Description
Creamy Mediterranean Chicken Salad is a delightful blend of juicy grilled chicken, fresh Mediterranean vegetables, and a luscious creamy dressing made with Greek yogurt and mayonnaise. This versatile and quick-to-make salad balances bright herbs, olives, and tangy lemon juice to deliver a refreshing yet indulgent dish perfect for lunches, dinners, or appetizers.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein
- 2 cooked chicken breasts (grilled or roasted, chopped into bite-sized pieces)
Vegetables & Herbs
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 medium cucumber, sliced
- 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
- 1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, roughly chopped
Dressing
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Start with cooked chicken breasts, ideally grilled or roasted for the most flavor. Once cooled, chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces, ensuring each piece is tender and juicy.
- Chop the fresh vegetables: Slice cucumbers and halve cherry tomatoes, thinly slice red onion, and roughly chop your fresh herbs like parsley and dill to maximize aroma and freshness.
- Make the creamy dressing: In a bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, minced garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper until smooth and well combined. This dressing will coat every ingredient with that irresistible creamy texture.
- Combine all ingredients: Gently toss together the chopped chicken, vegetables, olives, and herbs in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the mixture and fold everything together until evenly distributed and coated.
- Chill and serve: For best flavors, refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the ingredients to meld perfectly.
Notes
- Use quality chicken: The better the chicken, the more flavorful the salad will be.
- Don’t over-mix: Fold ingredients gently to keep textures intact and the salad fresh-looking.
- Adjust acidity: Taste the dressing and add more lemon juice if you want a brighter zing.
- Chill adequately: Let the salad rest in the fridge to help flavors marry beautifully.
- Fresh herbs matter: Using freshly chopped parsley and dill lifts this salad above and beyond.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes (if cooking chicken fresh)
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Grilling / Roasting (for chicken); No cook (salad assembly)
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 320mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
Keywords: Mediterranean chicken salad, creamy chicken salad, Greek yogurt dressing, healthy chicken salad, grilled chicken salad, easy lunch recipes, light dinner, Mediterranean diet