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This enormous grilled Mediterranean chicken salad is loaded with fresh ingredients and all your favorite Mediterranean flavors such as olives, red onion, cucumber, grilled chicken, lemon juice and an array of herbs and spices. The Mediterranean grilled chicken marinade does double duty, so you can also use it as the dressing. This healthy salad with chicken is a meal in itself and will leave everyone satisfied.
Lemon herb chicken salad is satisfying enough to serve for dinner but also makes the perfect make ahead lunch to take to the office. The Mediterranean grilled chicken marinade becomes a restaurant worthy salad dressing that transforms this salad into an incredibly healthy meal you’ll feel good about eating.
If you love Mediterranean flavors, try my Lemon Herb Mediterranean Chicken, Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken, or Lemon Herb Mediterranean Pasta Salad.
Why You’ll Love This Healthy Salad with Chicken
- It’s healthy. This salad is loaded with a rainbow of fresh vegetables, lean grilled chicken and a flavorful dressing that’s lemony and refreshing.
- It’s customizable. Add cheese, croutons or your favorite veggies. Swap the chicken for hard boiled eggs or tofu. It’s easy to customize this healthy salad with chicken.
- It’s delicious. The double duty Mediterranean grilled chicken marinade is incredibly flavorful and can be used as both the marinade and the dressing. You’ll want to keep a jar of this in your fridge.
Mediterranean Salad Ingredients
Mediterranean Salad Dressing and Marinade
- Olive Oil: or use oil such as avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil, which will have a bold flavor.
- Lemon Juice: freshly squeezed lemon juice will be bright and flavorful.
- Vinegar: red wine vinegar is mild and flavorful, but you can use white wine vinegar or try balsamic vinegar.
- Honey: raw honey adds a touch of sweetness. Substitute real maple syrup if desired.
- Herbs and Spices: fresh parsley, minced garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper powder make the marinade incredibly flavorful.
- Chicken: boneless, skinless chicken thighs are flavorful and juicy.
For the Salad
- Lettuce: roughly chopped Romain lettuce is sturdy and filling.
- Chickpeas: rinse and drain a can of chickpeas for added protein and a pleasing texture.
- Tomatoes: add halved grape or cherry tomatoes
- Cucumber: use a thinly sliced Persian cucumber or an English cucumber.
- Onion: thinly sliced red onions provide color and a slightly sweet flavor.
- Olives: look for fresh kalamata olives in the olive or salad bar or purchase canned olives.
- Lemon wedges: to garnish.
How To Make Mediterranean Chicken Salad
- Prepare the Mediterranean grilled chicken marinade. In a small bowl, whisk the ingredients to marinate the chicken; olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, honey, parsley, garlic, oregano, basil, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Reserve half of the marinade for salad dressing and pour the remaining over the chicken thighs. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Grill the chicken. Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill; add the chicken thighs and cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through with beautiful grill marks. Transfer the grilled chicken to a plate and set it aside.
- Prepare the salad. Meanwhile, prepare the salad ingredients and mix them in a large bowl. Slice the cooked chicken and place it over the salad and drizzle the reserved dressing over the salad, and toss.
- Garnish and serve. Garnish the salad with lemon wedges and serve immediately.
Tips To Make This Healthy Grilled Chicken Salad
- Reserve half of the marinade to use as the salad dressing.
- Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes but up to overnight.
- Bring the chicken to room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling.
- Skip the whisk and pour all of the marinade ingredients into a lidded jar, and give it a good shake.
- Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to make the dressing more or less spicy.
- Use chicken breasts if preferred.
- Chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F when checked with a meat thermometer.
- Add sliced avocado, hard boiled eggs, croutons, roasted red peppers or feta cheese to take this salad to a whole other level of goodness.
- For easy meal prep, store the undressed salad and chicken in separate containers. Combine with the salad dressing just before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
I love to serve this salad with warm chicken that just came off the grill, but it’s also great for meal prep. Store the salad, the dressing and the chicken in separate airtight containers in the fridge. Combine the ingredients just before serving.
Regarding protein, the sky is the limit with this salad. Tasty substitutes for chicken thighs include chicken breast, grilled salmon, shrimp, tofu, hard boiled eggs, or thinly sliced steak.
The chicken and the salad ingredients are packed with lean protein and an assortment of vitamins and minerals. Add dressing in moderation, and this lemon herb chicken salad can be a great addition to a healthy diet.
Leftover salad and chicken can be stored in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can gently rewarm the chicken in a skillet or the microwave or serve it cold.
You can freeze leftover grilled chicken for up to three months. Freezing the marinade or the salad ingredients is not recommended.
This salad truly is a meal in itself, but you can serve it with pita chips, Garlic Bread or turn it into a wrap and serve it with sweet potato fries or fruit salad.
More Salad Recipes
- Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad
- Mozzarella Caprese Salad Recipe
- Chicken Avocado Salad
- Spinach Chickpea Salad Recipe
- Easy Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
- Easy Shrimp Salad
I hope you enjoy all the recipes I share with you, including this delicious Mediterranean Chicken Salad recipe. I hope you try it, enjoy it, rate it, and share it with your friends and family!
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Grilled Mediterranean Chicken Salad
Ingredients
For the marinade and dressing
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 6 whole chicken thighs, boneless & skinless
For the salad
- 4 cups Romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
- 1 cup canned chickpeas
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup Persian cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup kalamata olives
- Lemon wedges, to garnish
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk the ingredients to marinate the chicken; olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, honey, parsley, garlic, oregano, basil, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Reserve half of the marinade for salad dressing and pour the remaining over the chicken thighs. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill; add the chicken thighs and cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through with beautiful grill marks. Transfer the grilled chicken to a plate and set it aside.
- Meanwhile, prepare the salad ingredients and mix them in a large bowl. Slice the cooked chicken and place it over the salad and drizzle the reserved dressing over the salad, and toss.
- Garnish the salad with lemon wedges and serve immediately.
Notes
- Reserve half of the marinade to use as the salad dressing.
- Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes but up to overnight.
- Bring the chicken to room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling.
- Skip the whisk and pour all of the marinade ingredients into a lidded jar, and give it a good shake.
- Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to make the dressing more or less spicy.
- Use chicken breasts if preferred. Chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F when checked with a meat thermometer. Add sliced avocado, hard boiled eggs, croutons, roasted red peppers or feta cheese to take this salad to a whole other level of goodness. For easy meal prep, store the undressed salad and chicken in separate containers. Combine with the salad dressing just before serving.
