This healthy Greek chicken salad is the perfect high-protein meal for spring and summer. It’s loaded with juicy marinated chicken, crisp vegetables, and a simple homemade dressing that doubles as a marinade. Whether you’re looking for an easy lunch, meal prep recipe, or light dinner, this Greek chicken salad checks every box!
*Updated April 2026 with improved tips, clearer instructions, and additional information for the best results.
A big salad that’s filling enough – and flavorful enough – to be called a meal is one of my favorite parts of Spring and Summer!
This Greek Chicken Salad totally fulfills all my salad goals. To start, the marinade is probably the best I’ve had for chicken!
I generally shy away from chicken breasts because they can obviously be boring, dry, and lacking flavor. This marinade met my expectations when it comes to flavor! You can use breasts, thighs, or tenderloins and it turns out perfectly.
For the rest of the salad, I went “all out” while avoiding the feta cheese.
Yes, I do sort of miss it, but will lots of kalamata olives, delicious dressing and avocados, there’s a lot going on with this salad that makes up for the lack of cheese. Of course, if cheese works for you I encourage you to go for it!
What Makes This Greek Chicken Salad Healthy?
This salad is high in protein, with no added sugar and made with wholesome real food ingredients, including loads of veggies!
You have healthy fats from avocado, protein from chicken, no added sugar, low in carbs and super satisfying and filling!
It’s also naturally balanced, with healthy fats, lean protein, and fresh vegetables, making it a great option for lunch, dinner, or meal prep. It’s naturally paleo, Whole30, low carb, and dairy free too!
What You Need to Make this Paleo Greek Chicken Salad
This salad is definitely packed with goodies! I divided the recipe into what you need for the chicken and marinade/dressing and the remaining salad ingredients.
Here’s everything you’ll need to prepare the salad:
Marinade/Dressing:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- olive oil or avocado oil
- Finely grated zest of one lemon
- freshly squeezed lemon juice
- red wine vinegar
- garlic, minced
- dried oregano (or Balanced Bites Greek Seasoning Blend)
- fine sea salt
- cracked black pepper
Salad:
- hearts of romaine
- cucumbers
- cherry tomatoes
- green bell pepper
- red onion
- pitted and sliced Kalamata olives
- avocado
- Lemon wedges, for garnish
How to Make this Greek Chicken Salad
The first step is to marinate the chicken. Luckily this chicken doesn’t need to marinate for long for maximum flavor!
In a large bowl, whisk together all the marinade/dressing ingredients to blend, then separate out half to use as the dressing. Set the dressing aside until you’re ready to serve the salad. You can put it in a mason jar with a lid so you can shake it to blend.
Place the chicken in the large bowl with the remaining marinade and turn to coat on all sides. Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or longer if you have the time, in the refrigerator.
Meanwhile, prepare the veggies for the salad and arrange them in a large serving bowl, leaving out the avocados until just before serving so it doesn’t brown.
Once the chicken has marinated, heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat and add a little oil, then sprinkle the skillet with a bit of sea salt. Gently shake excess marinade from the chicken, leaving a coating for flavor, and arrange in the hot skillet. Discard any remaining marinade at this time.
Cook the chicken about 5-6 minutes per side, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. You might need to adjust the heat to avoid burning the outside.
Once done, remove the chicken to a cutting board and allow it to rest while you slice the avocados and arrange in the serving bowl with the rest of the salad.
Slice the chicken and arrange it around the salad, then drizzle all over with the saved dressing (shake or mix the dressing first) and toss as desired. Serve with lemon wedges if desired.
How Much Protein Is in Greek Chicken Salad?
With this salad making 6 servings, there are 26g of protein per serving. You can easily increase the protein in the salad by using about 2 pounds of chicken instead of 1 1/2.
The marinade will remain the same. If you’re cooking even more chicken, you can simply double the marinade/dressing recipe to ensure you have enough.
Is Greek Chicken Salad Good for Meal Prep?
Yes, this salad is perfect for meal prep! You can prepare the marinade and dressing ahead of time and chop all the veggies, storing separately in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use. You can also marinate the chicken overnight.
Once ready to serve, arrange all the veggies in a serving bowl and either grill or pan fry the chicken as instructed. Of course, make sure you slice the avocado when just ready to serve so it doesn’t brown!
Can I Make This Greek Chicken Salad Ahead of Time?
Yes! You can cook the chicken ahead of time and slice it once ready to serve on the salad. After cooking, the chicken can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Making it ahead of time is perfect if you want to pack it for lunches or when you have no time to cook dinner! Just store the veggies, chicken and dressing in separate containers until ready to serve. For the avocado, slice it right before serving to avoid browning.
