Description
Greek-inspired tzatziki chicken salad brings Mediterranean freshness to your plate. Crisp vegetables, tender chicken, and tangy yogurt dressing create a light, refreshing meal you’ll crave.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (300 g / 10.5 oz) cooked chicken, shredded or diced (grilled, roasted, or rotisserie)
- 1 cup (240 g / 8.5 oz) plain Greek yogurt (non-fat or full-fat)
- ½ cucumber, grated and squeezed to remove excess liquid
- 1 cucumber, diced (seeded if desired)
- ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
- ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped (or parsley if preferred)
- ¼ cup Kalamata olives, chopped (optional)
- ¼ cup cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar (optional)
- 1 tsp dried oregano (or fresh oregano, chopped)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cucumber Preparation: Shred cucumber using a box grater into ultra-fine strands, creating a delicate texture for the tzatziki sauce.
- Moisture Extraction: Transfer grated cucumber to a clean kitchen towel, applying gentle pressure to eliminate excess liquid, ensuring a thick and creamy sauce consistency.
- Tzatziki Base Creation: Blend Greek yogurt with the prepared cucumber, incorporating minced garlic, freshly squeezed lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and optional red wine vinegar into a harmonious mixture.
- Seasoning Integration: Sprinkle dried oregano, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper throughout the sauce, folding gently to distribute flavors evenly and create a balanced, aromatic profile.
- Flavor Refinement: Taste and adjust seasoning, fine-tuning the sauce’s tanginess and herbal notes to achieve a perfect flavor balance.
- Resting and Melding: Allow the tzatziki sauce to rest briefly, enabling ingredients to intermingle and intensify, creating a robust and complex flavor profile ready for serving or as a chicken salad dressing.
Notes
- Drain Cucumber Thoroughly: Remove maximum moisture from grated cucumber to prevent watery tzatziki, ensuring a thick and creamy sauce consistency.
- Balance Flavor Profile: Adjust lemon juice, garlic, and herbs incrementally to create a harmonious tangy and herbal taste without overpowering other ingredients.
- Control Yogurt Texture: Use full-fat Greek yogurt for richer, more stable sauce that holds its structure and provides better mouthfeel.
- Enhance Herb Freshness: Consider adding fresh chopped dill or mint alongside dried oregano to boost aromatic complexity and elevate overall flavor depth.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: Greek
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg