This Greek salad with grilled chicken is a light yet filling recipe that’s perfect for family dinner. Piled high with flavorful toppings like kalamata olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, and feta cheese, plus a juicy grilled chicken breast, it’s topped off with a super simple homemade Greek salad dressing. You can even prep it ahead of time to take for lunch or to get a meal on the table quickly.
Greek flavors are perfect for summer – crisp, tangy, and light. This grilled Greek chicken salad perfectly combines the flavors all in one bowl. It’s refreshing yet filling, and a great option for your next weeknight dinner.
The secret to this recipe is dry brining the chicken breast. Don’t be scared to try it! It’s super easy to do and will result in delicious chicken – you can even serve the grilled Greek chicken on it’s own!
But for now, let’s concentrate on making this salad – read on for all the details!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- This salad has wonderful Greek flavors that meld well together – tangy kalamata olive, crisp cucumber, juicy cherry tomato, and creamy feta cheese.
- You won’t be weighed down by this salad! It’s hearty enough to fill you up without leaving you with a heavy feeling in your stomach.
- The chicken is super juicy and moist! It will NOT dry out on the grill as long as you follow the instructions.
- This recipe is gluten free and low carb, plus easily made dairy free, paleo, and Whole30 compatible (just omit the feta cheese).
Ingredients
- Boneless skinless chicken breast – about 1 pound total (or 2 small breasts).
- Kosher salt – I like Diamond Crystal brand.
- Spices – dried oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Oil – I like avocado or olive oil.
- Lettuce – you can use romaine lettuce, green leaf, red leaf, or even spinach. Either buy it pre-shredded or cut it up yourself.
- Fixings – I like to use cucumber, kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, and feta on my salad. Other good options are sliced red onion, dairy free cheese (if needed), chopped bell pepper, sliced avocado, or marinated artichoke hearts.
I’ve written condensed directions here including pictures so you can see how to make this recipe. The full set of detailed instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Before you scroll through, there is important information throughout this post.
How to make Greek chicken salad
- Dry the chicken breasts off with a paper towel then sprinkle kosher salt on both sides. Place them in the fridge to dry brine for 8-10 hours.
- Remove the breasts from the fridge and rub oil on both sides. Combine spices in a bowl and sprinkle over both sides of the chicken, rubbing in to coat evenly.
- Heat a propane grill to 375 degrees F and place the breasts on the grill. Cook for 5 minutes, then flip the chicken breasts and cook another 7-10 minutes, until the internal temperature of both breasts reads between 160-165 degrees F.
- Place on a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes, then slice.
- While chicken is cooking, cut up your vegetables into bite sized pieces.
- Take a small mason jar (or other container with a lid) and add in olive oil, red wine vinegar, kosher salt, and dried oregano. Shake to combine then set aside.
- Place the shredded lettuce in a large bowl and start adding in the toppings, including the sliced chicken breast.
- Shake the container with the dressing one more time, then pour it over the salad and serve.
What to serve with Greek salad
While this salad is a meal in and of itself, there are definitely several side dishes that can be served alongside it! Check out some of the ideas below.
- grilled veggies (like grilled zucchini or onions)
- a raw veggie platter with tzatziki sauce, hummus, or garlic cashew dip.
- roasted or grilled potatoes
- rice (white, brown, or cauliflower)
- some gluten free pita bread
FAQ
Check out these answers to some commonly asked questions about grilled greek chicken salad.
Yes, you can make Greek chicken salad ahead of time! Grill the chicken and cut up your lettuce and veggies and store them in separate containers in the fridge. Make the dressing and store it separately as well. When ready to eat, combine everything in a large bowl. The ingredients should keep in the fridge for a couple days once cut, or if you’re worried about the lettuce or cucumber wilting, cut those the day of.
No you don’t have to marinate the chicken! This recipe calls for dry brining the chicken, which is much easier because all you’re doing is putting salt on it and letting it sit! This helps keep the chicken juicy and moist when grilling.
