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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.
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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
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.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Just made this for supper, we loved it, I didn’t use the blue cheese and used romaine lettuce as that was all I had, had the orzo on the side, very good, I’ll make it again.
Hey Leah,
Awesome! So so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xxTieghan
Hi Tieghan – if I don’t have a grill can I bake the chicken? Any advice would be appreciated!
Thanks,
Jackie
Hey Jackie,
Sure that would be just fine. I would bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until your chicken reaches an internal temp of 160F. I hope you love the recipe. Let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Absolutely loved this! Great summertime dinner!
Hey Darlene,
Awesome! So so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xxTieghan
Just made this for dinner and it was amazing! I love making your recipes because they’re so easy yet flavorful. Keep ‘em coming!
Hey Adriana,
I really appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
This was a great dish though I made a few adjustments to make it more consistent with my dietary preferences. I omitted the bacon completely and didn’t miss it. Also, the recipe called for a much more cheese than I would want to use, so I tossed the hot orzo with some blue cheese and a little bit of grated Parmesan and it was wonderful – plenty rich for our tastes. Everyone loved it. I also grilled the chicken and the day before, so it made assembly of the entire dish a breeze. Great for a company or any meal, when you don’t want to spend a lot of prep time in the kitchen right before eating. Thank you!
Hey Cindy,
Awesome! So so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you. xxTieghan
This was a fantastic recipe. Easier to make than expected. I replaced most of leaf lettuce with purple cabbage for crunch. I will make more dressing for serving. Can’t wait to make it again.
Hey there,
Awesome! So so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xxTieghan
I made this for dinner on Friday evening and it was delicious. The only difference is that I swapped the orzo for basmati rice. Really enjoyed this and love the mix of summery flavours. Thank you for sharing.
Hey Colleen,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a go, I am so excited that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
This is surprisingly easy and so delicious! Definitely being added to the regular rotation.
Hey Valerie,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a go, I am so excited that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
Hi! I made this meal last night. SO YUMMY! The flavours were amazing.
Hey Elizabeth,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a go, I am so excited that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
Making this tonight and so excited. 🙂
I am doing half the amount of orzo because it is for two. When you say 1/3 of the dressing, do you mean approx. 1/3 cup?About how much dressing do you estimate I should use for 1/2 pound orzo? Thanks in advance. 🙂 You have my favorite recipes always! ❤️
Hey Jaime,
You can actually adjust the entire recipe manually by adjusting the serving size. The ingredients will adjust for you, so the recipe and measurements should be super easy to follow. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try! xTieghan
Hi! Was wondering if you could recommend a different method for cooking the chicken if I don’t have a grill! Looking forward to trying this recipe!
Hey Ashley,
You could roast the chicken in the oven or cook it on the stove top in a skillet. I hope you enjoy the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This recipe is BOMB. The dressing is a keeper..when you eat a spoonful of the orzo with a chunk of the chicken, there is an explosion of flavour! Highly recommend
Hey there,
Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xTieghan
So so so so good!! Made this tonight, but with farro instead of orzo and spinach in place of lettuce. My fresh herbs unfortunately were out, so had to substitute dried and the dressing was still incredible. I used about 12 ounces of farro and 2.5 chicken breasts and the proportions were perfect. Had left over dressing too which is great! This will be an easy meal prep staple.
Hey Elyssa,
Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xTieghan
Made this recipe for my parents and brother tonight and it was such a hit! Such amazing summer flavors! Will definitely be putting this recipe in with my favorites!
Hey Emily,
Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xTieghan
This salad is soooooo good!! Definitely making it again and again! Thanks for the recipe!!
Hey Pat,
Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xTieghan
Would I be able to use regular balsamic if I can’t find white balsamic in the store?
Hey Abby,
Sure, that will work just fine. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan