This Grilled Chicken with Fried Goat Cheese Salad is perfect for any leftover grilled chicken you may have on hand. The combination of fruit in this salad with the tangy and crispy goat cheese is meant to be. It’s all thrown together in a delicious red wine vinaigrette and makes for the perfect summer salad. I love making this for meal prep also to have on hand for lunch during the busy work week. Seriously, you need to add this Grilled Chicken with Fried Goat Cheese Salad to your menu ASAP, it does not disappoint!
Let’s be real here, the shining star of this is the fried goat cheese. I first had this salad at a local restaurant and when I tried it with the fried goat cheese I immediately fell in love. The crunch you look for in a salad from the croutons or bread crumbs is given to you by this breaded and fried goat cheese medallion. The best part is that it’s soft and creamy inside adding the best texture. Are you convinced yet?! It adds an extra step but trust me when I say it’s worth it. The key to get crunchy yet soft and creamy goat cheese medallions is to shape them, bread them, and then freeze them for a few minutes. This ensures the cheese is more solid and doesn’t just melt when you fry them. It also makes for easy make-ahead step if you want to keep them in the freezer until you are ready to fry them.
Next time you’re grilling don’t forget to throw a couple of extra chicken breasts on the grill to make this. I simply season mine with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, and paprika. You can season them any way you’d like and you can also use chicken thighs instead if you prefer. Either way it will turn out absolutely delicious! There’s something about a good salad for a meal in the summer. So crisp, so fresh, so flavorful, and healthy. Win, win all around! Enjoy!
Grilled Chicken with Fried Goat Cheese Salad
Ingredients
Red Wine Vinaigrette
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ tbsp dijon mustard
- 1-2 garlic cloves minced; I use 2 but add to preference
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tbsp honey optional but recommended
Fried Goat Cheese
- 1 8oz goat cheese log
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 egg whisked
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs regular breadcrumbs work
- ¼ tsp salt
- oil olive is fine to use but avocado oil or oil with higher smoking point is best
Salad
- 1 large chicken breast seasoned to preference and grilled; sliced.
- ¼ red onion chopped
- ½ cup tomatoes chopped
- 1 pear
- 1 strawberries
- ¼ cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
- 3 cups greens mixed greens or romaine lettuce
Instructions
Red Wine Vinaigrette
- Add all ingredients to a jar, close lid tightly, and shake vigorously until well combined. Alternatively add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk until ingredients well combined. Set aside.
Fried Goat Cheese
- Cut goat cheese log into 6 discs, set on a plate, and place back in refrigerator for at least 1 minutes. If the cheese falls apart when cutting, roll slice into a ball and flatten out.
- Whisk egg in a small bowl. Place flour on small plate and breadcrumbs and salt on separate plate.
- Remove goat cheese from refrigerator and coat each disc with flour.
- Dip each disc in the egg and roll in breadcrumbs until well coated. Slightly press breadcrumbs onto cheese to ensure it sticks.
- After each goat cheese disc is breaded place them on plate and place in freezer for at least an hour. This ensures the goat cheese is slightly frozen and doesn't completely melt when frying.
- Place a medium pan over medium high heat and add enough oil to completely coat the bottom of the pan. Heat until oil is hot. Carefully test by splashing a little water with your fingers onto the oil and if the water just 'dances' on the oil, it is ready.
- Once oil is hot, place half the goat cheese discs in pan and fry until golden, about 3 minutes on each side. Set aside onto a paper towel to drain and repeat with the rest.
Salad
- Assemble salad by adding greens onto a large plate and topping with pear, strawberries, tomatoes, onions, and pecans. Add grilled chicken slices and goat cheese medallions.
- Drizzle with vinaigrette dressing and enjoy!
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