How to Make Greek Salad with Grilled Chicken

This Greek salad with grilled chicken recipe is healthy and loaded with flavor. It is the perfect one-bowl summer meal that is fast and easy to make. 

I am an advocate for making one bowl salads for a main meal in the summer because they are light as well as fast and easy to make.  My family loves this Greek salad with grilled chicken because it is packed with flavor. Be sure to include the feta cheese because it takes the salad to the next level. The traditional Greek salad vinaigrette rounds out this delicious salad. Top it with lean grilled chicken and you have a healthy and filling meal. 

Don't have a grill? No problem! You can cook this chicken on a grill pan on your stovetop or simply saute it in a cast-iron skillet. The results are just as tasty as cooking the chicken on a grill.

By the way, Greek salad with grilled chicken is a yummy light meal year round especially in January when you are looking for less heavy food after the holidays!

If you still have room for dessert, make Strawberries Romanoff for the perfect ending to this meal.

Greek Salad Dressing Ingredients

• Garlic cloves-Fresh garlic is best.   In a pinch, use ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic.
• Red wine vinegar-a classic Greek salad is made with red wine vinegar. I would not recommend any substitutions.
• Olive oil-traditional Greek salads are made with olive oil.  
• Dried oregano leaves-a must for Greek salad. It can be found in the spice aisle of your grocery store.
• Kosher salt-If you use regular table salt, use half the amount (½ teaspoon) since it has a finer grain then kosher salt.
• Coarse ground black pepper-if you use fine grind pepper use half the amount (⅛ teaspoon).

How to Make the Dressing (Vinaigrette)

Combine all the ingredients and whisk (affiliate link) until emulsified. Set aside.

Salad Ingredients

• Romaine lettuce-Greek salad is traditionally made with Romaine lettuce because the texture and crunch pairs well with the other vegetables in the salad.  Iceberg lettuce would also work because it has a similar texture to Romaine lettuce. 
• Red bell peppers-I prefer to use red bell peppers because of the color they add to the salad.  However, an orange or yellow bell pepper would work too.  I also like the milder and sweet flavor of these bell peppers instead of green bell pepper. You can use mini bell peppers or regular-sized red bell peppers.
• Grape tomatoes-or cherry tomatoes are perfect in this salad.  In a pinch, you could use regular sized tomatoes or Roma tomatoes. 
• English cucumber or hothouse cucumbers-these cucumbers work well because they do not have many seeds.  It is not necessary to peel the cucumber since the skins are thin and do not have a bitter taste.   You could also use Persian cucumbers. 
• Feta cheese-I like to purchase blocks of feta cheese and cut them into chunks.  You could also purchase crumbled Feta cheese to save time.

Steps to prepare salad

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1. Slice lettuce, place it in a salad spinner (affiliate link), rinse the lettuce well under cold running water. Place the basket in a salad spinner (affiliate link) and spin to remove the water. Alternatively, place the lettuce in a colander, wash under running cold water, lay the lettuce on paper towels, and blot dry with a paper towel.
2. Dice the English cucumber.
3. Sliced red bell peppers.
4. Cut the tomatoes in half.
5. Dice or crumble the feta cheese.
6. Place lettuce in a bowl and top with remaining ingredients.

Grilled Chicken Ingredients

• Chicken breasts, boneless and skinless-if you are using frozen chicken breasts, be sure to thaw them completely before you start to cook.  Boneless and skinless chicken thighs would also be delicious instead of chicken breasts.
• Dried oregano leaves, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper add flavor to the chicken. 

How to Prepare the Chicken for Grilling

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1. Place the chicken on a plastic cutting board (affiliate link).  If you do not have a plastic cutting board (affiliate link), lay a piece of plastic wrap on a wooden board.  It is important to line the wood cutting board (affiliate link) with plastic because the wood is porous, and bacteria can get on the board which could cause foodborne illness.
2. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on the chicken.  This will prevent the chicken from spraying moisture while you are pounding it.
3. Use a meat mallet or a rolling pin to pound the chicken until it is an even thickness.   Be careful not to pound it too thin or it will dry out when you cook it.  The chicken should be about ¾” thick.

How to Grill Chicken Breasts

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1. Dry the chicken breast with a paper towel.
2. Season the chicken with oregano, granulated garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper.
3. Clean the grill grates with a grill brush.
4. Oil the grill grates by brushing oil (any kind) on a folded paper towel. Place the paper towel on the grates. Use a grill brush or tongs to spread a light coat of oil on the grates.
5. Heat the grill on high for 10-15 minutes until it is hot.

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1. Turn the grill down to medium-high.  The temperature of the grill should be about 450°F.
2. Place the chicken on the grill.  Close the cover and grill for 3-4 minutes. 
3. The chicken is done cooking once you can lift the chicken with tongs and the chicken releases easily.  Turn the chicken and cook covered for 3-4 minutes.
4. Remove from the grill. Test the internal temperature of the chicken by inserting the probe of the instant-read thermometer (affiliate link) into the thickest part of the chicken breast. The internal temperature should be 160°F. It will reach the required 165°F temperature while it is resting. If the temperature of the chicken is not 160°F put the chicken back on the grill for a few more minutes. Be careful not to overcook the chicken or it will be dry and tough.
5.  Cover the chicken and let it rest for 5-8 minutes. 

Greek Salad Assembly

1. Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of salad dressing over the salad and toss. Add more dressing if desired but the salad should not be drenched in dressing. Otherwise, it will be soggy. Divide the salad into 4 individual portions. I like to serve the salad in individual bowls.
2. Sliced the chicken and lay a half breast of the chicken on top of the salad. Drizzle the meat with 1-2 teaspoons of dressing.
3. Serve and enjoy!

Tips for success

• Be sure the chicken is thawed.  To ensure that it is juicy, check the temperature of the chicken and do not overcook it.
• It is important to dry the lettuce so that the vinaigrette will adhere to the lettuce leaves.
• Time-saving tip:  Make the vinaigrette and prep the salad ingredients early in the day.  Keep them covered in the refrigerator.

Variations

• Traditional Greek salads include kalamata olives and sliced red onions.  If you have them on hand, they are a nice addition to the salad.  My family prefers the salad without olives and red onions, so I omitted them from this recipe.  However, the salad is delicious without them.
• Instead of grilled chicken breasts, pan-fried chicken breasts or thighs would also be tasty.

Storage suggestions

The Greek salad with grilled chicken is best eaten right after the dressing has been added to it. A leftover salad that has been dressed gets soggy when it is not immediately eaten.

Leftover dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for a month. The olive oil will harden but will liquefy at room temperature. If you are in a hurry, place the container in which the vinaigrette is stored in a bowl of warm water to liquefy the oil quickly.

Leftover chicken can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

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Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavored to be as accurate as possible.

For your convenience, there are links to Amazon for equipment that I use to make this recipe. If you purchase the equipment, I will receive a small commission. For more information, please read my policy.