This salad is loaded with all the delicious summer eats – tender, juicy chicken grilled and smothered with honey BBQ sauce, fluffy quinoa, buttery kernels of corn, fresh veggies, two types of cheeses, crispy tortilla strips and a creamy, smooth avocado dressing. This Southwestern Honey BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad is anything but boring! 
Well hello there, friends! Happy Monday! <– Oxymoron, I know.
How was your weekend?! Please tell me it included delicious SUMMERTIME eats! I have been seeing some pumpkin recipes pop up in my feed and it has been making me a little peeved. Like, I want to steal all the pumpkins and smash them with a baseball bat and my feet, Office Space style. #DayumItFeelsGoodToBeAGangsta
It is entirely TOO early for all that nonsense, people!! What ever happened to living in the moment?! Enjoying the here and now?! Gaaah, makes me hulk like craaaazy.
And, it makes me want to stock pile all the abused fresh peaches, heirloom tomatoes and kernel-y corn, hide in a closet somewhere and eat my feelings. Too dramatic? Well, I speak TRUTH. 👼
Anyways, our weekend was fine and dandy. I actually managed to somehow relax! Fist bump! 👊
Okay, so I did work… <– Don’t punch me.
But I only worked A LITTLE. I promise! The rest of the weekend was all play. And by play I mean couch time, because the weather was preeeetty gnarly.
BUT, we didn’t let the rain stop us from grilling all the things.
And by ‘all the things’ I mean these scallops, for the 9th and 10th time (OBSESSED), and THIS stellar summer salad that I’m sharing today.
Honey BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing
You guys, this salad is jam-pony’ed with ALL THE SUMMER NOMS. There is SO much summertime deliciousness up in ONE bowl I almost can’t. But, umm I CAN, because SO MUCH GOODNESS.
Let’s discuss…
Juicy, grilled chicken covered and smothered with a sweet and smoky BBQ sauce.
Heaps of nutty, fluffy, protein packed quinoa.
Loads of crisp, fresh, perfectly diced and sliced vegetables.
A healthy scattering of ebony, jewel-like, nutrient packed black beans.
Oodles of buttery, sweet kernels of corn.
Not one, but TWO types of sharp and spicy shredded cheeses.
Mounds of crispy, crunchy, salty tortilla chips.
All piled high on tender, mildly sweet, chopped bibb lettuce.
And drizzled with a creamy, smooth, luxurious, tart, rich, yet healthy avocado dressing.
= Epic Summer Salad Spectacular-ness for your FACE. FOR LIFE.
Okay, maybe not for life, but at LEAST for the remaining 45 days of summer
#BBQSaladDreams
The Notes:
- For even cooking and juicy chicken breasts, make sure you lightly pound the chicken to an even ¾ – 1’’ thickness. You don’t want to go crazy and pound it to oblivion, just lightly pound until the thickest part of the chicken breast matches the thinnest. The easiest (and cleanest) way to do this is to place the chicken in a Ziploc bag and use a mallet or rolling pin.
- For the best flavor, allow the chicken to marinate in the rub for 8 hours in the refrigerator. If you are in a pinch you can let it marinate for as little as 30 minutes.
- The amount of honey you add to the BBQ sauce will depend on the BBQ sauce you use. I used Stubb’s Hickory Bourbon BBQ Sauce and added 2 tablespoons of honey. If you use a spicy BBQ sauce, you might want to add more honey. If you use a sweet BBQ sauce, you might want to add less. You should add the honey a little bit at a time until desired sweetness is achieved.
Enough chit chat, fire up the grill and let’s DO this. Your belly will thank you. And your local farmers will thank you, because ALL the summer YUM!
Until Thursday friends, cheers – to just saying NO to pumpkin… at least until October.
-xoxo-
Cheyanne
Southwestern Honey BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (about 1 pound total) – lightly pounded to an even thickness*
- Rub:
- 1 TBS Olive Oil
- ½ tsp Kosher Salt
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Chili Powder
- ½ tsp Sweet Paprika
- ½ tsp Light Brown Sugar
- 1/8 tsp Black Pepper
- Honey BBQ Sauce:
- ½ Cup BBQ Sauce (use your favorite)*
- 2-3 TBS Honey *
- 1 tsp Liquid Smoke
- Salad:
- 1 Cup Cooked Quinoa
- 1 head Bibb Lettuce – chopped
- 2 Ears Corn – shucked
- ¾ Cup Canned Black Beans – drained and rinsed
- 1 Red Bell Pepper – small diced
- 1/3 Cup Red Onion – small diced
- 2 Green Onions – thinly sliced
- ½ Cup Monterey Jack Cheese – Shredded
- ¼ Cup White Cheddar Cheese – Shredded
- ¼ Cup Tortilla Strips
- Avocado Dressing:
- 1 Avocado – peeled, pitted and roughly chopped
- 1 medium Shallot – roughly chopped
- 1 ½ TBS Lime Juice
- 2 TBS White Wine Vinegar
- 3 TBS Cilantro Leaves
- ¼ Cup + 2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ¼ tsp Kosher Salt
Instructions
- Make the rub: In a small bowl mix together the ingredients for the rub. Coat chicken evenly and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, or cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours.*
- Prepare the dressing: Place all ingredients, except oil, in the bowl of a small food processor. Pulse to combine. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil until fully combined and emulsified. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt.
