This chicken souvlaki salad is the perfect Summer dinner salad! With oven-roasted, souvlaki-marinated chicken breast pieces, combined with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, feta cheese and red onion. And the best part? You mix up just one yogurt-based dressing. Use half for marinating the chicken and the rest to dress the salad.
Chicken souvlaki salad: at a glance
What is it? Souvlaki-marinated chicken breast pieces, skewered and roasted in the oven, then combined with tomatoes, cucumbers, feta cheese and red onion. Mix up just one souvlaki dressing and use half to marinade the chicken and the rest to dress the salad to serve.
Why you’ll love it! This chicken souvlaki salad is hearty and fresh with flavours that everybody loves! The yogurt-based souvlaki dressing is both creamy and light. The chicken can marinate for as little as a couple of hours or up to 8 hours. You can also cook the chicken ahead, refrigerate and assemble the salad later, so you can do the oven part early in the day.
How do you make it? Mix the souvlaki dressing. Remove half of the dressing and refrigerate it to use for the salad later. Use the other half of it to marinate the chicken for 2-8 hours. Thread the chicken onto skewers and roast in the oven for about 15 minutes. Prepare the rest of the salad while the chicken cooks. Add the chicken to the salad and use the remaining souvlaki dressing to dress the salad to serve.
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Boneless chicken breasts – Chicken breast works perfectly for this recipe and is most traditional, though in a pinch, boneless chicken thighs will work.
Greek yogurt – Thick plain Greek yogurt is a great base for the souvlaki marinade/dressing. You can use anything from zero-fat to full-fat Greek yogurt.
Lettuce – You can use any lettuce you enjoy or have on hand. Good options are romaine, leaf lettuce or Spring mix.
Kalamata olives – You might notice my salad is olive-less. I confess, I am not a fan. But if you are, they are a great addition (or so I understand :)
How to make chicken souvlaki salad: step-by-step
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Scroll down to the Recipe Card below for the complete list of ingredients and instructions.
Step 1: Mix up the souvlaki marinade/dressing and set aside half of it to use as dressing for the salad.
Step 2: Add the remaining half of the marinade to the chicken breast pieces and refrigerate for 2-8 hours.
Step 3: Thread the souvlaki-marinated chicken pieces onto skewers and cook in the oven for 12-15 minutes.
Step 4: While the chicken is cooking, prepare the vegetables for the salad. Add the cooked chicken to the salad or refrigerate if making ahead.
Recipe tips!
- Watch the chicken closely in the oven to avoid over-cooking. While the marinade helps keep the chicken tender and moist, overcooking can dry out the chicken. (Be sure to account for the few minutes of broiling the chicken at the end in the cooking time!)
- If you’d prefer to cook your chicken skewers on the BBQ, preheat to medium-high, grease the BBQ grates well, then place the skewers onto the grates and cook 10-12 minutes, turning regularly to cook evenly.
Making ahead and storing
You can cook the chicken souvlaki skewers ahead and refrigerate. Serve the chicken cold or at room temperature with the salad.
Store leftover salad in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. The cooked chicken will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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Get the Recipe: Chicken Souvlaki Salad
Ingredients
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 1 1/2 lbs
Souvlaki marinade/dressing:
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 3 Tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed recommended
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon honey, or white sugar
- 1 Tablespoon fresh dill, minced, or 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
For the salad:
- 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
- 2 cups cucumber, diced
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup feta cheese, cubed
- 3/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts into about 1 1/2-inches chunks. Place into a plastic zipper bag or a bowl.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 3 Tablespoons lemon juice (freshly squeezed recommended), 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 Tablespoon honey (or white sugar), 1 Tablespoon fresh dill (minced, or 1 teaspoon dried dill weed), 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons garlic (minced), 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
- Immediately remove 1/2 of the marinade/dressing mixture to a small bowl, cover and refrigerate to use as the salad dressing later.
- Add the remaining souvlaki mixture to the chicken pieces and toss well to coat the chicken thoroughly. Zip or cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or ideally, 6-8 hours.
- When ready to cook the chicken skewers, preheat the oven to 425F (regular bake setting/not convection or fan-assisted). Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray the foil with cooking spray.
- Thread the marinated chicken onto the skewers and place the skewers onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Place the chicken skewers in the oven and cook for 13-14 minutes, then switch the oven to the broil setting and broil for 2-3 minutes to add a little colour to the chicken. Check the finished chicken to be sure it has reached an internal temperature of 165°F.
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare 1 head romaine lettuce (chopped), 2 cups cucumber (diced) 2 cups cherry tomatoes (halved), 1/2 medium red onion (thinly sliced), 1 cup feta cheese (cubed) and 3/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives. Scatter the lettuce onto the bottom of the serving bowl or platter. Add the rest of the ingredients in piles on top of the lettuce, leaving space for the chicken!
- When the chicken is done, remove from the skewers to the salad.
- To serve, drizzle the salad with the reserved souvlaki dressing and toss to coat.
Notes
Recipe adapted from a Greta Podleski recipe.
More Summer dinner salad recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress-free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
Outstanding recipe!
http://www.chefmimiblog.com