Greek Chicken With Cucumber-Feta Salad

Published December 13, 2022

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Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(6,895)
Comments
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This meal has the flavors of a Greek combination plate with chicken souvlaki, Greek salad and tzatziki, but it is streamlined for the home cook. Boneless chicken thighs are coated with herby, garlicky yogurt, then seared until tender inside and crusty and browned outside. Extra yogurt dresses cucumbers and tomatoes that have had a chance to drain with salt so they taste their most vivid. Feta and olives add briny bites to the creamy, crunchy salad, but feel free to incorporate other elements of Greek salad or tzatziki, like romaine lettuce, bell peppers, mint or dill, toasted walnuts or thinly sliced red onion. Eat with lemon potatoes or toasted pita.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1 ½ cups plain Greek yogurt

  • 3 garlic cloves, finely grated

  • Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)

  • Black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano or mint

  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, patted dry

  • 1 ½ pounds cucumbers (preferably Japanese, Persian or mini, seedless cucumbers)

  • 1 pound ripe tomatoes

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

  • 4 ounces feta, crumbled (about ¾ cup)

  • ½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

18 grams carbs; 253 milligrams cholesterol; 577 calories; 11 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 30 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 1568 milligrams sodium; 59 grams protein; 9 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl, stir together the yogurt and garlic; season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer ½ cup of the yogurt to a medium bowl and reserve for Step 5.

  2. Step 2

    Coat the chicken: To the large bowl, add the oregano and stir to combine. Season the chicken all over with 1 ½ teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper. Add the chicken to the large bowl and turn to coat; set aside.

  3. Step 3

    Start the salad: Smash the cucumbers with the side of your knife until craggy and split. Rip into ½- to 1-inch pieces and transfer to a colander placed in the sink. Slice or chop the tomatoes into bite-size pieces. Add to the cucumbers along with 1 ½ teaspoons salt. (It may seem like a lot of salt, but most will drain away.) Toss to combine and leave to drain.

  4. Step 4

    In a large nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium. Scrape excess marinade off the chicken, then cook the chicken in batches, adding oil to the pan if necessary, until it’s well browned and releases from the pan, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip and cook until cooked through, another 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to plates to rest. (For grilling info, see Tip.)

  5. Step 5

    To the medium bowl of yogurt, add the feta and mash with a fork until a chunky paste forms. Shake the cucumbers and tomatoes to get rid of any excess moisture. Add to the feta yogurt along with the olives and stir until coated. The balance is dependent on your produce and feta, so season to taste with salt and pepper until flavors are vivid. Eat alongside the chicken.

Tip
  • To grill the chicken: Heat a grill to medium and clean and grease the grates. Grill the chicken over direct heat until it's well browned and releases from the grates, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip and cook until cooked through, another 5 to 7 minutes. (For a gas grill, close the lid between flips.)

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Ratings

5 out of 5
6,895 user ratings
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Comments

What is the benefit of “ripping” the cukes into small pieces as opposed to chopping them into same?

baked the chicken on a sheet pan at 400

A little bit more info—is there an optimum time to let the salad sit salted and to marinate the chicken? 10 minutes? 20 minutes or….!

good stuff

I made this this evening. Made with chicken breast and marinated for 8+ hours. Was delicious, but definitely would like to try to incorporate some reviewer comments with cumin, curry powder, etc. I made this by slicing my chicken breasts fajita style and then cooking on a hot grill pan. House is smoky but worth it.

I added smoked paprika and lemon zest to the chicken marinade. next time i would use a better feta. mine was very dry. all in all the chicken and salad had pretty good flavor. I will keep in my recipe book

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Credits

By Ali Slagle

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