I would not recommend using Greek yogurt in the salad dressing. If you’d rather have a creamy dressing, I would suggest using tzatziki. Or if you’d rather not use dressing you can just squeeze a bit of lemon juice on the salad instead.
Yes, you could use chicken thighs instead of chicken breast, but you wouldn’t dry brine them as chicken thighs have a higher fat content than breasts. Instead try adding 1 tsp of kosher salt to the dry rub seasoning (onion powder, garlic powder, and dried oregano), then rubbing it on the thighs just before putting on the grill.
Recipe tips & substitutions
- You can use a wet brine instead of a dry brine if that’s easier. Place 3 cups of water and 2 tbsp of kosher salt into a container, stirring to combine. Then place the chicken breasts in the salt mixture and cover with a lid. Place in the fridge for 8-10 hours, then remove and dry the breast off with a paper towel. Continue on with the recipe as written, adding oil and spice rub and cooking on the grill.
- Check which salt you’re using. This recipe specifically uses Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If you’re using a different type of salt, check out this article on salt types and measurements.
- Use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the chicken. You can either do this with a temperature probe (if your grill comes with one) or use a hand held meat thermometer. We’ve had a Thermapen for years and love it (affiliate link). If you aren’t familiar with them, see this post on how to use a meat thermometer.
More dinner salad recipe ideas
- Grilled Shrimp Salad (GF, DF)
- Cashew Grape Chicken Salad (GF, DF, Paleo, Whole30)
- Grilled Pork & Peach Salad (GF, DF, Paleo, Whole30)
- Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad (GF, DF, Paleo, Whole30)
- Gyro Salad (GF, DF, Paleo, Whole30)
- Nacho Salad (GF)
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Greek Salad with Grilled Chicken (GF & Low Carb w/ DF, Paleo, & Whole30 option)
Equipment
- A propane (gas) grill
- A container with a lid
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 2 chicken breasts about 1 lb total
- 2 tsp kosher salt for brining (I used Diamond Crystal brand)
- 1 tsp oil avocado or olive
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
For the salad:
- 1 head of lettuce shredded (romaine, green leaf, or red leaf)
- Half a large cucumber
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- ⅔ cup kalamata olives
- ⅓ cup feta cheese crumbled (omit for dairy free, paleo, & Whole30)
For the dressing:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- ½ tsp kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal brand)
- ½ dried oregano
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and dry them off with a paper towel. Use a sharp knife to remove any fatty pieces. Sprinkle the kosher salt on both sides of the breast, rubbing it in with your hands to make sure the breasts are covered. Place in the fridge to dry brine for 8-10 hours. You can leave them uncovered or cover them with plastic wrap if you like.
- When ready to cook them, remove the breasts from the fridge and pour the oil over both sides. Rub the oil on the chicken to make sure it’s covered. Measure out the spices and combine them in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture over both sides of the chicken breasts, again rubbing to make sure they’re evenly covered.
- Heat a propane grill to 375 degrees F and place the breast on the grill with a pair of tongs. Close the lid and cook for 5 minutes. When the 5 minutes are up, open the lid and flip the chicken breasts over using the tongs, cooking for another 7-10 minutes until the internal temperature reaches between 162 and 165 degrees F (it will continue to rise in temperature a couple degrees once removed from the grill).
- While the chicken is cooking, use the knife and a clean cutting board to prep the veggies. Thinly slice the cucumbers and cut the tomatoes and kalamata olives in half. Set aside.
- Remove the chicken from the grill with the tongs once it’s done. Place it on a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes, then slice into ¼ inch pieces.
- Make the dressing by measuring out the olive oil, red wine vinegar, kosher salt, and dried oregano into a container with a lid and shake to combine.
- To assemble the salad, place the lettuce in a large bowl and add in the chicken and other toppings. Pour the dressing over the top and serve!
Notes
Use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the chicken. You can either do this with a temperature probe (if your grill comes with one) or use a hand held meat thermometer. We’ve had a Thermapen for years and love it (affiliate link). If you aren’t familiar with them, see this post on how to use a meat thermometer.
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