Grilled Chicken Salad with Candied Pecans

Pour lemon juice on top of your chicken breast and set aside for 15 minutes. Give a grill pan a generous spritz with cooking spray, then set it over a medium-high flame.

Grill your chicken breast for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through and no longer pink in the center. Transfer to a plate and leave alone for 5 minutes.

While chicken is resting, add your spring mix to a serving bowl and toss in the candied pecans (recipe below; you’ll only use a portion of the batch for the salad).

Combine olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a bowl and pour it on top of the salad. Top your salad with your chicken breast that has been sliced or cubed.

For the pecans:
Preheat your oven to 300 F. Combine sugars and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside. Add pecans into a bowl and add the egg white. Toss to coat the pecans, then dump in your sugar mixture. Carefully mix to make sure each pecan is coated well.

Transfer to a well-greased baking sheet, spread in an even layer and bake for 20-30 minutes. Your kitchen will smell amazing and you’ll no longer understand how you ever lived without candied pecans in your life. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Keep in an airtight container until ready to use. Enjoy!

Optional: Drizzle salad with a little balsamic reduction. To do so, heat 1 cup of balsamic vinegar in a saucepan on medium-low heat and allow to simmer until thickened and reduced, about 10 minutes. You won’t need the full amount, but this stays good in the fridge for about a month and is always good to have on hand. Enjoy!