Healthy Greek Chicken Salad with Yogurt

This no-mayo chicken salad is inspired by Greek flavors and includes roasted red pepper, black olives, cucumber, and feta. Plus it’s loaded with herbs and we’re keeping it light with nonfat greek yogurt!

Think you know chicken salad? While I love a basic chicken salad (the kind that instantly comes to mind when you hear the term) I really love experimenting with fun versions featuring unexpected flavors. There are so many ways to make it different!

Today’s fun play on chicken salad is inspired by Greek flavors. We’re using roasted red pepper, black olives, cucumber, feta, and more to make this savory dish feel truly special. Plus this chicken salad is loaded with dried spices! And to keep things on the healthier side, we’re opting for nonfat greek yogurt instead of mayo.

I’m telling you every bite is oh so good. No boring chicken salads here, my friends.

Serve it over crackers, on lettuce, or in between two slices of your favorite bread. You’re going to love this for lunch or a protein-packed snack!

Ingredients for Greek Chicken Salad

• Fully cooked shredded chicken: Any kind of chicken works well here. Boneless chicken breast is the choice I make most often. To save time I like to purchase a cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and just give it a quick chop.
• Cucumber: Cucumber adds a freshness to this chicken salad.
• Green onion: Green onion has a milder flavor than other onion varieties. It adds a little bite but no spiciness.
• Jarred roasted red peppers: No need to roast your own red bell pepper when jarred red peppers are so good! In this recipe we’ll chop them into small pieces.
• Black olives: I recommend purchasing canned chopped black olives instead of chopping your own. They are very finely diced so they mix perfectly with the other ingredients.
• Feta: Crumbled feta cheese adds a salty creaminess to this chicken salad. It’s one of my favorite cheeses.
• Plain nonfat greek yogurt: Select a plain (unflavored and unsweetened) nonfat greek yogurt. It’s perfectly creamy and mostly flavorless so that our flavors come from the ingredients in our chicken salad.
• Lemon juice: Lemon juice adds a brightness to this chicken salad and helps balance the flavor of the yogurt.
• Seasonings: Dried basil, parsley, oregano, and dill help flavor this homemade chicken salad. A little garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper help amplify the flavors of the other ingredients to really make every bite delicious.

How to Make Greek Chicken Salad

First we flavor our yogurt base. This ensures that all the herbs and spices are fully mixed in. In a large bowl (we’ll use the same bowl for the other ingredients), stir together the yogurt, lemon juice, dried basil, dried parsley, dried oregano, dried dill, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper.

Then stir in (to the same bowl) the shredded fully cooked chicken, cucumber, green onion, roasted red pepper, canned chopped black olives, and feta. Taste and add more salt if you like.

What Chicken is Best to Use in Chicken Salad?

Any fully cooked chicken works great. Boneless and skinless chicken breasts or thighs are both good options. I typically either boil chicken breasts or shred a store-bought rotisserie chicken (to save time). You can use any leftover chicken too. Be sure to chop it into small pieces. The delicious flavor in this dish doesn’t come from the chicken so how you cook it truly doesn’t matter.

If you’re starting with raw chicken, you’ll want 2 pounds of skinless and boneless chicken breasts. Add to a pot of boiling water. Simmer on medium heat until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the water and set aside so it can cool. Then use two forks to shred the fully cooked chicken. You can also use a sharp knife to chop the chicken on a cutting board if you prefer. Measure the finished chicken to make sure you have 4 cups.

How to Store Leftovers

This chicken salad is an easy recipe for meal prep! The flavors get more pronounced over time so you can make it in advance and use it in make-ahead lunches.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 5 days.

How to Serve Greek Chicken Salad

Use this recipe to create a chicken salad sandwich by scooping in between two slices of toasted bread or into a croissant.

To keep this dish light and low carb, enjoy on a bed of greens like romaine lettuce or butter lettuce. You can even make a lettuce wrap and pair with fresh fruit. My Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing would be a perfect accompaniment.

If serving at a party, I recommend using smaller croissants for little two-bite sandwiches! You can also scoop this chicken salad with crackers or add to the top of cucumber slices for easy portable eating!

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