By Perfect for meal prep or a flavorful dinner, this grilled balsamic chicken with a peach salad is the ideal summer meal. It's packed with protein (45 grams!) and with a unique giardiniera (Italian style oil and vinegar salad), it just keeps getting better with time! Get ready to fall head over heels for this fun take on grilled chicken.
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We've recently been on a mission to host friends and family more. For our last one, I decided on serving a brat bar with fun condiment toppings inspired by one of my favorite creators, Olivia Noceda.
One of them was this peach salad that turned out so unbelievably good, I started enjoying it on everything. Salads, sandwiches, wraps, and chicken all got a good coating of it. And when paired with grilled balsamic chicken, they both really came to life. A little sweet, a bit savory, some spice - what's not to love?!
Jump to:
meal prep or dinner - here's the deal
So this salad is technically a giardiniera, which is a vinegar-based condiment meant to marinate for at least a few hours so the veggies can soften and flavors develop. This makes it perfect for meal prep with the grilled chicken that can also be marinated.
But it's still fantastic right away, so you can also enjoy it for dinner. Just let the chicken marinate while you make the condiment. Then pop the salad into the fridge while you grill the chicken, and dinner's done!
key ingredients & swaps
See the recipe card for quantities and a full list of ingredients.
- Chicken thighs: I prefer boneless, skinless chicken thighs for lunch meal prep because they reheat great - they're more tender when cooked to a higher temperature. But, if you're making this for dinner and don't plan to have leftovers, you can use chicken breast. For more chicken goodness, check out this list of our best high-protein chicken breast recipes!
- Balsamic glaze: This will add sweetness to the marinade, and when we brush it onto the chicken, it becomes sticky and a little crispy and just so tasty! It really takes the chicken up a notch.
- Whole grain mustard: I'm not sure if I've been living under a rock, but this stuff is so, so much better than any other mustard. SO much flavor!
- The veggies: Ok, stick with me on these ingredients because I swear they are insane together and no one ever even knows there's a peach in here. You need 1 large peach (I like white), celery, carrots, garlic, and jalapeno. Just trust me and don't swap them. If you have leftover veggies, dip them in our protein ranch dip or use them to make a chicken salad!
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
step by step: tips to nail this recipe every time
- Start with the chicken: This gives the marinade as much time as possible to do its thing.
- OR start with the salad: Which I know is confusing, but the salad can be made up to 2 days in advance, so if you have the time to prep - go for it!
- Chop small: When dicing the veggies and peach, chop small, somewhere between mincing and dicing. This helps with texture, so all the flavors can soak up while also softening the carrots a bit.
- Serve it up: You can, of course, eat this as it is, but I like it with some naan bread, protein rice, or Instant Pot basmati rice.
quick recipe video
a shortcut to a quicker marinate
Ok, here's a hot tip to get the most flavor out of a short amount of time! Prick the top of the chicken with a knife or fork so the marinade can really seep in if you only have time to marinate for 30 minutes.
how to store it
Not only is this a great high-protein low-calorie dinner to eat right away, it's also perfect for meal prep! Keep the chicken and salad separate if possible. Then reheat the chicken as desired and top with the cold salad. The salad will keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container, and the chicken will stay good for up to 4 days.
meal prep for the rest of the day
Recipe
Grilled Balsamic Chicken with Peach Salad
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or chicken breasts but see notes)
- ⅔ cup white vinegar
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt and pepper (each)
- 2 teaspoon oregano
- ¼ cup balsamic glaze
- 4 teaspoon whole grain mustard
Salad Topping
- 4 carrots (medium-sized)
- 2 celery stalk
- 1 peach (ripe, I prefer white peaches)
- 2 clove garlic (grated or super duper finely minced)
- 2 teaspoon whole grain mustard
- 2 jalapeno (deseeded)
- 2 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt and pepper (each)
- ⅓ cup white vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
Before you start!
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Instructions
- Before you begin, know that this recipe is meant to be prepared the day before you eat it. This is to give the chicken time to marinate and the salad time to pickle in the fridge.But! To make it for dinner, marinade the chicken for 30 minutes while you make the peach salad. Then leave the salad in the fridge while you grill the chicken. It won't be quite as flavorful, but still tasty!
- First, marinade the chicken by combining the ⅔ cup white vinegar, ½ cup olive oil, 1 ½ teaspoon salt and pepper, 2 teaspoon oregano, 4 teaspoon whole grain mustard, and 2 tablespoon balsamic glaze in a large ziplock bag. Give it a good shake to mix everything together and then add the 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs Place in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes but preferably overnight.
- Make the salad by finely chopping (like super finely chopping, esepcially mincing) the 4 carrots, 2 celery stalk, 1 peach, 2 jalapeno, and grate the 2 clove garlic. In a large jar, add the 2 teaspoon whole grain mustard, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper, ⅓ cup white vinegar, ¼ cup olive oil, and 2 bay leaf and mix together. Then, add the chopped ingredients and the dressing to a large tubber ware and pop it in the fridge for the flavors to really develop. You can also portion it into meal prep containers to pre-portion it out.
- Once the chicken has marinated, it's time to grill! Discard any excess marinade. Cook on the grill for roughly 10-15 (more for chicken breasts, depending on thickness) minutes, flipping every 5 minutes. Use a cooking brush to brush on an additional 3 tablespoon balsamic glaze on each side of the chicken when grilling. Cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Top the grilled chicken with the pickled peach salad and enjoy! Or, place the grilled chicken in your meal prep container (separate from the peach salad) along with grain of choice. We love lentils or naan bread! This way, you can reheat everything but the salad and top with a cold salad so it tastes nice and fresh!
Video
Notes
Looking for more information?
Additional substitution information can be found above in the substitution section of this post.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.
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