Fire up the grill and get cooking! We’re going to make a fresh, bright, homemade Grilled Mandarin Chicken Salad. From the quick marinade to the made-from-scratch dressing, you’re going to love this simple, elegant dish.

Traeger Grilled Mandarin Chicken Salad

This salad is light, fresh, uses tender grilled chicken breast, and is a perfect taste of summer and sunshine no matter what time of year it is. Mandarin oranges are available year-round, so don’t let the weather stop you from whipping up this incredible salad!

This works well for a quick lunch or a light weeknight dinner. Great for a potluck or get-together, too. If you are buried in snow or it is -18° outside, this can definitely be cooked on the stovetop, in the oven, or even in the airfryer too. Just make sure you don’t overcook the chicken and you’ll be good-to-go.

Get all of our Traeger Recipes here!

Mandarin Chicken Salad shopping list

Wondering if you have to hit the store? Here’s the list of items you’ll need to make this recipe. For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

soy sauce
balsamic vinegar
chicken breasts
salt & pepper
olive oil
salad greens
mandarin oranges
cherry tomatoes
onion
red cabbage
parsley
honey
lemon
Dijon mustard

Make some Fresh Baked Rolls with this salad!

How to make Traeger Mandarin Chicken Salad

This is just the overview so you can see what you’re actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.

Marinate

Mix together the marinade ingredients and place into a baggie with the chicken breasts. Let marinate overnight, or for at least 30-60 minutes if you aren’t a planner (like me).

Preheat

Preheat your grill to 375°.

Season

Remove the chicken from the marinade, pat dry, and season the chicken on both sides with the salt and pepper.

Grill

Cook the chicken for 10-12 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove from grill and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Prepare Dressing

Mix together all of the dressing ingredients until combined.

Assemble

Assemble all of the salad ingredients and toss with your dressing. Enjoy!

How about some Homemade Caesar Dressing too?

Mandarin Chicken Salad FAQ

What’s the best way to store leftovers?

Only assemble and dress the amount of salad that will be eaten in one sitting for best results. Store any extras separately and assemble right before eating.

Can you use chicken thighs instead of chicken breast?

Chicken thighs are a great option for this salad, and tend to stay more moist than chicken breasts, even if you DO get a little overly-excited (or distracted) and overcook them by a few degrees. My advice would be to make sure that you do a really good job trimming off any fat from the boneless, skinless chicken thighs.

Are there any substitutions for mandarin oranges?

You can use regular navel oranges in this, but I would recommend freshly squeezed juice instead of the bottled stuff.

Eat this with a Grilled Tomahawk Steak!

More grilled recipes on the lighter side to enjoy!

Yield: 4 servings

Grilled Mandarin Chicken Salad

Name: Grilled Mandarin Chicken Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: Juice from 2 mandarin oranges; 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; 4 cups green lettuce mix; 4 medium mandarin oranges; 1 cup cherry tomatoes; 1 small onion, sliced; ½ cup red cabbage; ¼ cup parsley, chopped; 1 cup croutons (optional, and not pictured); ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoons honey; 3 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed; 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard; Pinch of salt; Pinch of black pepper

This fresh, delicious salad has big bright flavors and is perfect to make into a meal!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

Marinade

Juice from 2 mandarin oranges
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Chicken and Salad Stuff

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 cups green lettuce mix
4 medium mandarin oranges
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 small onion, sliced
½ cup red cabbage
¼ cup parsley, chopped
1 cup croutons (optional, and not pictured)

Dressing

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Pinch of salt
Pinch of black pepper

Instructions

Mix together the marinade ingredients well and place with the chicken into a large baggie. Let sit for 30-60 minutes. Remove from the marinade and season with salt and pepper.
Preheat your grill to 375°.
Place the chicken breasts directly on the grill rack. Cook for 10 minutes and then flip over. Continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 165° with an instant-read thermometer.
Remove and let rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
In a large bowl, add your salad greens, mandarin oranges, cherry tomatoes, onion and red cabbage. Top with the sliced chicken breasts.
Prepare the dressing by combining all ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk until creamy and emulsified. Pour over the salad.
Toss salad then serve.

Grilled Mandarin Chicken Salad