cook perfect quinoa here and then set it aside.
- Chop your produce. Cut & dice your strawberries and avocado as directed so that they’re bite-sized.
- Layer the mason jar. Add all of the ingredients to your mason jar in the following order: dressing, strawberries, cooked quinoa, blueberries, chicken, goat cheese, avocado, arugula, and almonds.
- Store, then serve. Store your mason jar salad in the fridge until you’re ready to eat it, then enjoy!
Storing & serving tips
Store the quinoa chicken berry salad in a 16 ounce mason jar or meal prep container for up to 2-3 days. Because it’s tricky to create the layers in a meal prep container, I recommend storing the dressing separately and adding it right before serving. Simply pour the salad out from the jar into a bowl or onto a plate to enjoy it, or mix it right in your meal prep container.
By the way, this salad makes an EXCELLENT summertime picnic or potluck salad. It’s refreshing and bursting with variety and flavor. I’d recommend quadrupling the ingredients, tossing everything together, and then just before serving, topping it with the avocado, goat cheese and almonds. Everyone will go crazy for the flavasss up in there.
More meal prep salad recipes we love
- Southwest Chicken Salad in a Jar
- Greek Chicken Salad in a Jar
- Thai-Inspired Chicken Quinoa Salad in a Jar
- Summer Strawberry Spinach Salad with Avocado
- Avocado Blueberry Quinoa Salad
Get all of my mason jar salad recipes here, and the rest of my salad recipes here!
I hope you love this balsamic chicken berry salad in a jar! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Balsamic Chicken Berry Salad in a Jar
Flavorful chicken berry salad with creamy goat cheese, nutty quinoa, and a sweet & tangy raspberry vinaigrette. This summer chicken berry salad is a great way to use up fresh produce and is packed with protein & healthy fats. Add it to a mason jar or meal prep container for the ultimate meal prep lunch!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons raspberry vinaigrette*
- ¼ cup quartered strawberries
- ½ cup cooked quinoa
- ¼ cup blueberries
- 1 cup diced or shredded grilled or baked chicken breast** (see notes for the perfect marinade)
- ¼ cup goat cheese crumbles
- ½ avocado, diced
- 2 tablespoons toasted almonds (we love toasted sliced almonds)
- 1-2 cups arugula
Instructions
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Make the mason jar salad by adding the ingredients to a 16 ounce mason jar (or equivalent) in the following order: dressing, strawberries, cooked quinoa, blueberries, chicken, goat cheese, avocado, arugula, almonds. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days until you’re ready to eat. When ready to eat, simply pour ingredients into a bowl or onto a plate and enjoy! Feel free to double the recipe to make 2 mason jar salads.
Recipe Notes
To make vegetarian: sub 1 cup chickpeas or 1 cup cubed, cooked tofu.
*Feel free to use any berry vinaigrette you’d like, including store-bought.
**We also recommend marinating your chicken in the raspberry balsamic dressing before baking or grilling it, but that’s up to you.
Learn how to grill chicken here, how to bake it here, and see the full post for tons of different ways to customize this salad!
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on May 17, 2018, and republished on August 10, 2022.
22 comments
What a yummy idea! This would be perfect to bring to work this summer!
Summer salads are the best!!
I am so excited about this salad I can’t decide what I’m most excited about! Oh wait, maybe I can, goat cheese yes! The rest of the ingredients together are just genius! I can’t wait to make it!!!
Definitely meal prepping these for my work lunches next week! So excited for spring and all the fresh berries!
I love a good salad jar! It’s such a nice meal to make ahead for your significant other too! Or to pack for a picnic. Definitely putting this one in my back pocket.
Absolutely! I love bringing these on-the-go.
Can I bake the chicken instead of grilling it?
Absolutely!
Love your website and recipes. You use fresh ingredients and love how you package your salads. My only suggestion is finding a reusable sealable dish to marinate your chicken. Promoting good food comes from also means promoting ways to take care of the earth that provides us with these good eats. You’ve got a great thing going. That’s just my two-cents! Peace.
Hi Judith! Absolutely – moving forward I’m working on ways to do so, and to show others how 🙂 thanks for your input!
This looks amazing! I’m not a huge fan of balsamic vinegar – is there any alternative to this in the dressing and marinade?
You could try a red wine or apple cider vinegar with a pinch of sugar? Or this lemon basil vinaigrette: https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/healthy-lemon-basil-vinaigrette/ as-is or maybe with some mint and honey instead of the basil!
I’ve never made these before, but they look delicious. How long would they be good? Wouldn’t things like the avocados and stuff get yucky if you made them too far in advance?
These are usually good for up to 3-4 days in the fridge! Feel free to add avocado in later, or squeeze a little lime juice over it 🙂
I keep coming back to this salad every summer when I keep a lot of berries stocked. Today since I’m in Covid “use what I have” mode I subbed feta for goat cheese. I was also out of avocado so I added some red onion. It was fantastic and I’ll probably keep these mods in the future (especially the salty feta). The onion tamed down the sweetness and gave it a bit more savory bite! The recipe is fantastic as written but thought I’d chime in for anyone who’s also in “raid your fridge” mode.
Perfect! This one’s great for customizing 🙂 glad you enjoyed!
Can’t wait to try this recipe, it looks very yum.
Hope you love it!
Hello,
Who many time can i keep this salad in the fridge?
Thank you
Hi! This should stay good in the fridge for about 3-4 days 🙂
Delicious! I swapped chickpeas for chicken and tried to marinate them…that didn’t work too well 😅 next time I’ll just throw them in. I did find that I needed to increase the dressing for flavor, but I like a big flavor punch so that’s probably why. Overall very delicious and flavorful and filled with yummy nutrients! Thank you for the recipe!