Tzatziki Chicken Salad
This chicken salad borrows everything great about tzatziki — the thick Greek yogurt, the garlic, the cucumber, the lemon, the dill — and turns it into a high-protein lunch that tastes like summer in the Mediterranean. Draining the cucumber is the only non-negotiable: skip it and you'll get a watery salad. The result is creamy, tangy, herby, and refreshing in a way that traditional mayonnaise-based chicken salads rarely are. Stuff it into a warm pita with sliced tomato and red onion, or spoon it over a bed of chopped romaine with extra feta and olives for a full Greek salad plate.
Lunch · High-protein, Quick • 25 min
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1¼ pounds)
- ½ large English cucumber
- kosher salt, divided
- ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt (full-fat preferred)
- 1 large garlic clove, finely grated or minced to a paste
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved (optional)
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
- freshly ground black pepper
- warm pita bread, chopped romaine, or sliced cucumber rounds, for serving
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Steps
- Place the chicken breasts in a medium saucepan and add enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until the chicken reaches 165°F at the thickest part, about 8–10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool until you can handle it, about 10 minutes. Shred or dice into bite-sized pieces (about 3 cups).
- While the chicken cooks, grate the cucumber half on the large holes of a box grater — you should have about ¾ cup. Place the grated cucumber in a clean kitchen towel or a few layers of paper towel, sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt, and squeeze firmly over the sink to wring out as much liquid as possible. This step is essential — wet cucumber makes a watery salad.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, grated garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt until smooth. Fold in the drained cucumber, dill, and mint.
- Add the shredded chicken to the tzatziki dressing and fold until evenly coated. Gently fold in the feta cheese, olives, and tomatoes if using.
- Season with several grinds of black pepper. Taste and adjust — add more salt, lemon juice, or dill as needed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to let the flavors come together.
- Serve chilled or at room temperature. Stuff into warm pita bread with extra sliced tomato and red onion for a gyro-style sandwich, spoon over chopped romaine for a Greek chicken salad plate, or scoop onto cucumber rounds for a low-carb appetizer. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of flaky sea salt.
Tips & Variations
Make Ahead
The chicken salad can be made up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. The tzatziki base holds well, but the cucumber will continue to release a little moisture — just stir it back together before serving. If prepping components in advance, cook and shred the chicken, make the tzatziki dressing (without cucumber), and grate/drain the cucumber — store all separately and combine the day of serving for the freshest texture.
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The salad may weep a small amount of liquid as it sits — that's normal, just give it a stir. Do not freeze. For packed lunches, send it with a pita on the side and assemble at lunchtime.
Substitutions
Rotisserie chicken saves time — shred 3 cups of breast and thigh meat. Canned chickpeas (rinsed and drained) can replace half or all the chicken for a vegetarian version — mash slightly before folding into the dressing. For a dairy-free version, use a thick plant-based yogurt (coconut or almond) and skip the feta or use a dairy-free alternative. If you don't have fresh dill, use 1 tablespoon dried dill — but fresh really makes this sing. Add ¼ teaspoon sumac to the dressing for a more authentic Mediterranean tang. Swap mint for extra dill if mint isn't your thing.
Reviews
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