Hot Honey Chicken Salad with Peaches, Corn and Feta Vinaigrette

Amanda

3 months ago

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This Hot Honey Chicken Salad with Peaches, Corn, and Feta Vinaigrette is truly the most summer-on-a-plate salad I’ve ever made. It’s got everything—juicy grilled peaches, sweet corn, smoky chicken, and a tangy feta vinaigrette. But what really sets it apart? Hot. Honey. Butter. And yes, it’s just as good as it sounds.

I found myself with the better part of a 20-pound box of Palisade peaches (shout out to my sister-in-law for snagging a box for the fam), which I’d heard through the grapevine are the best peaches in the world. Friends, I can say with my full heart that this is not a lie—they are truly the essence of a peach. I ate quite a few out of hand but couldn’t shake the thought of a couple of recipes I wanted to try out this week. So, this is the first in two peach recipes this week. Get the absolute best peaches you can find and make these quick!

Breaking Down the Dish

This salad is a textural playground. Imagine the tender, smoky chicken, the crisp, charred corn, the juicy, sweet peaches, and the creamy, tangy feta vinaigrette. It’s like your mouth is having a full-on sensory experience—there’s crunch, sweetness, heat, and that wonderful salty, tangy kick from the vinaigrette.

Now, if you’re the type to think that salad is “boring,” buckle up, because this one is absolutely not. Trust me when I say I will not eat a salad, especially A SALAD AS MY DINNER, unless it’s truly something great.

The Star Ingredients

Hot Honey Butter: You’ve had butter. You’ve had honey. Now let them introduce themselves to chili flakes. Hot honey—a more recent culinary craze that combines honey with chili peppers, adding a spicy-sweet punch to everything from pizza to fried chicken. It’s basically the Beyoncé of condiments—versatile, bold, and impossible not to love. Marrying it with butter and glazing grilled chicken for a salad? Genius. This magical concoction not only goes over the chicken but also over the corn, bringing that hit of sweet heat that elevates the dish.
Peaches, Tomatoes & Corn: The harbingers of summer, right? Here, the peaches and tomatoes are raw, but we’re charring the corn that we have also glazed in hot honey butter.
Feta Vinaigrette: Salty feta, nutty pistachios, and a hit of lemon bring a balance that keeps this salad from being too sweet. It’s the secret weapon that ties everything together. No basic dressings allowed here. I saw this recipe from The Kitchn on Facebook and have been plotting how to incorporate it into a recipe. I made a few tweaks to the original—the acidity and saltiness of the dressing is a perfect complement to this salad that veers a little sweet with the tomatoes, corn, and peaches.

Equipment Needed

Cooking Tips & Tricks

Rub the Rub and the Chicken: Use your fingers to break up the dried herbs in the spice rub and really pack it on the chicken.
Hot Honey Hack: Memorize this recipe, and thank me later. It’s liquid gold on everything from roasted veggies to fried eggs. Just don’t blame me when you’re drizzling it on everything in sight.
Croutons: We’re throwing these on the grill, too, because I’m not about to ask you to heat up your oven AND grill. Keep an eye on those focaccia cubes. It’s very easy to forget about them while you’re juggling chicken and corn on the grill, but burnt croutons are not the vibe. Stir them often!

How It All Comes Together

This salad isn’t just a bunch of ingredients thrown into a bowl—it’s a well-choreographed dance of flavors. You’ll grill the chicken and corn while your focaccia cubes crisp up. Slice everything up, toss it over a bed of fresh greens (arugula is great for that peppery bite), scatter your croutons, peaches, and corn, and finish it off with a drizzle of that magical feta vinaigrette.

The result? A salad that’s bright, fresh, and complex. Every bite is a perfect mix of savory, sweet, spicy, and tangy. You’ll want to eat it in a sunny backyard with a glass of something cold. Trust me—this salad is the antidote to boring salads everywhere.

There’s something magical about this dish that goes beyond just great ingredients. It’s the balance of flavors, the contrast of textures, and that touch of hot honey that makes this salad the kind of meal you crave long after it’s gone. Whether you’re grilling for a summer dinner party or just treating yourself to something a little extra on a weeknight, this salad will not disappoint.

Happy cooking!

Hot Honey Chicken Salad with Peaches, Corn and Feta Vinaigrette

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Author: Amanda
Yield: 4 servings 1x

Description

Elevate your summer meals with this Hot Honey Chicken Salad featuring juicy peaches, charred corn, crispy focaccia croutons, and a tangy feta vinaigrette. Sweet, spicy, and bursting with flavor—this salad is anything but boring!

Ingredients

Scale

FETA VINAIGRETTE:

Juice of 1 lemon
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 small garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1-ounce pistachios, coarsely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

FOCACCIA CROUTONS:

4 ounces focaccia, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

CHICKEN:

2 large chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally to make two thin cutlets each
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1–1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon brown sugar

HOT HONEY BUTTER:

3 tablespoons hot honey
4 tablespoons butter, melted

TO ASSEMBLE:

2 ears corn, husked
8 to 10 ounces arugula or other mixed greens
8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
2 ripe peaches, pitted and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
4 green onions, white and green parts thinly sliced

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Instructions

To make the dressing: Combine all the ingredients in a small blender and process until mostly smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Preheat a gas grill on high heat for 15 minutes or prepare a charcoal grill for medium heat about 25 minutes before you want to cook.
For the focaccia croutons: Toss the bread cubes with the olive oil on a small sheet pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
For the hot honey butter: While the melted butter is still warm, whisk in the hot honey. It will not stay homogenous, so make sure to stir it before basting in step 6 below.
For the chicken: Combine all the spices, using your fingers to break up the herbs. Rub generously onto each side of the chicken.
Oil the grill grates and turn the grill down to medium (if using gas). Place the small sheet pan with the croutons on one side of the grill; give these a couple of minutes’ head start before adding the chicken and corn. These will take about 10 minutes to crisp up and turn golden overall; make sure to stir them occasionally to prevent burning. Brush the hot honey butter over the corn using a pastry brush and transfer to the grill. Place the chicken on the grill next; drizzle the side facing up with some of the honey butter (avoid actually brushing the chicken to prevent cross-contamination). Cook the corn, turning occasionally, until charred in places, about 6–7 minutes total. You can drizzle some of the hot honey butter over top as it cooks. Cook the chicken for about 3 minutes on the first side; flip, drizzle with the honey butter, and continue to cook for an additional 1-1/2 to 2 minutes on the second side, or until cooked through. Remove the croutons, corn, and chicken from the grill.
To assemble the salad: Place the arugula on a serving platter. Scatter the green onions, tomatoes, peaches, and croutons over top. Cut the corn from the cob and scatter on top. Thinly slice the chicken against the grain, pour any remaining hot honey butter over top, and arrange over top. Serve with the feta vinaigrette.