- For the BBQ Sauce: In a small mixing bowl stir together ingredients for BBQ sauce. Transfer ¼ cup of honey BBQ sauce to a small bowl (you will use this to toss cooked chicken with). Set both aside.
- Cook Chicken and Corn: Heat grill to medium, or 425-450 degrees F, and oil grates. Season chicken and corn generously with salt and pepper. Place corn on grill and cook, turning occasionally, until charred and cooked through, about 10-12 minutes. Place chicken on grill and cook until nicely browned, 3-5 minutes. Flip and continue to cook, generously brushing with BBQ sauce, until second side is browned and chicken registers 160 degrees F. Remove from grill and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Cut the kernels off the cob using a serrated knife. Slice or chop chicken breasts and toss with reserved BBQ Sauce.
- To assemble: Place lettuce in a large bowl and top with salad ingredients, corn and sliced BBQ chicken. Drizzle with dressing and gently toss to combine.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
*I like Sweet Baby Rays or Stubbs Hickory BBQ Sauce
*The amount of honey you add to your BBQ Sauce will depend on the type of BBQ sauce you purchase and your own personal taste. I added 2 ½ tablespoons of honey to mine.
*For best flavor allow chicken to marinate in the rub for 8 hours in the refrigerator.
*Dressing will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. **Nutritional Information includes EVERYTHING - from the salad and chicken to the cheese and dressing.
Nutrition
Fajita Hummus Crusted Chicken Salad
Honey Glazed & Grilled Fig Salad
Hello Cheyanne!
I saw that you commented on Sue’s Hatch Green Chile Dip recipe with our green chile. Anything cheese and hatch chile is heaven in my book too! This recipe looks delicious and I have book marked it to try in my own kitchen soon. We would love to send you a free box of our Hatch Green Chile to try in your own recipe and enjoy! If you’re interested, please send me an email.
Lol, no there’s a movie I haven’t seen in awhile! It might be time to dust off that dvd and see ‘what’s happening’ 😉 Btw, know all the lyrics to that song – don’t judge 😛
So this is an epic summer salad for sure! Your description of the salad totally had my stomach growling and my mouth watering! I just love your flavors – bold, complimentary, and ah…maz…ing!!!
So happy that you spent some time relaxing on the couch and didn’t work the whole weekend. Sounds fun, I should do the same this weekend! 🙂 And I wouldn’t mind seeing pumpkin recipes in August, I know they will be super awesome! What an astounding looking Salads, Cheyanne. I love bright and beautiful it looks. I am so much in wow to see many different, textures, colors, flavors and tastes in a single bowl! If a salad looks pretty like this, then I can eat salads everyday for all of my meals!
The notes were helpful, this was a delicious salad choice!
So glad you liked it, Mary!! Thanks so much for coming back to let me know! Cheers!
I could literally eat this salad for every meal, it looks absolutely delicious!
Office Space is a classic (and Grandma’s Boy too ;)). Very happy you spent some time relaxing on the couch and didn’t work the whole weekend. Also very happy you got off your butt and grilled this salad because it’s a whole lotta yum! I’m loving fresh corn right now and can’t get enough so I’m making this salad & putting in extra corn! Oh yeah! 🙂
Oh my goodness! This looks so incredibly, Cheyanne! I’m a big fan of southwestern salads…I love all the ingredients that go in them. This quinoa version looks so fabulous, I’m pretty much drooling all over my keyboard! <3
No pumpkin in August please!! It’ s still summer, so bring on all summer recipes 🙂 Love this quinoa salad Cheyanne, packed with flavors!
Pumpkin recipes in August? No way! I solemnly refuse them up to October. You’re right – It’s still the time for ice cream, lemonades, watermelons, peaches, and perhaps some lavender:) And sure delicious summer salads. We both know the truth – I’m an expert in salads, right? And as an expert, there’s my reputable opinion: this salad is fan-tas-tic! Well done, Chey!
