Simple Grilled Chicken Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Simple Grilled Chicken Salad with zesty lemon vinaigrette is perfect for lazy summer days when you’re craving something, quick, healthy and delicious. It’s got all your favorite Mediterranean flavors including tomato, kalamata olives, feta cheese and refreshing cucumber. 

You can’t go wrong with a classic grilled chicken salad and this Greek herbed version with lemon vinaigrette is no exception. It’s just the recipe for those long, hot summer days when you don’t want to turn the oven on, but want a no-fuss dinner. 

Fire up your grill and you’ll be serving this keto friendly chicken salad in 30-minutes. It comes together very quickly as you can prepare the salad and the lemon vinaigrette while the chicken is cooking. Here’s to effortless summer cooking!

With plenty of olives and feta, this simple grilled greek chicken salad has a healthy quantity of good fats. It’s ideal for low-carb, high-fat diets and is also gluten-free.

HOW DO I MAKE A VINAIGRETTE DRESSING?

Making a vinaigrette dressing is very easy. The basic ingredients for a vinaigrette are:

• one part acid (vinegar, lemon)
• 3-4 parts oil (olive oil, avocado oil etc)
• seasoning (salt, pepper, mustards, herbs, garlic)

So, for example, one tablespoon of red wine vinegar (acid) mixed with 4 tablespoons of olive oil, salt & pepper.

To make the vinaigrette, you need to create an emulsion which is where oil and vinegar are combined. This can be done by whisking, processing with a blender or shaking vigorously in a jar (my preferred method).

The vinaigrette components will separate into layers again if left sitting for too long. If this happens before you’ve used the dressing, just shake or whisk again to re-combine.

HOW DO YOU MAKE LEMON VINAIGRETTE?

To make a lemon vinaigrette, mix lemon juice (the acid) with extra virgin olive oil. For the seasoning, stone ground mustard (or any mustard), sour cream and salt and pepper are added.

Whisk, process with a blender or shake in a jar with the lid on tight.

Once you discover how easy it is to make your own vinaigrette, there’s no going back to the store-bought stuff. If you want more keto salad dressing ideas, check out 17 Keto Salad Dressings.

MORE EASY SALAD RECIPES FOR SUMMER PARTIES

• Keto Bacon Ranch Chicken Salad
• Crunchy Broccoli Slaw
• The Best Ever Low-Carb Thai Beef Salad
• Keto Broccoli Salad

What is in Greek seasoning mix?

The herbs commonly used in Greek Seasoning are oregano, mint, garlic, onion, dill and bay laurel leaves. You may also find basil, thyme and fennel seed.

How To Make Simple Grilled Chicken Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

1. Start by making the chicken marinade. Grab a Ziploc bag or suitable container and place the chicken inside. I used chicken tenderloins (breast) in this recipe. Add half the olive oil,  2 tablespoons of lemon juice and the Greek seasoning to a jug and mix. Pour over the chicken (image 1).
2. The chicken can be marinated for several hours if time permits, otherwise just ensure that the chicken is well coated with the marinade before cooking.
3. Get the grill fired up to 400°F (200°c) and remove chicken from marinade, discarding any remaining. Cook chicken on the grill or barbeque, turning once until internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°c).
4. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the salad by adding the lettuce to a large bowl
5. Slice the red onions and add to the salad, along with the tomatoes, olives and cucumbers. Crumble the feta over the salad.
6. Make the lemon vinaigrette by whisking together 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, sour cream, mustard and salt & pepper. Allow chicken to cool slightly before adding to salad. Pour over the vinaigrette and toss well.

Cooking tips and tricks for Simple Grilled Chicken Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

• If planning for leftovers or taking to a backyard party or potluck, do not toss dressing with salad. Store separately until ready to serve
• Chicken can be served warm or cold from the fridge
• Chicken can be sliced before adding to the salad or left whole if using chicken tenderloins
  
• I like to use a wireless thermometer and about 1/2 way through cooking I stick it into one of the average sized pieces of meat. This will alert you as soon as it is done so that you don’t overcook (or undercook) the meat.
• To prepare this recipe ahead of time, marinate the chicken earlier in the day, make the dressing and chop all the salad ingredients and place in a bowl. Then, all you need to do is grill the chicken, shake the lemon dressing up and toss it all together.
• I’ve used pitted Kalamata olives in this recipe but any olives work well. I like to use olives with the pits removed to avoid breaking a tooth but some claim that whole olives have more taste and are more authentic (?!!)
• Any leftover lemon vinaigrette can be kept for 3-5 days in the fridge. Shake in the jar or blend before using.
• Change this salad up by substituting the lemon vinaigrette with Low-Carb Broccoli Pesto Sauce

 

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5 from 8 votes

Simple Grilled Chicken Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Simple Grilled Chicken Salad is perfect for lazy summer days when you're craving something, quick, healthy and delicious. It's got all your favorite Mediterranean flavors including tomato, kalamata olives, refreshing cucumber and feta. 

Course Lunch, Salads

Cuisine Greek

Diet Diabetic, Gluten Free

Keyword greek chicken salad, keto chicken salad, lemon vinaigrette, low carb grilled chicken

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 510kcal

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil divided
• 1/4 cup lemon juice divided
• 2 teaspoons Greek seasoning blend
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 8 cups mixed lettuce greens I used romaine and butter lettuce
• 1 cup kalamata olives
• 1 cup grape tomatoes sliced
• 1 cup English cucumbers diced
• 1/2 red onion sliced
• 1/2 cup feta cheese
• 1 tablespoon sour cream or plain greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon stone ground mustard or any mustard
• Salt
• Pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Add 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, Greek seasoning and chicken to a large container or ziploc bag so that chicken is covered
• If time permits, allow to marinate for 30 minutes, otherwise skip this step
• Preheat grill to 400 F (200c)
• Remove chicken and discard remaining marinade
• Place chicken on grill and cook, flipping once until internal temperature reaches 165 F (74c)
• Meanwhile add mixed greens, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and cheese to a large bowl
• Whisk together remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, sour cream, mustard and salt and pepper, set aside
• Remove chicken from grill and let cool slightly before adding to salad
• Toss vinaigrette with salad or drizzle over individual portions, as desired

Notes

1. If planning for leftovers, do not toss dressing with salad. Store separately until ready to serve
2. Chicken can be served warm or cold from the fridge
3. I like to use a wireless thermometer and about 1/2 way through cooking I stick it into one of the average sized pieces of meat. This will alert you as soon as it is done so that you don’t overcook (or undercook) the meat.

Nutrition Facts

Simple Grilled Chicken Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Amount Per Serving

Calories 510 Calories from Fat 360

% Daily Value*

Fat 40g62%

Saturated Fat 8g40%

Cholesterol 90mg30%

Sodium 922mg38%

Potassium 839mg24%

Carbohydrates 10g3%

Fiber 4g16%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 29g58%

Vitamin A 8790IU176%

Vitamin C 17.9mg22%

Calcium 161mg16%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Nutrition is calculated using a 3rd party plugin. Always check macros with your own ingredients and tracker.

To calculate NET CARBS using the nutrition panel above, Fiber must be subtracted from the Carbohydrates listed

Looking for more 30-minute Summer Salads?

Try our all-time summer favorite Best Ever Low-Carb Thai Beef Salad.

 

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