Grilled Chicken and Feta Salad
Grilled Chicken and Feta Salad is one of our favorite main dish salads. I start this salad by quickly marinating and grilling boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Then, I make a fresh dill vinaigrette. Finally, I put both of these on a mixture of spring greens, cucumbers, radishes, tomatoes, and feta cheese. We like this salad for several reasons. First of all, I like that I can make this entire salad ahead of time. I like to make all the components early in the day and then assemble them right before dinner. Secondly, I like that I can make this salad with ingredients I usually have in the house. I like to always have boneless, skinless chicken breasts and feta cheese in my freezer. That makes this salad so easy to assemble. And, lastly, we all love the tender chicken, the creamy cheese, and the crisp veggies.
The Equipment I Used
- A Salad Spinner- Use this to dry your lettuce. If your lettuce is wet, the vinaigrette won’t cling to the leaves.
- A Grill Pan- I used a grill pan to grill my chicken breasts. You could also grill these outside or cook them in a skillet.
The Ingredients Needed for Grilled Chicken and Feta Salad
- Chicken- I always use Bell and Evans chicken because I find it to be the most tender.
- Lemon Juice- Be sure to use fresh lemon juice.
- Dill- Use fresh dill for the vinaigrette.
- Oil- Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil for the vinaigrette.
How I Made my Salad
- First, I quickly marinated the chicken.
- Then, I grilled the chicken, taking care to not overcook it.
- Next, I made the vinaigrette. It’s important to taste the vinaigrette, to see if it needs more honey or salt.
- Finally, I tossed the lettuce, feta, chicken and other vegetables with the vinaigrette.
Grilled Chicken and Feta Salad
Ingredients
For the Dill Dressing:
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp. fresh dill
- 1 tsp. honey
- 2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
- ¼ tsp. each kosher salt and black pepper
For the Salad:
- 4 cups baby arugula
- 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
- 1 cup chopped orange pepper
- ½ cup sliced purple onion
- 1 cup sliced cucumbers
- 1 cup chopped feta cheese
For the Grilled Chicken:
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. cumin powder
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Instructions
- Start by preparing the chicken: Mix together all the spices in a small bowl. Cut the breasts in half vertically, and then horizontally, so that you have 8 pieces all together. Heat a grill pan on medium heat and cook the chicken on both sides until cooked through, for about 7 minutes. Sprinkle the chicken with the lemon zest and lemon juice. Place in the refrigerator to chill up while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Next, make the Dill Dressing: Place all the ingredients in a small jar and shake them together.
- Place the lettuce in a large bowl, and top with the chicken, feta cheese and vegetables. Toss with as much dressing as you like.
