Greek chicken salad is one of those low carb recipes that’s so full of flavor, you forget its actually good for you! It’s one of my favorite salad recipes, as far as low carb chicken recipes are concerned.
Greek chicken salad is full of juicy marinated chicken with a homemade vinegar and oil dressing — similar to Horiatiki. It’s one of the best healthy recipes for entertaining or polishing up dinner when you’re ready for something to really wake up your taste buds!
I can’t wait for you to try this wholesome deliciousness… let’s get started!
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What I Love About This Greek Chicken Salad Recipe
One of the things I love most about this Greek chicken salad is the virtual explosion of flavor in your mouth — but the fact that it’s actually good for you runs a close second (I’m getting hungry already).
Here are some other things that make this Greek chicken salad irresistible:
- Very low carb
- Protein packed
- Rich in healthy fats
- Not cream based
- Totally addicting
Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe Notes
This is a made from scratch, healthy chicken salad recipe that’ll make your taste buds stand up and pay attention!
It’s kind of like potato chips in the sense that you can’t eat just one – you literally wont be able to have just one bite of this delicious Greek chicken salad!
It’s chalked full of protein, healthy fats and fresh herbs to keep you satiated from your tummy to your tongue!
Ingredient Notes
Greek chicken salad dressing and marinade is made with olive oil, which is rich in monounsaturated oleic acid and phenols that provide multiple health benefits in addition to rich flavor.
I prefer to use extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) for this recipe, but it isn’t necessary. EVOO is made from cold pressed olives using minimal amounts of heat and no chemicals so it retains more of its nutrients. It also has a light and lively flavor compared to other oils.
Using fresh herbs in this recipe gives it that special quality and deep essence that just can’t be purchased. Fresh herbs have a delicate aromatic flavor that give your Greek chicken salad that extra something special.
Greek chicken salad is one of those recipes that’s just incredibly rich in flavor, yet light and refreshing.
Tools to Make
Making Greek chicken salad doesn’t require you to make a huge mess in the kitchen (thank goodness), so you only need a few things. For the sake of simplicity, here they are:
- Large Ziploc baggie (for marinating chicken)
- Prepared sheet pan (for baking chicken)
- Knife (for chopping)
- Bowl (to assemble salad)
- Salad shaker (for making dressing but a bowl & whisk will work, too)
Low Carb Lunch Storing Tips
Storing your Greek chicken salad is flexible, depending on when you’re serving it…
If you’re making it for low carb lunch ideas over the next few days, you can pre-assemble most of it like a mason jar salad — be sure to layer the tomatoes/cucumbers on the bottom so they don’t make the lettuce soggy, and keep the dressing in a separate container.
Can You Freeze This?
Freezing the chicken is about as close as you can get to freezing this Greek chicken salad. This is because, most Greek salads incorporate a wealth of wholesome fresh vegetables, which don’t freeze well. Preparing the chicken ahead of time allows you to portion and freeze it appropriately until you’re ready for it!
Healthy Lunch Meal Prepping Tips
Prepping this Greek chicken salad for healthy lunch ideas is pretty simple. The dressing can be made ahead of time and stored in a tightly sealed container.
Marinating and preparing the chicken for your salad allows you to pre-portion and preserve single serving amounts that’re easy to grab and go when you’re ready to make a salad. Pre-assemble your salad in a meal prep container, and toss it in dressing before serving (this is great for mid-week lunches).
Recipe Variations
Tweaking this recipe successfully means keeping it really simple, like adding cucumbers. Adding different herbs to the dressing or marinade will completely change the flavor of this dish.
Can I Add Herbs And Spices?
Of course you can, if you want to, but be aware that it’ll change the flavor of your dish. Greek chicken salad is a rich, savory dish that’s both tasty and satisfying. If you want to experiment with additional herbs and spices, try making my curry chicken salad or tarragon chicken salad.
They are both flavorful aromatic low carb chicken recipes that will incorporate some variety into your menu and help fuel your day.
Is This Chicken Salad Low Carb?
Yes! Greek chicken salad is one of the best low carb salads because it’s refreshing, fragrant and chalked full of essential nutrients. Plus, it’s unique because it’s not a cream-based chicken salad.
How Can I Make This Healthier?
From a nutritional standpoint, it really doesn’t get much healthier than Greek chicken salad. BUT, you can put a healthy twist on the traditional cool, creamy chicken salad we all know and love…
Making avocado chicken salad or chicken salad with grapes is a great way to up the nutrition ante and peak the flavor profile.
How Can I Make This Low Carb Chicken Salad With More Vegetables?
Greek chicken salad is a low carb chicken salad that’s great with the addition of bell peppers, cucumbers or even tomatoes. Of course, you can make pesto chicken salad to sneak in a few more greens.
Can I Add Fruit?
Serving chicken salad with grapes is quite popular because of the savory and sweet pleasantness it offers but those who want a little more crunch tend to opt for chicken salad with apples.
Adding apples to your Greek chicken salad will incorporate a sweet crunch but grapes don’t tend to marry well with the vinaigrette. Apples, figs and pears are popular in Greek dishes.
Greek Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Chicken + Marinade
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
- 2 Cloves Garlic chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Rosemary chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Oregano
- 1 Lemon juiced
- 1 Lb Chicken Breast
Salad
- Lettuce
- 1/2 Red Onion chopped
- 1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes sliced
- 1/2 Cucumber chopped
- 8 Oz Feta chopped
- 1/2 Cup Kalamata Olives
Dressing
- 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
- 2 Teaspoons Garlic minced
- 2 Teaspoons Oregano minced
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
Instructions
Chicken:
- Mix marinade ingredients together in a large resealable bag.
- Add chicken, seal the bag, and toss the chicken to evenly coat.
- Place in the fridge for 30 min - overnight (I always do this the night before!)
- Preheat your oven to 400 F.
- Place marinated chicken on slightly greased baking sheet.
- Bake in preheated oven for 22-26 minutes. You'll know the chicken is done once the internal temp reaches 165 F.
- Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Dressing:
- Meanwhile, whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl or salad shaker, except the olive oil.
- While whisking, slowly add the olive oil into the dressing ingredients.
Salad:
- In a large bowl, combine the salad ingredients together.
- Place sliced chicken over salad ingredients.
- Cover with salad dressing, and toss everything together.
- Serve with pita, tzatziki, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
More Healthy Chicken Recipes
Healthy chicken recipes can be chalked full of unique and scrumptious flavors. It’s easy to fall into a rut where you rely on the same few chicken dishes, but that gets boring FAST!
Try some new and lively healthy chicken recipes that are full of character and aromatic flavors. Here are some of my favs:
- Thai Chicken Salad
- Southwest Chicken Salad
- Mexican Chicken Salad
- Chicken Caesar Salad
- Honey Mustard Chicken Salad
Conclusion
Whether you love Greek food, or you’re just ready to add some variety to your menu, this Greek chicken salad is sure to satisfy. It blends American and Greek fair together in a way that welcomes juicy marinated chicken for a delicious flavor bomb in every scrumptious bite.
As many nutritionists boast, “Live long, eat Greek!” -and enjoy every bit of it!
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