Tomato Grilled Chicken with Barley Corn Salad

I couldn’t quite figure out what title to put on this post, because “tomato grilled chicken” just sounds weird, and “barley corn salad” doesn’t exactly scream “party in your mouth”.

But trust me, this dish is not at ALL weird, and is TOTALLY a party in your mouth.

This was my first time cooking barley, and I was a little nervous. It turned out well, though I didn’t quite follow the instructions and forgot to drain the barley (I just kept cooking it til the water evaporated).

The chicken was interesting but didn’t try to overwhelm everything else, and was super moist. I was worried that it would dry out because I had to cook mine longer (accidentally bought the super fat chicken breasts), but it kept the juice in very well.

And wow, barley was a revelation! It just had this amazing texture—chewy and nutty, which paired perfectly with the crunchiness of the onions and corn, the juiciness of the tomatoes, and the creamy avocado.

First, cook the barley according to the package directions and drain when it’s tender (make sure all the extra water is removed). Put in a big bowl so it can cool—I threw mine in the fridge.

While the barley’s cooking, combine all the vinaigrette ingredients in a food processor or blender, then process until smooth.

Season the chicken with some salt and pepper, then put it in a plastic bag with 6 tablespoons of the vinaigrette.

Marinate in the fridge for an hour or more (24 hours MAX but recommend more like 1 to 6 hours).

In a big bowl, stir the corn, cherry tomatoes (cut in half), and diced red onion, then gently stir in the avocado.

Add the cooled barley and combine, then add the remaining tomato vinaigrette and toss gently to coat.

Season with salt and pepper to taste—I found that I didn’t need any extra beyond what was already in the vinaigrette. Put in the fridge until ready to serve.

When you’re close to eating, heat your grill to medium-high (around 450 to 500 F) and grill the chicken for 4-5 minutes a side, or until cooked through (145 F at the thickest part or the older guidance was 165 F).

I had the misfortune to buy super fat chicken breasts, so it was more like 8 minutes a side.  The internal temp is what’s important, and a good digital thermometer is a must!

Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes off the grill, then serve with the corn barley salad, either on top of it or to the side.

The tomato grilled chicken was definitely needed to make this a full meal in my opinion, but that barley corn (avocado tomato) salad was the star of the show, and also made great leftovers for my work lunch the next couple days.  You could dice up the chicken into the salad for a one-bowl meal that’s perfect!

Other grain salads you’ll love:

• Winter Grain & Roasted Vegetable Salad With Balsamic Dressing
• Roasted Vegetable Barley Salad With Lemon Tahini Dressing
• Farro Salad with Butternut Squash, Goat Cheese, & Pepitas
• Roasted Vegetable & Farro Salad with Creamy Shallot Dressing

Original recipe here

Tomato Grilled Chicken with Barley Corn Salad

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

This amazing tomato grilled chicken and barley corn salad is PACKED with flavor, and is super easy to make. It also makes delicious leftovers and can be made ahead of time.

Print

Ingredients

• For the chicken & salad
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (if they're massive, cut in half)
• 3/4 cup of medium dry pearled barley
• 2 cups of fresh or frozen-then-thawed corn kernels
• 1 1/2 cups of halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup of minced red onion
• 1 avocado, chopped
• Salt & pepper
• For the tomato vinaigrette
• 1 cup of halved cherry tomatoes
• 1-2 cloves of garlic
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of water
• 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon of red onion
• Salt & pepper

Instructions

1. Cook the barley with a pinch of salt according to package directions. Drain when the barley is tender to make sure all the extra water is removed. Place into a big bowl so it can cool.
2. While the barley's cooking, make the tomato vinaigrette. Combine all the vinaigrette ingredients in a small food processor or blender, then process until smooth.
3. Put 6 tablespoons of the vinaigrette into a plastic bag with the chicken (salt and pepper it first) and marinate in the refrigerator for one hour or more (24 max, and about 2-6 is the sweet spot).
4. For the barley corn salad, stir the corn, cherry tomatoes, and red onion with the cooled barley. Add the remaining tomato vinaigrette and stir to coat. Gently fold in the avocado, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Place into the refrigerator.
5. When close to eating time, heat your grill to medium-high (450 to 500 F or thereabouts) and grill the chicken for 4-5 minutes a side, or until cooked through (old recommendation was 165 F at thickest point, though more recently around 145 F minimum is recommended).
6. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes off the grill, then serve with the salad---either on top of it or to the side.

Notes

• The barley corn salad can be made and dressed with the vinaigrette a day ahead if you want, and the flavors meld really well while sitting in the fridge

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Cuisinart 4-Cup Mini Prep Food Processor
• 
  ThermoPro Digital Instant Read Meat Thermometer
• 
  Metal Lemon & Lime Squeezer