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Greek Chicken Salad Meal Prep
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Prep: 20 minutesCook: 15 minutesTotal: 1 hour 5 minutes
This refreshing Greek Chicken Salad Meal Prep is packed with crisp veggies and tender marinated chicken, topped with crumbled feta and a simple lemon olive oil dressing. Perfect for on-the-go and no-reheat make-ahead lunches!
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Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons runny honey
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts or 4 boneless skinless thighs
For the salad:
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup quartered grape or cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, halved
- 1 small English cucumber
- 4 cups packed chopped romaine lettuce
For the dressing:
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (approx. 1 1/2 lemons)
- zest of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken: Whisk together all of the chicken marinade ingredients in the bottom of a large shallow dish. If you are using chicken breasts, with a sharp knife halve them down the middle to create four thinner pieces. Using the heel of your hand, lightly pound the thicker parts of the chicken to flatten them so that they cook evenly. Do the same flattening exercise if you’re using chicken thighs. Turn the chicken pieces over in the marinade and leave for 30 minutes in the fridge. This step can also be done in advance, marinating the chicken overnight in the fridge.
- Soak the onions: Soak the onion slices in a bowl of cold water to remove their intense bite and mellow out the flavor while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. When you’re ready to add them to the salad, drain them well and pat them dry with a kitchen towel or paper towel.
- Prepare the salad vegetables: Using a vegetable peeler, peel approximately half the skin away from the cucumber so it looks striped. Then, slice lengthwise into quarters and roughly chop these pieces to create thick, almost triangular slices. In a bowl, toss the chopped cucumbers together with the tomatoes, olives, feta and soaked onions.
- Make the dressing: Whisk together all the dressing ingredients and season to taste with more salt and pepper if needed. You can also shake all the ingredients together in a mason jar.
- Cook the chicken: Heat a large cast iron skillet or griddle pan over a medium high to high heat and cook the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, flipping about halfway through. Alternatively, grill the chicken for extra flavor. Chicken breasts should take about 10 minutes but larger thighs may take up to 15 minutes. Make sure your kitchen is well ventilated as the honey in the dressing (which helps produce a good char) might cause the marinade to burn and smoke if you don’t watch it carefully! Once the chicken is cooked, let it rest and cool for a few minutes before cutting into strips or bite-sized pieces.
- Meal prep it: Divide the chopped lettuce between 4 meal prep containers, topping each portion with a quarter of the sliced chicken pieces once cooled. Divide the prepared Greek-style salad veggies between the other side of the container so the liquid from the vegetables does not impact the salad’s crunch. Keep the dressing in a separate container ready to pour over the salad just before serving. Put the lids on and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Salad greens: Any other crisp and crunchy variety of lettuce with a good balance between white and green can be substituted for the romaine.
- Olives: Any black olive you prefer can be substituted for the kalamata variety. Regular black Mediterranean or California canned olives work well here.
- Marinate overnight: If you plan to marinate the chicken overnight, marinate it in a zip-lock or reusable silicone bag for easier storage. Do not let the chicken marinate for more than 12 hours as the acid could over marinate the chicken and ruin the texture.
- Lemons: I used 2 lemons total for this recipe – you’ll need the zest from 1 lemon and the juice from both lemons.
- Total recipe time includes 30 minutes for the chicken to marinate. Nutrition information estimated with My Fitness Pal.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 494
- Fat: 34g
- Carbohydrates: 54g
- Protein: 36g
Find it online: https://projectmealplan.com/greek-chicken-salad-meal-prep/
