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–+ servings

Chicken and Pea Salad with Lettuce

Overhead photo of pea salad with lettuce, sliced chicken, and honey mustard dressing on a white plate.
Fresh vibrant flavors meet a hearty, perfectly satisfying dinner salad in this chicken and pea salad. Tender, smoky grilled chicken breasts, sweet green peas, crisp lettuce, and a tangy honey mustard collide to create a salad that's beautifully colorful, incredibly flavorful, and ready in less than 30 minutes.
Author: Cheyanne Holzworth
Total Time: 30 minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

  • 1 Large Resealable Storage Bag - for marinating the chicken
  • 1 Grill or Grill-pan - for grilling chicken
  • 1 Large Bowl - for tossing salad

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

For the Pea Salad:

  • 1 head Bibb, Boston, Butter Lettuce, Romaine Lettuce OR Combination of the Two – trimmed and separated into leaves
  • 1 Cup Sweet Peas – fresh, cooked or frozen, defrosted
  • 1 bunch Mint Leaves - torn
  • 2-4 whole Radishes – thinly sliced; to taste
  • ½ small Red Onion – small dice
  • To Taste Honey Mustard Dressing (substitute: your favorite salad dressing)

Instructions

  • Marinate the Chicken: To a large resealable bag or large bowl, add the honey, oil, garlic, and lemon zest. Season with ¼ teaspoon pepper and ½ teaspoon salt. Grab a whisk and vigorously stir until well combined.
    Then, add the chicken to the marinade, press out the air, and seal. Transfer the chicken to the refrigerator and let marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.
  • Grill the Chicken: Remove the chicken from the fridge and let it come to room temperature.
    Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and grease the grates to prevent sticking.
    Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip off, and place it onto the grill. Cook, turning once, for about 5-8 minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked through. During the last few minutes of grilling, brush the tops of the chicken with honey if desired. (SEE NOTES)
    Transfer chicken to a clean work surface and allow to rest for at least 3 minutes before slicing the chicken evenly and against the grain.
    (Optional for the Most Flavor: Toss the slices of chicken with a few tablespoons of honey mustard dressing.)
  • Toss Peas Salad with Lettuce: To a large bowl, add the lettuce, peas, mint, radishes, red onion, and any other salad mix-ins you love.
    Drizzle a small amount of salad dressing over the top and then toss well to combine.
    Transfer the tossed pea lettuce salad to serving plates and top with the sliced grilled chicken.
  • Garnish and Serve Pea and Lettuce Salad with Chicken: Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese and freshly cracked black pepper, if using. Serve with remaining salad dressing on the side. Enjoy!

Notes

  • You can use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts if you would like. Simply adjust the grill time accordingly. The amount of time the chicken takes to cook through will depend on the thickness of your chicken. Chicken is cooked through when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
  • Marinating: For the most flavor, I highly suggest you let the chicken marinate for 6 to 8 hours. However, if you are short on time you can let it marinate for as little as 30 minutes.
  • Dressing: You can use store-bought or homemade. I prefer homemade honey mustard or a honey dijon vinaigrette here.
  • While entirely optional, I recommend cutting the grilled chicken (after it has rested) and tossing it with a few tablespoons of the mustard dressing before serving. It adds a ton of flavor and moisture to the chicken. Plus, if you dress the chicken, you won't need to put as much dressing on the actual salad.
  • Need to Scale the Recipe? Hover your mouse over the number of servings in the recipe card. You'll see a sliding scale pop up, you can use that to scale the recipe up or down as needed.
  • Got questions? I've got answers! If you ever run into an issue, have a question, or need any clarification - please feel free to drop them in the comments section. I'm happy to help when I can! 
I am not a certified nutritionist. All the nutritional information is generated by an online calculator and provided as a courtesy. The nutrition facts are an estimate based upon 4 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.

Nutrition

Calories: 509kcal    Carbohydrates: 23g    Protein: 38g    Fat: 29g    Saturated Fat: 4g    Cholesterol: 108mg    Sodium: 203mg    Potassium: 826mg    Fiber: 2g    Sugar: 18g    Vitamin A: 1720IU    Vitamin C: 23.5mg    Calcium: 35mg    Iron: 1.9mg
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American