Grilled Chicken Paillard with Arugula, Fennel & Potato Salad
If I had to choose one dinner to survive on during the warm months, this grilled chicken paillard would be it. It’s light and refreshing but incredibly dynamic. Warm grilled chicken is topped with a salad of crunchy shaved fennel, peppery arugula and tender baby potatoes. Sliced almonds give the salad crunch, golden raisins provide sweetness, and a flurry of feta adds just the right amount of saltiness. It’s a meal that you will crave.
Grilled chicken paillard
As you may know from this Seared Chicken Paillard recipe, paillard is truly the only way I like to eat chicken breasts. By pounding the breasts thin before cooking them, the meat cooks quickly and evenly, ensuring that it stays tender and moist (nothing’s worse than dry, chalky chicken!). In this version, the pounded chicken is grilled instead of sautéed, perfect for warm weather weeknight dinners and entertaining.
Tarragon chicken
I love the sweet anise flavor of tarragon with chicken, and in this salad it flavors both the dressing and the chicken breasts. However, you can swap out the tarragon for other herbs if you prefer, such as dill, basil, parsley and/or mint.
Paillard ingredients
You can pound the chicken breasts yourself or you can ask your butcher to do it for you. Alternatively, you can use chicken cutlets instead (plan on about 2-3 cutlets per person, depending on their size). There are a ton of ways you can customize this recipe according to what you have on hand—swap out the arugula for baby greens; use regular raisins or currants instead of golden raisins; swap out the feta for goat cheese (or omit it altogether). See more ingredient swaps in the Tips below!
How to make grilled chicken paillard:
- Pound out chicken breasts to a ½- or ¼-inch thickness using a meat mallet (or you can use chicken cutlets instead). Season them with salt, pepper, oil and chopped tarragon.
- Boil sliced baby potatoes until tender, then toss them with shallots, garlic and Sherry vinegar. Make the sherry vinaigrette.
- Grill the chicken until tender and juicy.
- Finish the salad by adding baby arugula, fennel, raisins and almonds to the bowl with the potatoes. Toss the salad with the dressing, then mound it over the warm chicken breasts. Sprinkle feta cheese over each, and serve!
FAQ
The term paillard refers to any pounded piece of meat. Grilled chicken paillard is a pounded chicken breast that’s grilled then often topped with a salad.
Pounding chicken breasts ensures that they cook quickly and evenly, preventing them from drying out. Make sure your grill (or pan) is hot before adding the chicken so that it cooks quickly.
You can pound the chicken breasts 1 day before cooking (refrigerate them until you’re ready to use). The dressing can be made up to 2 days in advance.
Tips for making grilled chicken paillard:
- If you don’t have an outdoor grill you can use a grill pan instead, or just cook the chicken in a skillet!
- You can pound the chicken breasts yourself (check out this other paillard post for tips on how to do it) or you can ask your butcher to pound them out for you. Alternatively, you can use chicken cutlets instead (plan on about 2-3 cutlets per person, depending on their size).
- It’s important to brush both the grill and the chicken with oil to prevent the chicken from sticking. Also, make sure the grill is preheated and hot before grilling. A good pair of tongs is essential for flipping the chicken.
- You can use regular raisins or currants in place of the golden raisins.
- You can swap out the arugula for other baby greens.
- Feel free to use any toasted nuts you have on hand. Also, you can swap out the feta for goat cheese or shaved parmesan (or omit it altogether for a dairy free version).
- I love Sherry vinegar, which is rich and subtly sweet, but you can use red wine vinegar or white balsamic instead. Also, you can use Dijon mustard if that’s what you have.
- For another variation, try this Chicken Paillard Recipe with dandelion greens and baby potatoes!
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Other grilled recipes you might like:
- Yogurt Marinated Grilled Chicken
- Grilled Chipotle Chicken Tacos
- Grilled Gochujang Pork Tenderloin Salad
- Grilled Thick Cut Pork Chops
- Grilled Skirt Steak with Easy Mojo Sauce
- Grilled Panzanella Salad
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Grilled Chicken Paillard with Arugula, Fennel & Potato Salad
Equipment
- Grill, grill pan or skillet
Ingredients
Potatoes & dressing
- ¼ cup golden raisins (or you can use regular raisins or currants)
- 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3 tablespoons Sherry vinegar, divided
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound fingerling or new potatoes, cut crosswise into ¼-inch slices
- 2 tablespoons grainy mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon, divided
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Chicken
- 4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to ½ to ¼–inch thickness (chicken or turkey cutlets also work well)
- Olive oil or vegetable oil for brushing chicken and grill
Salad
- 1 large fennel bulb, halved then very thinly sliced on a mandoline or with a sharp knife
- 2 cups baby arugula
- ⅓ cup toasted sliced almonds (or you can use other toasted nuts)
- 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
Preheat the grill
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
Cook the potatoes and make the dressing
- Put the raisins in a small bowl and cover with hot water (this will plump them up).
- In a large bowl, add the shallots, garlic, 1 tablespoon of the Sherry vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Place the potatoes in a medium pot and cover with cold water. Add 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender but not falling apart, about 6-8 minutes. Drain the potatoes and immediately add them to the bowl with the shallots, garlic and vinegar; toss well. Drain the raisins and throw them into the bowl as well.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons of Sherry vinegar with the grainy mustard, honey, 2 teaspoons of chopped tarragon and the extra virgin olive oil.
Grill the chicken
- Brush the chicken breasts on both sides with a bit of oil, then season them with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of chopped tarragon evenly over each (both sides).
- Lightly brush the grill grates with oil. Grill the chicken breasts until golden on each side and cooked through, about 2-4 minutes per side.
Finish the salad and serve
- To finish the salad, add the fennel, arugula and sliced almonds to the bowl with the potatoes. Toss with dressing to coat (you might not need it all—save any leftover for serving). Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- To serve, place a chicken breast on each plate. Mound the salad over top. Crumble a nice amount of feta cheese over each, and serve with any additional dressing on the side.
Notes
- If you don’t have an outdoor grill you can use a grill pan instead, or just cook the chicken in a skillet!
- You can pound the chicken breasts yourself (check out this other paillard post for tips on how to do it) or you can ask your butcher to pound them out for you. Alternatively, you can use chicken cutlets instead (plan on about 2-3 cutlets per person, depending on their size).
- It’s important to brush both the grill and the chicken with oil to prevent the chicken from sticking. Also, make sure the grill is preheated and hot before grilling. A good pair of tongs is essential for flipping the chicken.
- You can use regular raisins or currants in place of the golden raisins.
- You can swap out the arugula for other baby greens.
- Feel free to use any toasted nuts you have on hand. Also, you can swap out the feta for goat cheese or shaved parmesan (or omit it altogether for a dairy free version).
- I love Sherry vinegar, which is rich and subtly sweet, but you can use red wine vinegar or white balsamic instead. Also, you can use Dijon mustard if that’s what you have.
- For another variation, try this Chicken Paillard Recipe with dandelion greens and baby potatoes!
Nicki, I served your corn salad this weekend and it was loved by all. Dave and I cannot get enough of it, the dressing was excellent. It will definitely be a staple in our home. Thank you.
Hi Sue, thank you so much for sharing this! It makes me so happy to hear from you! Sending you all my best wishes.