Chicken tzatziki salad is packed with Greek-marinated chicken and fresh veggies, all tossed in creamy homemade tzatziki sauce. Enjoy it on its own, or tuck it into a pita bread, wrap it in a tortilla, or pile it onto a sandwich for an easy lunch, dinner, or mid-day snack. For more like this, try a honey mustard chicken wrap, falafel gyro, or egg salad.
Key Ingredients
This Greek chicken tzatziki salad is an easy, make-ahead recipe that’s perfect for weekly meal prep. Keep it simple with store-bought ingredients or make everything from scratch. Here’s what you’ll need to get started.
- Greek Marinade: Toss the chicken in a simple mix of extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, dried oregano, kosher salt, and coarse black pepper.
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless breasts sliced into cutlets or chicken thighs work best. To save time, try precooked options like frozen grilled strips, rotisserie chicken, or even canned chicken. This salad is one of my favorite ways to use leftover chicken from Dutch oven pulled chicken and grilled or baked thin-cut chicken breasts.
- Chicken Broth: If you’re cooking the chicken from scratch, sear it in olive oil and then braise it in chicken broth to keep it extra moist and flavorful.
- Tzatziki Sauce: Use store-bought tzatziki or make your own tzatziki with plain Greek yogurt, grated cucumber (English cucumber or Persian cucumber), minced garlic, chopped fresh dill, a pinch of kosher salt, and a little extra-virgin olive oil. Thin with water as needed so the sauce coats the salad evenly.
- Mix-Ins: Finish your chicken tzatziki salad with toasted pine nuts, cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, crisp cucumber, red onion (or pickled red onion), and fresh parsley leaves.
Additions and Substitutions
- Swap the protein. Tired of chicken? Try canned chickpeas, shrimp, or salmon instead.
- Add grains. Turn it into a hearty grain bowl with quinoa, farro, or couscous.
- Experiment with mix-ins. Include kalamata olives, avocado cubes, pickles, bell peppers, pomegranate arils, or crumbled feta cheese.
- Keep it low carb. Serve over a bed of greens or wrap it up in romaine lettuce, butter lettuce, or a spinach protein wrap.
How to Make Chicken Tzatziki Salad
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Prepare the Chicken
Step 1: Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss the pieces to coat. Cover and marinate for 6–24 hours for the best flavor (at least 30 minutes).
Step 2: Remove the marinated chicken from the fridge. Warm one tablespoon of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the chicken and sear for 5 minutes.
Step 3: Flip the chicken and deglaze the pan with chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom. Cover and braise for 15-20 minutes.
Step 4: Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to cool slightly, then shred with two forks or shredder claws. Alternatively, cut the work and use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment; just be sure to lock the tilt-head first if your mixer has one.
How do you know when the chicken is done?
Adjust the cooking time based on the cut. Larger breasts take longer, while smaller pieces or thighs cook faster. The chicken is ready when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C); check with a food thermometer in the thickest part.
Make the Tzatziki Sauce
Step 1: Meanwhile, whisk yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, dill, and salt in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Assemble the Chicken Salad
Step 1: Dice the cucumber, red onion, tomatoes, and parsley. Add everything to a large salad bowl, along with the pine nuts, shredded chicken, and tzatziki sauce. Toss until evenly combined.
Expert Tips
- Marinate the chicken. Let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes, but I recommend 6 hours or more for the best flavor.
- Use room-temperature chicken. Take the chicken out of the fridge before cooking so it cooks evenly.
- Use a food thermometer. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- Rest the chicken. Let the chicken sit 5–10 minutes before shredding it so the juices redistribute, keeping it moist and tender.
- Prep the veggies. Cut the vegetables to the same size for the perfect bite. I also recommend using paper towels to remove the extra liquid from the diced cucumbers before tossing them with the other ingredients.
- Serve it up. For a clean presentation, scoop round portions of the salad with a large ice cream scoop.
If you enjoy chicken tzatziki salad, try these recipes with Mediterranean flavors!
Serving Suggestions
The versatility of this chicken tzatziki salad makes it perfect for lunch, light dinner, or a mid-day snack. Enjoy it tucked into a pita wrap, croissant, or crisp lettuce, or you can scoop it up with crackers, crostini, sliced cucumbers, or za’atar-spiced air fryer pita chips.
Pile the creamy chicken salad onto toasted bread or naan for an open-faced sandwich, and pair it with your favorite soup, like Greek Avgolemono or lentil soup.
Work it into a Mediterranean-inspired spread or mezze by spooning it onto crunchy crostini or thick cucumber slices alongside other small plates like butter bean hummus, baba ganoush, dolmas, or marinated olives and artichokes.
Meal Prep the Chicken Tzatziki Salad
Tzatziki chicken salad is the perfect choice for weekly meal prep. For best results, prep the ingredients and store them separately to keep the veggies crisp. Portion the chicken, sauce, and chopped veggies into airtight containers for 3–4 days.
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store the leftover chicken salad in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Without the tzatziki sauce, the chicken tzatziki salad will last 4-5 days in the fridge.
More Salad Recipes:
Chicken Tzatziki Salad
- Small Bowl
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- lemon juice, one lemon, plus one teaspoon of lemon zest
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 2 pounds chicken breast or thighs, boneless and skinless
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- lemon juice, ½ lemon
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- 1 English cucumber, finely diced and water pressed out
- ½ red onion, finely diced
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss the pieces to coat. Cover and marinate for 6–24 hours for the best flavor (at least 30 minutes).
- Remove the marinated chicken from the fridge. Warm one tablespoon of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the chicken and sear for 5 minutes.
- Flip the chicken and deglaze the pan with chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom. Cover and braise for 15-20 minutes.Tip: Adjust the cooking time based on the cut. Larger breasts take longer, while smaller pieces or thighs cook faster. The chicken is ready when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C); check with a food thermometer in the thickest part.
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to cool slightly, then shred with two forks or shredder claws. Alternatively, cut the work and use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment; just be sure to lock the tilt-head first if your mixer has one.
- Meanwhile, whisk yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, dill, and salt in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Dice the cucumber, red onion, tomatoes, and parsley. Add everything to a large salad bowl, along with the pine nuts, shredded chicken, and tzatziki sauce. Toss until evenly combined.
- Marinate the chicken. Let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes, but I recommend 6 hours or more for the best flavor.
- Use room-temperature chicken. Take the chicken out of the fridge before cooking so it cooks evenly.
- Use a food thermometer. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- Rest the chicken. Let the chicken sit 5–10 minutes before shredding it so the juices redistribute, keeping it moist and tender.
- Prep the veggies. Cut the vegetables to the same size for the perfect bite. I also recommend using paper towels to remove the extra liquid from the diced cucumbers before tossing them with the other ingredients.
- Serve it up. For a clean presentation, scoop round portions of the salad with a large ice cream scoop.