Have you ever seen the commercial where the guy is grilling a quinoa burger at a tailgate and refers to it a loofah? My husband loves that commercial and brings it up every time I fix quinoa. While he pokes fun, I never actually hear him complain as he is eating when I make citrus chicken with quinoa salad. The plate is empty of just about every single piece of the quinoa. 

This is one of my favorite meals to make during the nice weather because I love grilled chicken. For this recipe, you marinate the chicken in a delicious citrus marinade that also doubles as a dressing for the salad. {Obviously NOT the actual marinade from the chicken because…ewww}.  

Ingredients for Citrus Chicken with Quinoa Salad:

4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup lemon juice
3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper
1 pint grape tomatoes
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2 cups arugula or baby spinach
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa

Let’s Make It:

1) In a bowl, whisk together lemon juice, Dijon mustard, oregano and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk in 1 Tbsp olive oil. Reserve 1/4 cup of marinade and add chicken to bowl with remaining marinade. Marinate for 15-30 minutes. 

2) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile, toss grape tomatoes with 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and transfer to foil lined baking sheet. Bake in 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. 

3) Heat grill to medium. Remove chicken from marinade and grill for 5-7 minutes on each side or until fully cooked. 

4) In a large bowl, combine quinoa, arugula or baby spinach, roasted tomatoes and 1/4 cup of reserved marinade. Stir to combine. Top with grilled chicken.

This is one of those meals that looks like it took way longer to prepare than it really did. The citrus flavors are perfect for summer and go great with the grilled chicken. If you cut your marinading time to 15 minutes, you can even have this whole meal completed in 30 minutes from start to table. 

I often make a little extra of the quinoa salad and use it as a backup side dish on nights where time is short. It is also perfect for packing for lunch.

What are some of your favorite summer meals? Do you cook quinoa frequently?

Essential Items for this Recipe:

Rimmed Baking Sheet // Whisk // Mixing Bowl // Grill or Grill Pan