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This Grilled Lemon Herb Chicken Avocado Orzo Salad with Honey Mustard Bacon Dressing is the perfect summer dinner salad. It’s almost no-cook and comes together quickly and easily. Grilled chicken tossed with a lemony herb honey mustard dressing, orzo pasta, cheddar cheese cubes, crispy bacon, and creamy avocado. It’s colorful and so delicious. Enjoy this for dinner and save the leftovers for lunch. Warm or cold, it’s always good. Or serve this up at your next backyard dinner with friends.
It’s a Monday salad, but an exciting Monday salad because it’s certainly not just greens and vegetables…there’s so much more! I love this one.
First of all, happy Monday guys. Hope everyone had a great weekend and is slowly slipping into the laid-back, chill, summertime mindset. It’s all about the easy-going life for the next three or so months, right? That’s kind of my thinking and I’m really embracing it when it comes to our weekly dinners.
I know most of us want to be out enjoying these summer days and not spending hours in the kitchen. So as I said last week, simple is the name of the game…all summer long.
I have what seems like hundreds of orzo recipes on HBH, so it’s really no secret that I love using orzo. Technically, it’s pasta, but it’s shaped like small rice, so I love tossing it into salads. It makes for super quick one-pot pasta dishes or even carbonara.
It really is so versatile, and one of my favorites ingredients to use in the summertime because of how quickly it cooks up.
Shockingly, I have not shared an orzo salad with you guys. So when I had this idea, I jumped right in and created it. It ended up being the perfect, quick-to-throw-together summer dinner…and you guys, it really is good and for so many reasons…
The lemon herb honey mustard dressing, the grilled chicken, orzo, bacon, creamy avocado, melty cubes of cheddar cheese, and fresh herbs. And when put all together, such a GOOD combination.
Here are the details…start with the dressing
The dressing is where you want to start. I was so into the dressing I made for those burrata vegetable sandwiches I shared the other week that I used the same dressing here. Only I added fresh herbs, rosemary, thyme, and basil, and a shallot too.
The dressing is the heart of this recipe. As the chicken grills in it and then the hot orzo gets tossed up with it too.
It’s a little herby, spicy, sweet, and tangy…all the things we really love.
Grill up that chicken and toss the orzo
Once you toss the chicken in the dressing, throw it on the grill. While the chicken is grilling, I boil off the orzo and then toss it with the chicken.
Now, this next step is key. I like to toss the hot orzo with the cubes of cheese and the dressing. The heat from the pasta turns the cheese melty and helps the dressing really soak into the pasta and infuse it with flavor.
Now finish it up
When you have the chicken grilled and the orzo tossed, add everything else, then top with the avocado and more fresh herbs.
You can enjoy this warm or cold, though I LOVE this warm with those melty chunks of cheddar cheese.
Totally and completely delicious. But simple to make!
I know I say this just about every day, but this recipe really is good.
It’s one of those recipes that you’ll crave time and time again. Plus the sauce just kind of melts in your mouth. YUM!
Looking for other quick dinners? Here are some favorites:
Pesto Chicken Caesar Salad with Tomatoes and Burrata
Lemon Parmesan Salmon with Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Salad
Tropical Jerk Grilled Chicken with Charred Mango Salsa Verde
Lastly, if you make this Grilled Lemon Herb Chicken Avocado Orzo Salad, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Grilled Lemon Herb Chicken Avocado Orzo Salad with Honey Mustard Bacon Dressing
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 728 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons grainy dijon mustard
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup mixed herbs, chopped (rosemary, oregano, basil)
- 1 small shallot, grated
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- kosher salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes
Salad
- 3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken tenders
- 1 bell pepper, quartered
- 1 pound dry orzo pasta
- 1 cup cubed cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (optional)
- 2 cups shredded red leaf lettuce
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
- 1 avocado, sliced
Instructions
- 1. To make the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and whisk until smooth. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.2. In a large bowl, toss the chicken with 1/3 of the dressing. Let sit 10 minutes. Set your grill, grill pan, or skillet to medium-high heat. Grill the chicken until lightly charred and cooked through, turning halfway through cooking, about 10 to 12 minutes. During the same time, grill the bell pepper, until lightly charred, then chop.3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the orzo to al dente, according to package directions. Drain. Add the hot orzo, cheddar cheese, blue cheese, and 1/3 of the dressing, toss to combine. Add the chicken, grilled peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, and bacon, tossing to combine.4. Top the pasta with avocado. Season with freshly cracked pepper and salt. Serve warm or cold.