This salad is jam packed with summer goodness! We definitely need to embrace summer while it’s still here….no jumping forward to the next season!
We are SO on the same page with the pumpkin! Not until September, please, and LATER in September at that. What’s everyone’s hurry? Don’t they get that pumpkin will be around for like three months as it’s getting colder and everything is dying? PLEASE let’s keep up with the stone fruits and sunshine!
This looks amazing. I love anything BBQ, so bring it on!
I can’t even with pumpkin in August. It’s just.. No. We should be eating foods on the grill, sweet corn, and gorgeous colorful vegetables. Just like this salad!! 🙂 🙂
I will not talk about fall or back to school. Seriously? Already! I love quinoa salad especially with the southwestern twist. And that dressing? Love it!
Yes, NO to pumpkin at least for a bit please. 🙂 It’s like seeing Christmas stuff the day after Thanks giving. Come on!
This one is screamin’ Summer and in a big way. All sorts of goodness happening here. Love the flavors and textures, quite the colorful salad indeed.
From one workaholic to another, I understand. 😉
Haha yes! I’m totally hanging on to all the summer things for as long as I can (although I did already break open the pumpkin a few weeks ago lol 😉 But seriously nothing screams summer more than this bright and beautiful salad! Love all the flavors! We have been grilling all the things and will totally be adding this on to our menu next!
I refuse to even look at an apple or pumpkin! I haven’t even started thinking about my fall recipes yet, and to be honest, I don’t plan to very soon ha! Oddly enough I don’t work that far ahead – I say oddly enough because I’m a type A-OCD-planner nut… but when it comes to food I have to go with what I’m in the mood for at the moment. I need this salad in my life right NOW. Like seriously, I’m looking to make sure I have everything and if I don’t I’m leaving and going to the store. This WILL make an appearance on my menu this week!
Holy grilled corn, Batman! Seriously one of my favorite things ever. That + avocado and you’ve got me. I’m all in. This looks amazing and I’m definitely happy that there are still 45 days of summer!! Oh, pumpkin, you’ve got to wait until AT LEAST September. School hasn’t even started yet!
It feels a little early for pumpkin recipes, lol! This salad looks amazing! Love the fresh ingredients, can’t wait to try that dressing! Sharing!
YES, I agree! Live in the moment. Haha pumpkin popped up in my feed too, I was like WHAT!?! Summer is not over jet ppl. Gosh, we will soon have Christmas cookies popping up in October … 😛
Salad looks just DELICIOUS!! Yum yum! Easy to make, super healthy, nutritious. Perfect! Sharing off course 😉 Have a great week, Cheyanne. Don’t let Monday gets in your way 😉
I can’t post pumpkin recipes yet…never before September for me! I have too many more summer recipes to crank out, too. 🙂 This is a salad I could eat every single day — the flavors and ingredients are all favorites of mine! This needs to happen ASAP and great presentation skills, girl!
hahaha yes! I cannot stand when I start to see pumpkin recipes start to pop up this early! We are still in summer produce mode at our house big time!! I get it … I mean I am so ready for fall, but summer produce is still just way too good! And pass me a big bowl of this salad please and thank you! I can’t decide what part of like best! So much goodness!
Lol – Happy Monday is most definitely an Oxymoron! At least from where I sit currently – that might change come September 30th….but that’s for another discussion.
Now, what I say next might make you hurl a bowl at me while thinking #DayumItFeelsGoodToBeAGangsta because I am THAT person that adores pumpkin all day everyday – yup, I’m probably gonna also be THAT person that might accidently hit publish on a pumpkin recipe post too early – but hey, what’s some pumpkin tween friends right?
Btw, Cheyanne, now that we have cleared the pumpkin issues out of the way, I gotta say that any salad that jam-pony’ed with grilled chicken, crunchy veggies and all summers deliciousness is a win win in ma books – even if the pages of ma books are stained with pumpkin puree – don’t hate me please 🙂
XOXO
Hope your week is off to a wonderful start and glad you only worked a little this time around.
I’m with you on it being too soon for all things Fall!! My local grocery store was starting to put our Halloween statues, what the heck is that all about? Anyways, lets get back to summer. This salad is so colorful and beautiful. I would mix this all up in a bowl and eat it with a spoon on the deck (so much for lady like, lol). Take care.
Pumpkin recipes already? I mean, I get that it’s good for SEO to get them out there already, but calm down! It’s still summer!
I am all about the summer salads like this right now, so keep them coming.
