Zesty, filling, and full of fresh herbs, this Tzatziki Chicken Salad is the perfect way to enjoy all of the flavors of a traditional greek tzatziki sauce, with the added protein of chopped chicken. Enjoy it on its own, on a scoop of lettuce or with pitas for a delicious lunch.
There are few foods I like more than Greek food. Traditional dishes like stuffed grape leaves and kotosoupa avgolemono (a lemony greek soup!) have a special place in my heart.
I love all of the greek condiments like hummus and tzatziki, there is so much flavor there I decided to take one of my favorites and turn it into a full meal!
The base remains the same, thick greek yogurt and cucumber. And then added to that is lots of chopped chicken, celery and onions for crunch, and loads of fresh herbs for color and flavor. The result is a protein-rich salad that is anything but boring.
Looking for more delicious chicken salad recipes to try? I have lots! Check out Jerk Chicken Salad, Caper Chicken Salad, and Jalapeno Chicken Salad.
Ingredients
- Chicken: You can cook up chicken specifically for this salad, or you can use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken from the store. My favorite type of chicken to use is chicken tenderloins.
- Greek Yogurt: Plain greek yogurt is the base of this recipe and it adds even more protein to this dish.
- Mayonnaise: You can use all greek yogurt, but I like to add in a bit of mayo for a richer flavor.
- Garlic: The garlic will be raw in this dish, but by letting it sit in the lemon juice for a few minutes, the strong bite is mellowed out.
- Lemon: Both the juice and zest for lots of lemony flavor.
- Fresh Herbs: A mix of dill and parsley. You can add any fresh herbs you would like, basil and mint would be great as well.
- English Cucumber: I prefer using english cucumber because it has less seeds and therefore is less watery.
- Red Onion: Red onion is generally my go to with fresh salads. For an even milder onion taste, you can use a shallot.
- Celery: This is mainly for crunch.
How to Make Tzatziki Chicken Salad
Step 1. To a mixing bowl, add lemon juice, zest, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Allow to sit for a minute or two to allow the acid from the lemon juice to mellow out the raw garlic flavor.
Step 2. Whisk in mayo and greek yogurt to create dressing for the chicken salad.
Step 3. Add in remaining ingredients including cooked chicken, diced celery, diced cucumber, diced red onion, crumbled feta cheese, and chopped fresh herbs.
Step 4. Stir well to combine. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving for best taste.
Recipe Tips
- Because of the water content in the cucumbers, this salad is best enjoyed within a few days.
- I cooked up the chicken fresh for this recipe, but feel free to use rotisserie chicken for added ease.
- If you prefer, you can grate the cucumber so it is even more like traditional tzatziki sauce. If you do, I suggest squeezing out the excess water to avoid the chicken salad becoming too watery.
How to Serve Tzatziki Chicken Salad
This salad is great on its own but some other options are:
- With crackers
- With pita chips
- On a croissant
- On sourdough bread
- Wrapped in a tortilla
My favorite way to enjoy this chicken salad is to wrap it in a pita. Pile a large scoop or two of salad in a warm pita for a filling meal. When I do this I add extra red onion, tomatoes, kalamata olives and add sliced pickles for even more tang.
More Chicken Salad Recipes
- Avocado Chicken Salad
- BLT Chicken Salad
- Chicken Salad Chick Classic Carol Chicken Salad
- Lemon Basil Chicken Salad
Did you enjoy this Tzatziki Chicken Salad? I would love for you to let me know by leaving a comment and star rating. I can't wait to hear from you!
Tzatziki Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chicken chopped or shredded
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 lemon juice and zest
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 2 tbsp. mayonnaise
- ½ cup greek yogurt
- ¼ cup diced celery
- ½ cup diced cucumber
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 2 tbsp. fresh dill chopped
- 2 tbsp. fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- To a mixing bowl, add lemon juice, zest, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Allow to sit for a minute or two to allow the acid from the lemon juice to mellow out the raw garlic flavor.
- Whisk in mayo and greek yogurt to create dressing for the chicken salad.
- Add in remaining ingredients including cooked chicken, diced celery, diced cucumber, diced red onion, crumbled feta cheese, and chopped fresh herbs.
- Stir well to combine. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving for best taste.
Leave a Reply