Greek Chicken Salad with Feta (Printable Version)
Grilled chicken atop crisp Mediterranean greens with a tangy whipped feta dressing. Ready in 35 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
04 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
→ Salad
07 - 4 cups chopped romaine or mixed greens
08 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
09 - 1 cucumber, sliced
10 - 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
11 - 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
12 - 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, sliced
→ Whipped Feta Dressing
13 - 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
14 - 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
15 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
16 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
17 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
18 - 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
19 - Salt and pepper to taste
→ Optional Garnishes
20 - Fresh dill or parsley, chopped
21 - Extra crumbled feta cheese
# Directions:
01 - Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat.
02 - Coat the chicken breasts with olive oil, dried oregano, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper, rubbing the seasoning evenly on all sides.
03 - Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 5 to 7 minutes per side until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
04 - Combine the feta cheese, Greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Blend until smooth and fluffy, then adjust seasoning to taste.
05 - Arrange the romaine or mixed greens on a large platter or in a serving bowl. Scatter the cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, red onion, kalamata olives, and roasted red peppers over the greens.
06 - Top the salad with the sliced grilled chicken.
07 - Drizzle the whipped feta dressing generously over the salad. Finish with fresh herbs and additional crumbled feta if desired. Serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The whipped feta dressing tastes like something you would pay sixteen dollars for at a trendy cafe, but it takes about ninety seconds in a food processor.
- It is genuinely filling thanks to the protein from the chicken and yogurt, yet it never leaves you feeling weighed down.
- You can prep every component ahead of time, which means weeknight dinner is basically just assembly.
02 -
- Do not slice the chicken while it is still piping hot or you will lose half the juices onto the board instead of keeping them in the meat where they belong.
- The dressing thickens considerably in the refrigerator, so let it sit at room temperature for fifteen minutes and stir before using leftover dressing.
03 -
- Buy feta in block form and crumble it yourself because the pre crumbled kind is coated in cellulose and will never blend as smoothly.
- Let the chicken rest directly on the cutting board without tenting it with foil, the steam escaping is what makes the crust soggy.