Is it too late for me to start working on getting a bikini bod in time for summer? Yes? Probably? But I mean I have this Easy Greek Tzatziki Chicken Salad, and that has to count for something. You see, this spin on chicken salad fulfills some pretty difficult criteria: it's healthy, it's simple, and it tastes soooooo good.
Before you yell BURN THE WITCH! allow me to explain how this magical recipe came to be.
One day, my good friend (who would prefer not to be named in order to protect himself from scrutiny) stopped by with his Wawa chicken salad hoagie and I watched him literally lick up huge blobs of mayo that had oozed out of his sandwich. Like any normal human being, I had an immediate gagging reaction. Plain mayo gives me chills-- the bad kind.
"Oh come on, don't you have a condiment that you would think about eating off of the floor if no one was watching?" First of all, no! Second of all, wait... maybe.
Honestly, I really love tzatziki sauce. And hot sauce, but that's not the point of this post. Tzatziki, with its garlicky, herby, tangy amazingness, is forever welcome in my home, be it on a sandwich, in a salad, or on the floor. My love for tzatziki is not limited by my desire to not be disgusting.
I think I may be exaggerating, but who really knows at this point.
Anyway, that revelation got the gears turning-- chicken salad, tzatziki, ooh Greek food, let's add some olives, mmm feta cheese-- and I wound up making this Greek Tzatziki Chicken Salad the very next day.
Did I mention, by the way, that tzatziki is a great healthy alternative to mayo? Because that was was I was trying to get at. Tzatziki is made of greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, cucumber, herbs, and a pinch of salt. That all adds up to less than 10% of the calories by weight than mayo, and 10 times the protein. It was a wonderful way to make me feel better about the massive amounts of Mac & Cheese I devoured last week.
To keep things quick and easy (and most importantly, to prevent having to heat up the oven on a very hot day), I decided to use rotisserie chicken. However, shredded chicken or leftover chicken will work well if you'd prefer. Whatever it takes to get this in your belly ASAP.
But right before you get it in your belly, make sure to take a picture of your Easy Greek Tzatziki Chicken Salad and tag it with #hostthetoast on Instagram or Twitter, as always!
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Easy Greek Tzatziki Chicken Salad
- Total Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
- ¾ cup reduced fat greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium cucumber, chopped
- 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
- ½ medium onion, chopped
- 3 oz feta cheese, crumbled
- ¼ cup kalamata olives, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 6 pitas, for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the pitas and mix well. Chill until ready to serve, at least 30 minutes.
- Serve on pita bread.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
CakePants says
I'm nearly having a gagging reaction from just listening to you recount the mayo blobs...yikes! This chicken salad looks fantastic, though - I love tzatziki but find that I can never use it all up before it goes bad. I have a feeling this recipe will help me change that, though!
Valerie says
Hi Morgan, I'm wondering if you have the nutritional information for this recipe? Or any of your recipes. .is it available on a website? ..looks delicious can't wait to make for dinner!
Morgan says
I don't typically post nutritional information but I did calculate the info for this (assuming 6 servings, and without the pita). Here you go:
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 315 g
Amount Per Serving
Calories 224 Calories from Fat 61
% Daily Value
Total Fat 6.7g 10%
Saturated Fat 2.3g 11%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 77mg 26%
Sodium 316mg 13%
Potassium 673mg 19%
Total Carbohydrates 10.8g 4%
Dietary Fiber 2.3g 9%
Sugars 6.3g
Protein 31.1g
Vitamin A 27% • Vitamin C 40%
Calcium 16% • Iron 13%
Nutrition Grade A
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet
Cathy says
Giving it 5 Stars and will try over weekend. Taking out mayo is great game changer. Have made homemade chicken salad but with mayo. Love Greek Food. This will be in refrigerator @ all times Lunch/ dinner. Can't believe the Nutrition Facts.
Dam you rock Morgan!
Edward says
Just made this and the wife loved it! Thank you for the recipe!
Lindsay says
do you think you could use canned chicken?
Morgan says
If you'd prefer canned chicken, that would be fine!
Ummon says
I used some left over smoked chicken for this recipe. HOLY SHIT it was good. Served it with a hearts of palm salad
Pat Brunell says
OMG that sounds incredible!!! Love from rumblytummys in idaho
Annabelle says
This.is.genius.....can't wait to try!!!
Alison R says
I added a can of garbanzo beans to this. Delicious!
Skye says
Can you make this a day ahead of time? Will it keep ok?
Skye says
I put a incorrect email the first time. Will it keep over night? Or is this best served day of?
Morgan says
You can make the chicken salad ahead, that will be fine!
Christine @ myblissfulmess says
My husband and I love Greek food. This looks like a perfect lunch for the two of us. Just mix this up, and beautiful lunch for three days. Yum!!
Sarah says
This was great and refreshing. I think it needed more tomato and should be served with a slice of fresh lemon so each portion can get that fresh lemon juice. I think this would be even better the next day but I am not sure it will last long enough for me to find out. Thanks for the recipe!
Meg says
I made this tonight and it was wonderful! I did tweak it a bit, as no one in my family is fond of tomatoes or olives. I
left those items out and added red and green bell peppers (one of each), as well as some very thinly sliced carrots. I also left out the pita and served it over mixed greens. It was amazing and super easy, as I got most of my veggies from the salad bar at my grocery store! Thank you for the great recipe!
Erin says
I love this recipe. I’ve made it multiple times. I normally either serve it in a wrap like the recipe or I’ll serve it over rice . Either way it’s great because it’s a no heat meal which is just what I want in the summer! I’ve also used the tzatziki as a dressing for pasta salad and potato salad!
Rachel says
I made this for dinner tonight and it was a big win! We had hummus in the fridge, so we enjoyed it with our pita and ate the salad more like a salad. Everything was delicious!
Alex says
oh my goodness ... I made this for lunch it was so AMAZING!!!
Sarah says
This is one of our favorites! We make it all the time. Super healthy and delicious.
Bess Gordon says
Absolutely delish!
Robert Smith says
Fantastic recipe. I up what I consider the "dressing" ingredients and add mixed spring greens/baby spinach at the end.
Lori says
I took a big shortcut by using store bought shredded roasted chicken and prepared tzatziki sauce I found in a local market that has feta in it. I prepare it by mixing the chicken and sauce together and serve on lightly toasted naan bread. I include chopped tomatoes which I add separately and the olives. It is yummy and has become my “go-to” chicken salad.
Noah says
Had this in my bookmarks for a long while and just made it last night - absolutely fantastic. I shared it with a few friends so I could spread the joy. Cheers.
Caree Ruch says
I made this tonight and it was amazing! I didn’t have any feta so I left it out and couldn’t tell there was anything missing. I also added a bit milk re dill and some lemon zest and ate it on a toasted ciabatta baguette. Absolutely delicious!
Elizabeth Yeomans says
This is very flavorful and a healthy twist on chicken salad. I have been trying to moving away from mayo in my chicken salad and this makes me not miss the mayo at all. I did add some extra olives because I love them. This recipe is a keeper!