Grilled Lemon Herb Mediterranean Chicken Salad

This Grilled Lemon Herb Mediterranean Chicken Salad packs a punch with a dressing that doubles as a marinade!

This simple salad recipe is as close to good as you can get! Full of Mediterranean flavours, olives, tomatoes, cucumber, avocados, and chicken, it is a complete meal in a salad bowl. And if you're craving something warm and crispy instead of fresh and herby, these crispy lemon garlic parmesan chicken tenders are another good way to enjoy bold garlic flavours with a completely different texture.

Why This Recipe Works

With all of the salads we post on here, like our good Chicken Shawarma Saladand Honey Mustard Chicken Saladwe thought some readers might be getting sick of these 'whole meal salad' recipes, and even recipes like a fresh lemon quinoa salad topped with balsamic chicken that turn a simple bowl into something completely satisfying. BUT. It turns out, you guys are wanting MORE of these GIANT salads.

So of course, we got cracking in the kitchen, trying out new salad recipes, and what's better than a fresh, Mediterranean salad with so much flavour, you won't be able to put your forks down?

Ingredients

• Chicken: We used boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. If you're using chicken breasts, you may want to pound them a bit to tenderize them if you want to.
• Veggies: You'll need fresh garlic for the chicken marinade and some lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and avocados for the salad.
• Olives: Kalamata olives are best, but if you don't have them, just use any regular pitted olives you have.
• Lemon juice: For the marinade and for the salad dressing.
• Red wine vinegar: For a bit of tanginess.You can use white wine vinegar or even regular vinegar if you want to.
• Seasonings: To season, we just used some salt and cracked pepper.
• Herbs: We used a mix of fresh and dried herbs for that aroma and freshness. Dried basil and dried oregano, and a bit of fresh parsley.
• Olive oil: Ideally extra virgin.

Note: please see recipe card at the bottom for list of full ingredients and measurements

On the stove

1. Prepare the marinade: In a large jug, add the ingredients for the marinade- the minced garlic, herbs, olive oil, lemon juice, seasonings and vinegar. Whisk together and pour half of the marinade in a bowl.

1. Marinate chicken: Using the bowl, add the chicken and let it rest for about 15-30 minutes, or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator. (the longer the better, it'll help soak in)

1. Grill chicken: Heat oil on a grill pan and grill the chicken on medium heat for a few minutes on each side until completely cooked through and slightly charred.

1. Assemble and serve: Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, slice and then add to the salad bowl with the veggies. Top with the marinade aka dressing, toss and serve!

Enjoy this hearty chicken salad on its own, or pair it with a simple veggie side dish of your choice. We love sticking to the classics- our Buttery Sauteed Green Beans and Honey Roasted Carrots or if you want a soup, try our Creamy Pumpkin Soup. Sometimes, we also like to team it up with our Crispy Garlic Baked Potato Wedgeswhich are seriously addictive! For a more authentic Mediterranean flavor, try our Crispy Greek Lemon Smashed Potatoes.

Recipe FAQ's

Veggies like kale, arugula, grilled zucchini and baby spinach can be excellent additions to the salad.

Check the internal temperature of the chicken using a meat thermometer if you want to be sure. Otherwise, you can just slice the chicken, and if it doesn't have any pink in the center and the juices run clear, the chicken is cooked and ready to be used.

Watch Me Make It

What you need

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• cracked pepper to taste
• 1 pound skinless boneless chicken thigh fillets or chicken breasts
• 4 cups Romaine lettuce or Cos lettuce leaves, washed and dried
• 1 cucumber large, diced
• 2 Roma tomatoes diced
• 1 red onion sliced
• 1 avocado sliced
• 1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives or black olives, sliced – optional
• 2 lemon wedges to serve

Method

1. Whisk together all of the marinade/dressing ingredients in a large jug. Pour out half of the marinade into a large, shallow dish. Refrigerate the remaining marinade to use as the dressing later.
2. Add the chicken to the marinade in the bowl; marinade chicken for 15-30 minutes (or up to two hours in the refrigerator if time allows). While waiting for the chicken, prepare all of the salad ingredients and mix in a large salad bowl.
3. Once chicken is ready, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a grill pan or a grill plate over medium-high heat. Grill chicken on both sides until browned and completely cooked through.
4. Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes; slice and arrange over salad. Drizzle salad with the remaining UNTOUCHED dressing. Serve with lemon wedges.