This Marinated Lemon Chicken Greek Salad with Mint is a delicious, healthy dinner salad with a dressing that doubles as a marinade!
Double the recipe for this Marinated Lemon Chicken Greek Salad with Mint and you'll have lunch for tomorrow!
This is a salad that I could probably eat every day. Lots of colourful, crisp and crunchy veggies, juicy lemon chicken and Mediterranean herbs that seem to make whatever they touch taste exciting.
It's a Greek classic you can make at home.
Are you on Team Lettuce or Team No Lettuce?
I could join either one, as long as the lettuce is crisp romaine, but today I decided to make a traditional Greek salad with cucumber, peppers, tomatoes, olives, red onion and feta cheese. When I discovered oregano, thyme and mint sprouting in the garden, I knew I wanted to add those, too.
Dinner salads have become the norm here at home, now that the weather is improving, the deck furniture is back outside and we're dreaming of warm summer days. Having a nutritious salad with some lean protein like chicken or fish is my favourite way to eat in the spring and summer.
I designed this recipe to be efficient. All you need is one marinade that doubles as a dressing (when you add a teaspoon of honey to it.) Pour half the marinade ingredients over the chicken and reserve the other half to dress the salad later.
What kind of chicken is best for this Lemon Chicken Greek Salad?
I used chicken tenders, but cubed boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs will work beautifully as well. You can skewer and grill the chicken (remember to soak wooden skewers in advance), or sear it on the stove top and finish cooking it in the oven.
If you love Greek chicken with tzatziki sauce, you'll love this recipe for Greek Lemon Chicken Kabobs with Tzatziki.
Can I make this Greek Salad ahead of time?
Absolutely! Chop and cover tightly, and store the cooked chicken separately. To keep your salad crisp, be sure to remove the seeds from the cucumber. I use either a small spoon or a melon baller to scrape the length of the cucumber to remove the seeds before slicing.
Add Feta cheese
Feta can be made from sheep milk, goat milk, a combination of the two, or even from cow's milk. It's a soft brined cheese with a tangy taste that can be part of a healthy diet. It's a good source of calcium and it contains probiotics to help boost our immune system. It can be easier to digest and less inflammatory than cow's milk cheese.
But like any cheese, you may want to eat it sparingly as it is high in sodium and saturated fat.
This Lemon Chicken Greek Salad is delicious with cold chicken, too, so make extra to have another day or to add to a rice or quinoa bowl. Don't forget the mint!
Enjoy!
Marinated Lemon Chicken Greek Salad with Mint
Ingredients
For the Marinade and Dressing
- 3 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Salad
- 2 cups Long English cucumber seeded and chopped
- 2 cups bell pepper diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
- ¼ cup red onion finely diced
- ¼ cup Kalamata olives pitted
- 2 tbsp feta cheese (omit for paleo diet)
- lemon wedges for garnish
- 1 tbsp mint leaves torn
- 1 tbsp parsley leaves torn
- 1 tsp honey add to remaining marinade for dressing
- 6 oz chicken breasts or chicken tenders skinless, boneless, cubed
Instructions
- Whisk marinade ingredients together. Put chicken cubes in a glass bowl or resealable plastic bag and pour HALF the marinade on top. Refrigerate for at least an hour or even overnight. Reserve the other half of the marinade for the dressing.
- Cook the chicken either on skewers on the grill, or on the stove top in an oven-proof skillet. If using a skillet, heat oven to 375°F., add ½ Tablespoon oil to the pan, heat, then add the chicken cubes. Brown, then transfer skillet to oven and continue cooking until chicken is no longer pink (about 5 - 7 minutes.)
- Meanwhile, combine cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, olives and herbs in a glass serving bowl. Add cooked chicken and garnish with feta cheese.
- Add 1 teaspoon honey to remaining marinade and use as dressing. Toss together and serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
Nutrition
If you love Mediterranean flavours, you may also like:
Greek Lemon Chicken Kabobs with Tzatziki
One-Pan Baked Lemon Artichoke Chicken
Skinny Greek Chicken Bowl with Watermelon and Feta
Ellie
I made this on the weekend and we all loved it. Will definitely be making it throughout the summer! Leftovers keep well in the fridge as there's no lettuce. Great recipe, thank you.
Elaine
Yes, it's a great make-ahead salad! Thanks for commenting.
Dierdre
I loved the colors in this salad when I first saw the recipe, but Wow! the flavors are amazing, too. I took it to my sister's house for dinner last week and it was a hit. Just thought I'd let you know.
Flavour & Savour
Thanks so much for letting me know! I love this pretty salad too. It's great for potlucks.