Nothing screams summer like the smoky smell of the grill going, yet the summer heat also calls for a lot of crisp lettuces and farm-fresh veggies to keep things cool. The struggle is real. We’ve rounded up the best of both worlds—the salads and the grilled meats, all in one perfectly balanced dish.
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
It’s hard to go wrong with a Ceasar salad—the saltiness of the anchovies, the creaminess of the dressing, the satisfying crunch of the croutons—but when you grill the dish, you turn a year-round classic into a seasonal delight. Equally delicious as either a starter course or a main meal (just leave off the juicy grilled chicken for vegetarians), grilling the romaine in this simple recipe from Easy Chicken Recipes takes both the flavor and the texture to new heights.
Grilled Peach Caprese Rotisserie Chicken Salad
The good news is it’s still peach season, so fire up the grill (or grill pan) and get your peach on with this refreshing recipe from Rachel Ray Every Day. The heat from the grill caramelizes the peach sugars, and the smoke lends a salad-ready savoriness we love to this plate. You can grill up your own chicken alongside the fruit, but you can also take the shortcut of using a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.
Grilled Lettuces with Crème Fraîche and Avocado
A newbie to grilling lettuce? We love this recipe from Bon Appétit that calls for a robust lettuce like romaine or radicchio dressed in a simple smear of crème fraîche and a squeeze of fresh citrus. Add some thinly sliced grilled flank steak, and you’ve got a filling meal cooked completely on the grill.
Grilled Summer Detox Salad
Break out of your comfort food rut with this good-for-your-body detox salad from Pinch of Yum featuring grilled lettuce, corn, and shrimp. The avocado dressing alone is one you’ll want to make again and again.
Grilled Chicken Thigh and Cucumber Salad
Chicken thighs are one of our favorite proteins to throw on the grill since they’re quick and easy to cook, retain a ton of moisture, and basically act as a sponge to any seasoning you throw at them. Here, in this Michael Symon recipe from Food & Wine, they meet the cooling crunch of cucumbers and red onions tossed in a chile-spiked vinaigrette.
Grilled Spice-Rubbed Shrimp Nicoise Salad
A grilled take on the classic Niçoise salad, this version from grillmaster Bobby Flay in Food Network Magazine combines grilled potatoes and seasoned shrimp with summer-fresh string beans and garden-grown tomatoes, then dresses it all in a fresh herb vinaigrette.
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