Fabulous!! So many flavors!! The combination of two cheeses, bacon, chicken, tomatoes, herbs, peppers, orzo…WOW!! We love your recipes, they’re so creative and unique!!
Hey Heidi,
Happy Wednesday!? Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was a tasty one! xxT
Going to make this next week. Your recipe calls for 1/2 cup mixed herbs, chopped (rosemary, oregano, basil), if you do not have fresh, what measurements would you substitute for dry?
Hi Vivian,
I would use about 2 tablespoons of dry. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Thank you Tieghan. When you suggest 2 tablespoons of dry, is that for each herb?
Total:)
This recipe was wonderful! Grilled the bacon outside with the chicken for even less cleanup. Left out the cheddar since both my kids hate cheese (weird, right?). It was absolutely amazing and flavorful even without it! Kid 1 had three servings; and it’s easy to pack leftovers for weekday lunches.
Hey there,
Thanks for your review and trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was a winner! Have the best Thursday! ?xTieghan
This was so delicious and flavourful! Whole family loved it, thank you!
Hi Lisa,
Happy Monday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a go, I am so glad it was a winner:) Have the best week! xx
Can you make the dressing with herbs a day ahead?
Hey there,
Totally, that will work well for you! I hope this recipe turns out amazing, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
This was super tasty! The dressing has so much flavor, which leads to tender delicious chicken. Everything mixed together was fantastic. I’m so pleased with how it turned out that we are making it again over the 4th for friends and family. The chicken and the dressing and the orzo and the cheddar… so good. Oh, and bacon! This will definitely be in my dinner rotation – even my picky kiddo loved it.
Hey Michelle,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for your review:) Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! xx
Delicious and easy recipe! I was concerned the dressing would be too oniony for me with a whole grated shallot but it was perfect. My 2 year old daughter couldn’t stop tasting it from the serving spoon and going “mmm! Good orzo!” We all enjoyed it thoroughly!
Hi Caroline,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled that this recipe was a hit, thanks a bunch for trying it out! ☀️xxT
Delicious! The whole family loved it!
Hi Sarah,
Happy Sunday!! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback!! I love to hear that it was enjoyed:) xxT
Another hit at our house. Was able to use fresh herbs from the garden and cheddar cheese curds for the cubed cheese. I also did not have white balsamic, but found some champagne vinegar in the cabinet that was a great substitute. Loved it with the warm chicken and orzo. Easy and delicious. Thank you!
Hi JoAnn,
Perfect!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit and appreciate you giving it a try! xxTieghan
This was delicious! I subbed out a few things but OMG the dressing especially was delicious! Definitely going to be a summer staple ?
Hi Bernadette,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe out and sharing your feedback! I love to hear that it was a hit!☀️
Do you put it all on the lettuce? or how do you use the lettuce? Thank you
Hi Amy,
Yes, to assemble the salad please refer to step 4:) I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Super delicious! Used gluten free orzo and worked great.
Hi Louann,
Wonderful!! Love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for sharing your review and making the recipe!! xTieghan
Question – do you just save the last 1/3 of the dressing for serving? I see using 1/3 for marinating the chicken, and adding 1/3 when mixing all together, but not seeing directions for the last 1/3… but I’m old! ?
Hey Debbie,
LOL sorry for any confusion, yes just save the remaining dressing for serving and add to your liking:) I hope you love the recipe, let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
What a show stopper. So beautiful and the flavor amazing. The chicken was so juicy and tender. Most of the ingredients I had on hand. I was on a zoom call as I was fixing this and there were a lot of ohhs and ahhs. Definitely will make this agIn. Thank you for another winner!
Hey Pegi,
Happy Monday! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it and sharing your feedback!! Have the best week:) xx
This was delicious! I tweaked the recipe a bit. Subbed quinoa for the orzo and spinach instead of lettuce. Will be making again for sure!
Hey Ashley,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks for giving the recipe a try and your comment, love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
I made this Friday night, it was AMAZING!!!!! I used regular balsamic vinegar. Ate it cold as left overs for 2 days after. So so so good, like usual! Printed this one out to always have on hand!!
Hi Taylor,
Thanks so much for your comment and sharing your feedback! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit and thanks for making it! xTieghan