Summer on a plate: Grilled lemon chicken with nectarine-couscous salad

Summer gives us a bounty of fresh produce to enjoy all season long, and one of my favorite ways to incorporate summer fruit into dinner is this nectarine-couscous salad.

For this light and fresh meal, I marinated chicken breasts in fresh lemon juice, a few cloves of minced garlic and olive oil. Rather than stand outside in the dreadful Arizona heat, I used my cast-iron grill pan indoors to grill my chicken to juicy perfection (but feel free to fire up your barbecue too).

Serve the grilled chicken alongside a refreshing couscous salad full of juicy nectarines and crunchy vegetables that’s tossed in a light, white balsamic dressing. It’s summer on a plate.

Grilled lemon chicken with couscous salad recipe

This lemony grilled chicken is served next to a light and fruity nectarine-couscous salad with white balsamic dressing.

Serves 4

Prep time: 20 minutes | Inactive time: 30 minutes | Cook time: 12 minutes | Total time: 1 hour 2 minutes

Ingredients:

For the chicken

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 Meyer lemons, juiced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the nectarine-couscous salad

• 1 cup cooked couscous
• 2 large nectarines, diced
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions
• 1/4 small red onion, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup fresh baby spinach
• 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, diced
• 1 large handful fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup white balsamic dressing or other vinegar-based dressing

Directions:

1. To a zip-top bag, add the chicken, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic. Shake the bag to evenly coat the chicken, and let it marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or longer.
2. Heat the grill pan over medium heat, and remove the chicken from the bag. Season with salt and pepper, then place the chicken in the pan, and grill for 5 to 6 minutes per side or until the centers of the chicken breasts are no longer pink.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the couscous salad.
4. Drizzle the balsamic dressing on top, and mix well so that all the ingredients are combined.
5. Spoon the desired amount of salad onto a plate, and serve with a warm piece of grilled chicken.
6. Store any remaining salad or chicken in an airtight container for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.

More grilled chicken recipes

Dr Pepper-marinated grilled chicken
Grilled chicken with kiwi salsa
Honey chipotle grilled chicken kebabs