I support the pumpkin boycott 100%! I realize the kiddos are about to go back to school and fall is just around the corner, but it’s still summer! The only thing I usually do with pumpkin in the summer is brew some pumpkin ale – and that’s because it takes a while to be ready and I want to drink it in October. I did see some pumpkin beer at the grocery on Saturday and almost threw a fit. Any-hoo, this salad sounds like the perfect summer meal! XO
Don’t talk about pumpkins, Cheyanne – I went into pottery barn and they had pumpkin decorations all over #toodamnsoon! Love this salad – it’s my favorite kind – a great mix of protein, quinoa and crunch veggies and yes to roasted corn!
So many exquisite salads, how to choose?? I think these are almost too pretty to eat 🙂
absolutely TOO EARLY for anything pumpkin!!! couldn’t agree more. We still have about month left of summer up north and I am clinging to it with all I’ve got! And yes to everything in this summery salad, especially that avocado dressing. Dayum is right!
Well, you know how I feel about pumpkin recipes. Ugh. I can’t even. I was at the grocery store on Saturday trying to find stuff for s’mores and the s’mores display had been replaced with the Halloween candy display. I was very angry. But I did managed to find marshmallow, chocolate and grahams and I made my s’mores god dammit. This salad is what I’m craving right now. So much goodness in one big bowl. Love it! XOXO!
Oh my GAH, That. Printer. Scene. YESSSSS. Office Space references always make Mondays SO much more doable, right? Lololol. Sometimes, you just need to smash something!! Girl, I’ve seen those pumpkin recipes too, and it’s made me sweat! Like, am I behind?? Uh… dang it!! I won’t punch you, but I will wag my finger at you… because you’re a workaholic!! So, this weekend, shall I bring over a few old printers for some good ol’ fashioned fun? 😉 Meanwhile, this bowl is so pretty and lovely. As your bestie, I’m sure you’d make a maple tofu version for me… Ahem. Ahem. 😉 Your food presentation is ALWAYS on point. Lots of love and um, baseball bats to you. Muah! Happy Monday. xoxoxo
Beautiful and I would so love to sit down to this right now 🙂 I don’t even mention that “p” word until after Labour Day 😉
SO delicious girlfriend! Love the grilled corn. Nope, not ready for pumpkin yet. Way too early. Too many scrumptious summer flavors going on to jump into fall early. Back to this salad – so many amazing flavors going on here. My aunt made us a salad with tortilla strips last week. THE BEST!!!! Loved it, perfect in a salad. Have a great week ahead Cheyanne! XO
You make some really amazing salads, Cheyanne. This one is really pretty and flavourful. Must try that rub too.
Oh yes – living in the moment as a food blogger…a very slippery slope I’d say…but I am with you all the way! ‘Live in the moment’ is a mantra I try to honor every day! And I’d honor this summertime salad if it were sitting in front of me! Man, lady – you outdid yourself – again!! That dressing sounds divine and who can have enough tortilla strips in their life? Not I! Pinned! Cheers to a happy Monday! xoxo
Hope you had a good weekend, Cheyanne! I am definitely still loving summer, but I have been testing and making fall recipes since blogging is my job and I work way ahead! But…I agree, lets live in the moment and eat ALL of the summer recipes! BBQ chicken salads are my favorite, so I love that you added quinoa to this! What a pretty dish! Those colors look amazing. I think I could eat this every day of the week! Pinned, of course! Hope your Monday is off to a great start!
This salad is just gorgeous Cheyanne! It’s loaded with all my favorite things! I absolutely love the avocado dressing too! So glad you relaxed most of the weekend! I knew you couldn’t go cold turkey! I’m with you on the pumpkins too! UGH! I’ve seen some pumpkin stuff popping up and I’ve already seen Halloween decoations at HomeGoods! What the? It’s still summer, so I’m hanging on! Have a great week!
This is definitely summer epicness in a bowl! Love all the flavors here and of course, ALL the toppings for the salad – yum and yum! Glad to hear you didn’t do *too* much work this weekend and that you had some good relaxation 🙂 As for pumpkin, we eat it year-round in my house so it’s never too early or too late. But I hear ya – I’m not down for the fall pumpkin treats quite yet. It’s not even Labor Day yet, you know?! I’m still trying to soak up summer 😉 Like with this salad here! Cheers to a great week, girl! XO
At least you managed to only work a little bit on the weekend and were able to relax most of the time 🙂 It’s finally summer here in London so we took the opportunity to work in the garden where we managed to harvest the first ripe plums this year. Very exciting! Your recipe looks delicious, love the colours and the avocado/cilantro dressing sounds amazing!