Greek Chicken Salad

Why You’ll Love This Greek Chicken Salad

Here’s why I can’t stop eating this:

• It’s a full meal. Between the chicken and a can of chickpeas, this salad has protein and fiber and works as an easy dinner.
• It comes together in 25 minutes. It’s very quick when you make it with air fryer chicken (and I recommend it).
• It’s super flexible. You can swap the protein to shrimp, salmon or tofu, skip the feta, etc.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Chicken breasts: I use boneless, skinless breasts and pound them to an even thickness before cooking. The seasoning is a simple rub of kosher salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and dried dill.
• Cucumbers and cherry tomatoes: English cucumbers are my go-to because the skin is thin and they taste so much milder than standard cucumbers.
• Kalamata olives and feta: These bring in that Mediterranean flavor backbone.
• Chickpeas: You can use canned or ½ cups cooked (here’s how to cook chickpeas).
• The dressing: It’s a simple dressing of olive oil, fresh lemon juice and zest, dried oregano, and my secret ingredient: sumac! It gives tart, lemony notes (you can substitute lemon zest if you don’t have it on hand).

A Few Variations

There are so many ways to change up this Greek chicken salad: make it a salmon, shrimp or tofu salad, and more!

• For a different protein: Swap in air fryer chicken thighs, air fryer salmon, air fryer shrimp, or air fryer tofu. 
• For dairy free: Omit the feta and add an extra handful of olives, or use a dairy-free feta.
• Add a grain: I like adding farro or turmeric rice (from this Greek Chicken Bowl) to stretch it into a heartier meal. You can also serve with pasta (my kids like that).

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

The dressing for this salad keeps up to 1 week refrigerated. You can chop the vegetables up to 1 day ahead and store them separately. I recommend dressing the salad just before serving so the cucumbers and tomatoes stay crisp. Cooked chicken keeps 3 to 4 days.

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Greek Chicken Salad

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This easy Greek chicken salad recipe is a filling Mediterranean dinner in 25 minutes, starring seasoned chicken over cucumbers, tomatoes, feta, and olives in a lemony dressing!

• Author: Sonja Overhiser
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: air fryer, Baked
• Cuisine: American, Greek
• Diet: Gluten-Free, Mediterranean Diet

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the chicken

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 ounces each)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon each kosher salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and dried dill

For the salad

• 2 English cucumbers, sliced into half circles
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup (5 oz) pitted kalamata olives
• ½ cup feta cheese crumbles
• 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

For the dressing

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano (or 1 tablespoon fresh oregano)
• 1 teaspoon sumac (optional; or ½ teaspoon lemon zest)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Season the chicken: Preheat the air fryer or oven to 400°F. Pat the chicken breasts dry, then lightly pound the thick end of each piece with a kitchen mallet or rolling pin until the breast is roughly the same thickness all the way across. Place the chicken in a bowl and coat both sides with the olive oil. In a small bowl, stir together the kosher salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and dried dill, then sprinkle the seasoning all over both sides of the chicken.
2. Cook the chicken: Cook the chicken for 12 to 15 minutes in the air fryer or 20 to 23 minutes in the oven, until it just reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove from the heat and allow the chicken to rest 5 minutes before serving to ensure juiciness, then slice into pieces.
   
3. Make the salad: Meanwhile, combine the cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, and olives in a large bowl. Set aside.
   
4. Make the dressing: Whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, oregano, sumac, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking until the dressing is thickened.
   
5. Assemble the salad: Drizzle the dressing over the bowl of vegetables and toss lightly to coat. Taste and add a few pinches of salt, if desired. Sprinkle with the feta, then top with the sliced chicken and serve.

Notes

For dairy free: Omit the feta and add an extra handful of olives, or use a dairy-free feta.

For a grain bowl: Serve the salad and chicken over cooked farro or turmeric rice (from this Greek Chicken Bowl) to stretch it into a heartier meal.

For a different protein: Swap in boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cook to 175°F for the best texture), salmon, shrimp, or air fryer tofu. 

For make ahead: The dressing keeps up to 1 week refrigerated, and the vegetables can be chopped up to 1 day in advance. Dress the salad just before serving.

For extra creaminess: Add a swipe of hummus to the bottom of each plate before adding the salad.

For a sandwich: Add the sliced chicken and dressed salad into warm pita with a smear of tzatziki.