Transform ordinary chicken salad into a Mediterranean delight with our grilled chicken version, packed with zesty flavors and unexpected textures. This Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad recipe is a fresh spin on the summertime classic. Loaded with crispy fresh veggies and herbs, it’s sure to be a light, healthy favorite.
Simple summer salad recipes soothe the soul, especially when they’re made fresh from scratch. This easy grilled chicken salad is no different. Its vibrant Mediterranean flavors and quick prep make it one of our favorite summer salad recipes.
What Is Grilled Chicken Salad?
But unlike your typical chicken salad recipes that contain mayo, like our curry chicken salad and BBQ chicken salad, this salad ditches the mayo for a lighter Persian marinade, charred lemon, and tons of fresh veggies. It’s the perfect grilling recipe when you want to escape to the Greek Isles, but your bank account says otherwise.
Greek Chicken Salad Ingredients
- Chicken: Lean protein base, grilled for smoky goodness. We used boneless skinless chicken breasts, but you could also use rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken, or boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- Chicken Marinade: Infuses chicken with flavors (store-bought or homemade with yogurt, saffron, and spices).
- Lemon: Brightens flavors with a touch of acidity.
- Veggies: Red onion, bell peppers, and celery add sweetness, crunch, and vibrant color. Cucumbers and little cherry tomatoes would be a great addition too.
- Mushrooms: Earthy flavor and texture, grilled for extra smokiness (optional).
- Artichoke Hearts: Salty, briny flavor and unique texture.
- Olives: Salty pop that complements other flavors. Use kalamata olives for a true Mediterranean feel.
- Seasonings: Salt, pepper, herbs, and spices like oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, and cardamom add a rich Mediterranean flavor profile.
- Olive Oil: For grilling, dressing, and adding richness.
- Couscous: Fluffy grain base for the salad.
- Feta: Salty tang and creamy texture.
- Fresh Herbs: Parsley, oregano, thyme for a final touch of freshness. And always, kosher sald and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
- Bib Lettuce or Pita Bread: Pick your serving style – light and refreshing lettuce or fun, scooping pita bread. You can use other greens like romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, or any other fresh greens you like.
How to Make This Grilled Chicken Salad Recipe
- Dry the chicken breasts and toss them in a container with the marinade. Let them hang out in the fridge for up to a day.
- Clean the grill grates and crank up the heat.
- Place chicken breasts on the cooler side of the grill (indirect heat) and cook until it reaches 160 degrees F. Flip it halfway through. Let it rest wrapped in foil while you get the other stuff ready.
- Cut lemons in half and grill them cut-side down for a smoky flavor.
- Throw the chopped onion, peppers, celery, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and olives in a big bowl.
- Once cooked, chop the chicken and toss it in the bowl with the veggies. In a smaller bowl, whisk together herbs, spices, lemon juice, and olive oil for the dressing.
- Follow the package directions to cook the couscous.
- Add the cooked couscous to the salad. Crumble feta cheese over everything and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Serve the salad on a platter or large bowl with charred lemons for decoration. Use bib lettuce leaves or pita pockets to scoop up the salad and enjoy!
Girl Carnivore Expert Recipe Tips
- The longer you marinate the chicken, the more flavorful it will be.
- Use an instant-read meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. It should read 160ºF when done. As it rests, the carryover cooking will take care of the last 5 degrees.
What to Serve With Grilled Chicken Salad
Since you’ll already be outside manning the grill, you might as well make some tasty sides to accompany your grilled chicken salad. Got vegetarian friends who can’t be bothered with chicken? Whip up a grilled corn salad so they can join in on the fresh fun. Keep it simple with classics like grilled corn on the cob or a smoked potato salad for the ultimate summer BBQ.
Want another amazing light salad recipe? Give this avocado tuna salad a try.
Leftovers
Got leftovers? No worries. Pop them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. We recommend storing the pita and lettuce separately from the salad so they don’t get soggy.
More Global Chicken Recipes
Chicken
Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Poultry Recipes
Mexican Chicken Soup
Poultry Recipes
Chicken Paprikash
Campfire Recipes
Curry Chicken Kabobs with Coconut Turmeric Rice
This grilled chicken salad is your one-way ticket to conquering the BBQ world and is as transportive as a plane ticket to Santorini (minus the jet lag).
Have you tried this recipe? Do us a favor and rate the recipe card with the ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ and drop a comment to help out the next reader.
Grilled Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 chicken marinade
- 3 lemons divided
- 1/2 red onion sliced
- 1 red pepper stem and seeds removed, chopped
- 1 orange pepper stem and seeds removed, chopped
- 1 green pepper stem and seeds removed, chopped
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 1/2 pint mushrooms cleaned and sliced
- 14.5 oz can artichoke hearts quartered, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup sliced olives
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 teas oregano
- 1/4 teas basil
- 1/4 teas red pepper flakes
- 1/8 teas cardamom
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 package Couscous
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta
- Few sprigs fresh parsley oregano, and thyme, minced for garnish
- Bib lettuce or Pita for serving
Instructions
Marinate the chicken
- Pat the chicken dry and place in a resealable container, then pour in the chicken marinade.
- Cover and place in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Grill the Chicken
- When ready to grill, clean the grates and allow the grill to heat.
- Grill the chicken over indirect heat until an instant read thermometer reads 160 flipping once halfway through.
- Wrap in foil and allow to rest, allowing the temp to rise to 165 degrees F with a digital meat thermomter.
- Meanwhile, slice two lemons in half and char over the flame. Remove from heat and set aside.
Assemble the Grilled Chicken Salad
- Meanwhile, toss the onion, peppers, celery, mushrooms, artichoke hearts and olives in a large bowl.
- When the chicken has cooked, give it a rough chop and mix it in with the vegetables. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.
- Whisk the oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, cardamom together in a small bowl. Squeeze in the juice from one lemon and add the olive oil. Stir to combine.
- Cook the couscous according to the package. And toss into the salad. Mix to combine.
- Sprinkle with feta, and garnish with fresh minced herbs like parsley, thyme or oregano.
- Arrange the fresh chicken salad on a platter with the charred lemon wedges. Serve with bib lettuce or pita pockets for serving as edible cups.
Nutrition
Bookmark this recipe now!
FAQs
Vegetables: Don’t have all the peppers listed? No problem! Use a mix of your favorites – zucchini, yellow squash, or even broccoli florets would all work well.
Grains: Not a fan of couscous? Quinoa or brown rice works well, too.
Cheese: Feta is classic, but crumbled goat cheese, blue cheese, or even a sprinkle of parmesan would add a different flavor profile.
Olives: If you’re not an olive fan, you can skip them altogether. Capers could be a salty and tangy substitute.
A charcoal grill or gas grill will work in this recipe.
We give our best tips on how to keep chicken breast tender and juicy on the grill in our grilled caesar salad recipe, where we pound it thin for quicker, more even cooking.
I used to hate cheese on burgers (meat, ketchup and bun only), tacos were ordered as meat and cheese only, wouldn’t eat anything green that wasn’t grapes or apple (I claimed the only good veggies were corn and carrots), thought fruit pies were gross (because mushy fruit = spoiled fruit), and always had my condiments on the side to be dipped in to (including nachos cheese, syrup, and pasta sauce). Thank goodness i got over all of that mess. As for this salad, I always have a weakness for Mediterranean flavors and I know I’d love it.
This salad looks divine! What fabulous flavors!
Such a creative and flavorful recipe.