Pesto Grilled Chicken Avocado Salad -- When the Smoker Rests, the Grill Still Calls

June 2021. Memphis summer, 62 years old, and the heat wraps around Orange Mound like a wet blanket that nobody asked for but everybody wears because that is the deal you make when you live in the South. The smoker calls louder in summer — something about the heat amplifying the smoke, the way humidity amplifies everything in Memphis — and I answer, because answering is what pitmasters do.

Tyrone came over for dominoes, bringing his competitive spirit and his inability to play without cheating, and the evening was full of the brotherly banter that is our love language.

I made smoked chicken this week — a simple cook that belies its depth. Rubbed with salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika, smoked at 275 over hickory for three hours. The skin was mahogany, the meat juicy, and the first bite carried the kind of flavor that makes you close your eyes, which is the highest compliment food can earn: the involuntary closing of the eyes, the body's admission that what it's tasting is too good to see.

Another week in the book. Another seven days of tending fires — the one in the smoker, the one in the marriage, the one in the family, the one in the church. Each fire needs something different: wood, attention, food, faith. But the tending is the same for all of them: show up, add what's needed, wait patiently, trust the process. Low and slow. Always. Low and slow.

Most weeks the smoker gets the glory, but every now and then I want something that comes together fast and still carries that fire-touched feeling — and this Pesto Grilled Chicken Avocado Salad does exactly that. After a long evening of dominoes with Tyrone and all the tending that a Memphis summer demands, I needed a cook that felt alive and fresh without asking too much of me. The char on the chicken, the richness of the avocado, the brightness of the pesto — it’s low and slow in spirit even when the clock says otherwise.

Pesto Grilled Chicken Avocado Salad

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 tablespoons prepared basil pesto, divided
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 6 cups mixed greens or romaine, chopped
• 2 ripe avocados, sliced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (for dressing)

Instructions

1. Prepare the chicken. Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Brush both sides with 2 tablespoons of the pesto and the 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season evenly with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
2. Preheat the grill. Heat an outdoor grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Oil the grates lightly to prevent sticking.
3. Grill the chicken. Place chicken on the hot grill. Cook 6—7 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reads 165°F and nice grill marks form. Transfer to a cutting board and rest for 5 minutes, then slice against the grain.
4. Make the dressing. Whisk together the remaining 1 tablespoon pesto, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a small bowl until smooth. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
5. Assemble the salad. Arrange the mixed greens on a large serving platter or in individual bowls. Top with sliced avocado, cherry tomatoes, and red onion. Lay the sliced grilled chicken over the top.
6. Dress and finish. Drizzle the pesto dressing evenly over the salad. Scatter shaved Parmesan over everything and serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 38g | Fat: 26g | Carbs: 11g | Fiber: 5g | Sodium: 480mg