There is no summertime favorite combination like chicken and watermelon. The savory aspects of the chicken flavor pair well with a nice ripe juicy watermelon. In this recipe, we combine the best of both worlds and make it into a delicious summertime balsamic salad that takes 30 minutes tops to prepare.
And since summertime seems to be the time to marinate things, we’ve added some marinated red onions for delicious added flavor and a spruce of color. Who knows what we’ll find to marinate next!
As we were creating and perfecting this recipe, our family liked the combination of the zing that comes with the balsamic as well as the savory and sweet aspects of the chicken and watermelon. It leaves your tastebuds saying “Wow! That’s delicious.” We hope you think so too.
Shopping List, You’ll Need
Watermelon
Romaine
Red Onion
Walnuts
White Vinegar
Sea Salt
Chicken Breast, boneless skinless
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Fresh Dill
Fresh Parsley
How to Pick The Best Watermelon
When going to the grocery store, there are several indicators that can be used to select the sweetest and the best watermelon possible. Follow these tips and never lug home the wrong watermelon again. Ensure that you’ll leave with the tastiest melon every time. Here are our tips:
Look for Stripes
Choose a watermelon that has consistent green stripes that are deep, dark green in color, while the pale stripes should be a light yellow.
Find the Field Spot
One of the most important aspects of choosing a watermelon is looking at the field spot. The field spot is where the watermelon touched the earth as it sat in the field and grows and ripens. The field spot should be a creamy yellow for best results. If it is white or light yellow, move on and choose another one.
Inspect the Stem
The stem is the portion of the melon that connected it to the vine. To know if the watermelon had enough time to ripen and mature, you’ll want to inspect its stem. If it is ripe, the stem should appear dry and yellow-brown in color. A green stem indicates that the watermelon has not had enough time to ripen.
Knock on it
Though it might cause an awkward glance from fellow grocery shoppers, giving your potential watermelon a gentle tap can also be used to determine ripeness. A deeper, hallow sound indicates ripeness and more water, as opposed to a thicker shallow sound which means that the rind is likely still quite thick and the melon unripe.
Spots are a Good Sign
Vein-like webbing lines are good indicators for an extra sweet watermelon. They show where sugar has been seeping out of the fruit. So be sure to look at all sides before deciding which one to take home.
Choose the Heaviest One For its Size
Lift the watermelons and decide which one is heaviest. The heavier the watermelon the more water it is holding, which means a sweeter melon. The denser it is for its size, the riper it is.
Select the Right Shape
Look for a watermelon that is rounder in shape, rather than oval. The rounder ones tend to be sweeter, while the oval ones tend to be more watery and less flavorful.
Buy When They’re in Season
If you’re crazy about watermelon, you likely would like to enjoy them year round. However, the best and sweetest watermelons grow during peak season which lasts from May through September.
Ingredients Needed to Make Marinated Red Onions
1 Red Onion, sliced thin
½ cup White Vinegar
3 tbsp Sea Salt
1 cup Water
Ingredients Needed to Make Chicken and Watermelon Balsamic Salad
2 cups Watermelon, cubed
5 leaves Romaine, chopped
¼ cup Walnuts
1 large Chicken Breast, boneless skinless
1/3 cup Balsamic Vinaigrette
1 tsp Fresh Dill, chopped
1 tsp Fresh Parsley, chopped
How to Make Marinated Red Onions
Instructions:
1. Remove outer skin of onion and slice thinly.
2. Place in container with white vinegar, sea salt and water. Let sit for 30 minutes to fully marinate.
How to Make Chicken and Watermelon Balsamic Salad
Instructions:
1. Heat grill to 400F.
2. Marinate chicken breast with Balsamic Vinegar. For maximum flavor, this can be done for 30 minutes to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
3. Add chicken to the grill. Grill until white begins to form around the edge of the chicken. Flip the chicken and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165F.
4. Remove from the heat and allow meat to rest for 10 minutes.
5. Wash romaine lettuce with cool water and chop.
6. Wash the watermelon and slice into bite-sized chunks.
7. Arrange the salad on the plate. Slice the chicken into strips. Top with chopped fresh dill, parsley, walnuts and marinated red onions. Enjoy!
Other Chicken and Watermelon Recipe Ideas:
If you’re a fan of the wonderful summertime combination of chicken and watermelon, here are some more ideas you might like to try:
Chicken Watermelon Tacos
Cook chicken your favorite way, pan fry, grill, bake or even cut the cook time altogether and use rotisserie chicken. Add taco seasoning to the chicken. Top in a taco shell with watermelon and any other favorite fruits or vegetables.
Chicken in a Watermelon
Yes, you read that right.Cooking a chicken inside a watermelon is really a thing, an unconventional thing, but they say it has Hawaiian roots and can provide a great element of surprise. To do this, just cut the watermelon in half horizontally. Scoop out the inside and brush with soy sauce. Place a whole chicken inside and then put the top back on. Bake in a 400F oven for 2 hours. Reduce the heat to 300F and bake for 2 ½ hours more.
Grilled Chicken with Watermelon Glaze
Cut out the flesh of a watermelon and pulse in a blender until smooth to create a glaze. Add whole chicken to the grill, flatten with the breast side down. Season generously with salt and any desired herbs. Grill for 30 minutes and reapply glaze. Flip the chicken and grill until the internal temperature reaches 165F. Reapply glaze before serving.
Chicken and Watermelon Balsamic Salad
Equipment
- grill
Ingredients
Marinated Red Onions
- 1 Red Onion, sliced thin
- ½ cup White Vinegar
- 3 tbsp Sea Salt
- 1 cup Water
Chicken and Watermelon Balsamic Salad
- 2 cups Watermelon, cubed
- 5 leaves leaves Romaine, chopped
- ¼ cup Walnuts
- 1 Large, Chicken Breast, boneless skinless
- ⅓ cup Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 1 tsp Fresh Dill, chopped
- 1 tsp Fresh Parsley, chopped
Instructions
How to Make Marinated Red Onions
- Remove outer skin of onion and slice thinly.
- Place in container with white vinegar, sea salt and water. Let sit for 30 minutes to fully marinate.
How to Make Chicken and Watermelon Balsamic Salad
- Heat grill to 400F.
- Marinate chicken breast with Balsamic Vinegar.For maximum flavor, this can be done for 30 minutes to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
- Add chicken to the grill. Grill until white begins to form around the edge of the chicken. Flip the chicken and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165F.
- Remove from the heat and allow meat to rest for10 minutes.
- Wash romaine lettuce with cool water and chop.
- Wash the watermelon and slice into bite-sized chunks.
- Arrange the salad on the plate. Slice the chicken into strips. Top with chopped fresh dill, parsley, walnuts and marinated red onions. Enjoy!
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