Tips for Flavorful Grilled or Pan Fried Chicken Breasts
I find that for boneless skinless chicken breasts to stay juicy, a good marinade is key. The chicken should marinate anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours if you have the time. You can also marinate the chicken in the refrigerator overnight.
More tips for flavorful, juicy chicken:
- Leave a little marinade on the chicken when grilling or pan frying – you don’t need to shake it all off.
- Make sure the grill or skillet is hot enough to get a nice crust on the outside of the chicken, but not so hot that the outside burns quickly. You might need to adjust the heat a bit to get this right.
- Chicken is ready when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F – any longer and it will dry out. Taking its temperature is more reliable than going by time, since the thickness of the breasts will vary as well as the heat source.
- Let the chicken sit for at least 5 minutes after it’s done before slicing it. Slice it with a very sharp knife so it slices quickly and without squeezing out lots of juices.
Variations and Add-Ins
This recipe is easy to customize based on your preferences:
- Add feta cheese if not dairy-free
- Add chickpeas or quinoa for extra carbs
- Use grilled or air fryer chicken
- Swap herbs based on what you have
FAQ
Can I use rotisserie chicken?
Yes, rotisserie chicken works well for a quick version of this recipe! You can still make the marinade/dressing as written and simply use it as dressing.
Is this Greek chicken salad low carb?
Yes, this recipe is naturally low in carbs and high in protein and healthy fats.
Can I make this dairy free?
It already is as written! Just skip feta or use a dairy-free alternative.
What dressing is best for Greek chicken salad?
A simple lemon, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, and herb dressing works best and keeps the flavors fresh and authentic.
This healthy Greek chicken salad is one of those recipes you’ll come back to all season long. It’s fresh, flavorful, and easy to make ahead, making it perfect for busy weekdays or relaxed summer dinners.
If you try it, let me know how it turns out!
Want Healthy, Filling Salad Recipes? Try One of These!
Greek Chicken Salad {Paleo, Whole30, Keto}
Ingredients
Chicken + Marinade/Dressing:
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, or tenderloins
- 1/3 cup olive oil or avocado oil
- Finely grated zest of one lemon
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice about 2 lemons
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons oregano
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Salad:
- 2 hearts of romaine washed and roughly chopped
- 2 med/large cucumbers quartered lengthwise and sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- 1 med green bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 med red onion thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup pitted and sliced Kalamata olives
- 1 large avocado (or 2 small ones) sliced
- Lemon wedges for garnish
Instructions
-
In a large bowl, whisk together all the marinade/dressing ingredients to blend, then separate out half to use as the dressing. Set the dressing aside until ready to serve the salad. You can put it in a mason jar with a lid so you can shake it to blend.
-
Place the chicken in the large bowl with the remaining marinade and turn to coat on all sides. Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or longer if you have the time, in the refrigerator.
-
Meanwhile, prepare the veggies for the salad and arrange them in a large serving bowl, leaving out the avocados until just before serving so it doesn’t brown.
-
Once the chicken has marinated, heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat and add a little oil, then sprinkle the skillet with a bit of sea salt. Gently shake excess marinade from the chicken, leaving a coating for flavor, and arrange in the hot skillet. Discard any remaining marinade at this time.
-
Cook the chicken about 5-6 minutes per side, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. You might need to adjust the heat to avoid burning the outside. Once done, remove the chicken to a cutting board and allow it to rest while you slice the avocados and arrange in the serving bowl with the rest of the salad. Slice the chicken and arrange it around the salad, then drizzle all over with the saved dressing (shake or mix the dressing first) and toss as desired. Serve with lemon wedges if desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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Came together quickly for a weeknight dinner! Chicken was great.
I made this for dinner last night — marinated the chicken for 30 minutes, then popped it in my electric pressure cooker (a really old version of instant pot🤣). I didn’t grill the chicken in the cast iron because it was still mostly frozen, but I am going to try that soon! The flavor was soooooo good! I sliced it and put it on a bed of greens w/ radish, cucumber, goat cheese, blueberries, blackberries, and bacon.
Delicious! I didn’t even miss the feta 🙂
the perfect lunch
I got a lot of good information in this post. Keep doing it!
Delectable salad salad! The most delicious element is the homemade mayonnaise! I adore it! I adore it! At this point, it is my “Go to” dish!
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Finding a fresh, filling lunch that actually adheres to Whole30 guidelines can be such a struggle during a busy week. The combination of flavors here looks incredibly vibrant, and I love how simple the ingredient list is for meal prepping. This is definitely going into my rotation for quick, healthy dinners.
This salad looks like the perfect solution for my busy weeknights when I need something healthy but don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen. The marinade ingredients sound incredibly fresh, and I love that it fits so well into a Whole30 routine. I’ll definitely be adding this to my meal prep list for the coming week!