Mediterranean chicken salad makes all your lunchtime salad dreams come true, with artichokes, avocado, baby spinach and feta cheese!
There's something to be said for a good chicken salad, and Mediterranean salad is delicious. A little prep ahead of time can go a long way, too. We're always a fan of cooking a bunch of chicken on the weekend for a healthy meal prep. If you've got a cooked protein at the ready, you're halfway to lunch or dinner, right?
This Mediterranean Chicken Salad is loaded with all the good stuff. Grilled chicken? Check. But it's a bit different from your standard take on the typical Mediterranean salad. That's because there are no olives, tomatoes, or roasted red peppers, for example. Instead, we've got artichoke hearts, avocado (good healthy fats!), cucumbers, feta cheese (naturally!), and pistachios for some nutty, salty, nutritious crunch (more protein, please!). Nevertheless, it's still a good example of why the Mediterranean diet is so awesome; we've certainly written a lot about how to meal prep the Mediterranean Diet.
Mediterranean Chicken Salad Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
For the Salad
- 4 cups mixed greens
- 1 cup artichoke hearts drained and halved
- 1 cup sliced cucumber
- ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1 medium avocado sliced
- 2 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
- ¼ cup roasted shelled pistachios
- 8 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette
How to Make Mediterranean Chicken Salad
First things first. Cook that chicken! It's so good, seasoned with lemon, garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper. You can grill it right outside or on a grill pan in your kitchen. Once it's cooked, set it aside. Assembling the salad is easy. It's a combination of mixed greens, sliced cucumber, sliced red onion, drained artichoke hearts, avocado, feta cheese, and pistachios. Add the chicken on top and then toss it all together with some balsamic vinaigrette and you're good to go.
How to Store and Serve Chicken Salad
We love a good salad prep and this Mediterranean one will keep for 4 to 5 days in the fridge. We recommend waiting on the dressing if you're going to meal prep this. Otherwise, this salad will serve four for lunch or dinner, easily. Serve it with some crusty bread if you're digging that. But honestly? It's pretty solid as it is for lunch or dinner.
Substitutions and Alterations
We love this salad as it is, but you can always add and subtract ingredients to your heart's content. Just keep an eye on the macros, because they will change.
- Try kalamata or black olives; a handful will do.
- Use roasted red peppers (jarred ones work great, just drain and chop roughly first)
- Up the red onion
- Add some cherry tomatoes or other types of tomato
- Toss in some drained chickpeas or white beans for more protein and a change in texture
- Make this with grilled flank steak or grilled shrimp instead of chicken.
READ MORE CHICKEN AND MEDITERRANEAN RECIPES!
- Loaded Mediterranean Bowl Meal Prep
- 15 Mediterranean Diet Meal Prep Recipes
- Roasted Mediterranean Cauliflower Gnocchi and Veggies
Ingredients
For Lemon Garlic Chicken
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For Salad
- 4 cups mixed greens
- 1 cup artichoke hearts drained and halved
- 1 cup sliced cucumber
- ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1 medium avocado sliced
- 2 oz. feta cheese crumbled
- ¼ cup roasted shelled pistachios
- 8 tablespoon balsamic vinaigrette
Instructions
- Place chicken in a shallow dish with ingredients for marinade. Use hands to mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat and grease with cooking oil. Once the pan is very hot, add the chicken, using tongs.
- Grill for 7 to 8 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan to a cutting board and let the chicken rest.
- Divide mixed greens among 4 MPOF round containers and top with sliced chicken, artichoke hearts, cucumber, red onion, avocado, feta cheese, and pistachios. Divide the vinaigrette among 4 dressing cups.
