Tzatziki Chicken Salad
Tzatziki Chicken Salad is a healthy chicken salad with so much flavor. This lightened up chicken salad is made with Tzatziki sauce instead of Mayonnaise. Tzatziki sauce is made with Greek Yogurt and this chicken salad is packed with protein and will keep you feeling full for hours. Enjoy it in a pita or on an open faced sandwich.
Lightened up Chicken Salad
I love chicken salad and I will go into detail below on what type of chicken I use for chicken salad, but first, let’s talk about the dressing. Normally, chicken salad is made with mayonnaise. This is delicious and I love it, but mayo can feel heavy. To be honest, I wouldn’t normally substitute yogurt for mayonnaise, but this is not just yogurt, this is Tzatziki.
Tzatziki is traditionally made with yogurt, shredded cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, and herbs. Furthermore, it is such a flavorful dip on its own and it creates such a creamy and delicious base for chicken salad.
If you have ever enjoyed a gyro or a Mediterranean kebab platter, you have likely already had an enjoyed tzatziki. In fact, I don’t think I know anyone who doesn’t like tzatziki. That’s why you must try this chicken salad. It is really just such an easy and delicious meal to make for lunch, meal prep, and even a group of friends.
Tzatziki Chicken
If you are wondering how to pronounce tzatziki, it is pronounced tsah-see-key. “Tsah” is pronounced the same way as “za” in Pizza.
Tzatziki is a dip or sauce that originally comes from Southern Europe and the Middle East. It is made with Greek yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil, and herbs. The reason strained yogurt is used is so that it can be extra rich and thick. Also, special attention is made to the cucumbers so that they are shredded and then all of the water is squeezed out of them so that the yogurt keeps its thickness.
Most preparations of tzatziki that I see are made with dill as the main herb used. I have also seen a few recipes that use mint in addition to the dill.
Tzatziki is traditionally served with meat, such as souvlaki and gyros, but it can also be used as a dip for grilled vegetables, warm pita bread, or crudite. I have also seen some variations that add more liquid into the recipe and essentially make a cold soup to be enjoyed during the summer months.
For this recipe, I added my tzatziki to cubed chicken and made the most delicious tzatziki chicken salad. Then, I added it to warmed up mini pita breads and made the best little lunch out of it. A healthy and delicious lunch that I can eat again and again.
How to make Tzatziki Chicken Salad
INGREDIENTS
Tzatziki
- 1 cup Plain Yogurt whole milk is best for this, but I have also used non-fat Greek yogurt and it also tastes good. It just depends on how rich you want this dip to be.
- 1 English Cucumber these are the long straight cucumbers you see in grocery stores that are usually in a plastic wrapper. It is about double the length of a regular cucumber.
- 1 clove Garlic grated or very finely minced. If you like a lot of garlic, use 1.5 cloves but do not use more or it will start to be overpowering.
- 2 tsp Olive Oil extra virgin
- 1/2 Lemon juiced
- 1.5 tbsp Fresh Dill chopped
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/4 Black Pepper
Grilled Chicken
- 1.5 lb Chicken Breast
- 1 tsp Goya Adobo All Purpose Seasoning or your favorite chicken seasoning that includes salt
- 2 tsp Olive Oil
INSTRUCTIONS
Cook the Chicken
- First, heat 2 tsp of olive oil in a large saute pan.
- Then, evenly coat the chicken breasts with the seasonings
- Cook on medium heat for 6 minutes per side. If they are very thin pieces of chicken, it may need a little less time. If the chicken is very thick, it may need an extra minute.
- Next, let the chicken rest for at least 10 minutes before you cut it up.
Make the Tzatziki
- Peel and grate the cucumber. Then, squeeze out all of the water from it. Squeeze the chicken and then squeeze some more. You can add it to a fine mesh sieve or a cheese cloth. Add the remaining cucumber to a bowl.
- Next, add in your yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and dill . Mix Well
- Once it is mixed, chop up your chicken and then combine the two.
Tzatziki Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Tzatziki
- 1 cup Plain Yogurt whole milk is best for this, but I have also used non-fat Greek yogurt and it also tastes good. It just depends on how rich you want this dip to be.
- 1 English Cucumber these are the long straight cucumbers you see in grocery stores that are usually in a plastic wrapper. It is about double the length of a regular cucumber.
- 1 clove Garlic grated or very finely minced. If you like a lot of garlic, use 1.5 cloves but do not use more or it will start to be overpowering.
- 2 tsp Olive Oil extra virgin
- 1/2 Lemon juiced
- 1.5 tbsp Fresh Dill chopped
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/4 Black Pepper
Grilled Chicken
- 1.5 lb Chicken Breast
- 1 tsp Goya Adobo All Purpose Seasoning or your favorite chicken seasoning that includes salt
- 2 tsp Olive Oil
Instructions
Cook the Chicken
- Heat 2 tsp of olive oil in a large saute pan.
- Evenly coat the chicken breasts with the seasonings
- Cook on medium heat for 6 minutes per side. If they are very thin pieces of chicken, it may need a little less time. If the chicken is very thick, it may need an extra minute.
- Important – let the chicken rest for at least 10 minutes before you cut it up.
Make the Tzatziki
- Peel and grate the cucumber. Then, squeeze out all of the water from it. Honestly, squeeze and then squeeze some more. You can add it to a fine mesh sieve or a cheese cloth. Add the remaining cucumber to a bowl.
- Add in your yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and dill . Mix Well
- Once it is mixed, chop up your chicken and then combine the two.
Love this recipe because it’s healthy and a very good summer dish