Who knows why I haven’t thought of this until now but tzatziki makes the perfect (and healthy) dressing for a chicken salad. Ever since my sister got me hooked on chicken salad many years ago I’ve loved making it and trying out different variations. It’s easy, it’s quick, it’s healthy (when made with greek yogurt instead of all mayonnaise) and of course it tastes so delicious. We’ve been visiting a mediterranean restaurant lately so it’s inspiring me to make more Greek food at home. I love all the vegetables and herbs, it makes me feel like I am actually walking away with some nutrition from my meal rather than just eating a greasy, heavy meal for dinner that’s giving me nothing but a larger jean size (which don’t get me wrong, I still love those meals on occasion too, just in moderation).
This chicken salad is perfect for putting in a wrap or pita pocket, sandwiching between rolls or croissants or just serving in perfectly soft slices of whole grain bread. With this you are basically getting the filling inside a Greek chicken gyro all blended together in one amazing salad. The nuts in this are completely optional, I only added them to get a little bit of that extra crunch that I’m used to in a traditional chicken salad. If you don’t like kalamata olives you could swap them out for black. And if you’re having a hard time finding Persian cucumbers you could use English (hot house) cucumbers but you may want to seed them before adding to the salad. Enjoy!
Greek Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts , cooked, chilled to cool and diced*
- 1 cup diced mini Persian cucumbers
- 3/4 cup sliced grape tomatoes (I sliced each into 3 slices)
- 1/2 cup feta cheese , crumbled
- 1/3 cup chopped red onion
- 1/4 cup diced Kalamata olives
- 3 Tbsp sliced almonds (optional)
Dressing
- 1/2 cup non-fat or low-fat plain greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill (or 1 tsp dried)
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice , preferably fresh
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
Instructions
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To a mixing bowl add, diced chicken, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta cheese, red onion, Kalamata olives and sliced almonds. Add dressing and toss to evenly coat. Serve over bread, rolls, croissants, wraps, or in pita pockets. For best results serve within 3 hours of preparing (for best crunchiness of cucumbers and almonds), store in refrigerator.
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For the dressing:
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In a mixing bowl, whisk all of the dressing ingredients together to blend and season with salt and pepper to taste.
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*To cook the chicken I placed the raw chicken in the slow cooker, added 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth and a bit of salt and fresh ground black pepper then covered with lid and cooked on low heat until cooked through (4 - 6 hours depending on the size of the chicken breasts).
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Recipe Source: Cooking Classy
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious: Gorgeous sandwich! I’m officially craving Greek food now! October 2, 2013 at 10:57pm
Jaclyn: Thanks Chung-Ah! October 3, 2013 at 2:59am
Yammie @ Yammie’s Noshery: YUUUUUM!!!! I love Greek stuff!! October 3, 2013 at 5:42am
Jamie Tarence: This looks absolutely delicious! I have never seen anything like this before; can’t wait to try! October 3, 2013 at 7:44pm
Bree (Skinny Mommy): These look amazing! I love everything Greek inspired! October 4, 2013 at 6:45am
tammy: would you consider using canned chicken or would that be too taboo? October 4, 2013 at 2:25pm
Jaclyn: I used to use canned chicken for chicken salad on occasion it was the only thing I’ve ever used canned chicken for actually :), now I’ve just found that it’s almost just as easy to throw it in the slow cooker and cook it myself. So, I wouldn’t judge you if you did but I think that fresh is definitely better. October 4, 2013 at 6:48pm
Elizabeth: I’d do the chicken in the pouch over canned if it was necessary. Even leftover baked chicken makes great sandwiches. I used to feed my cat canned chicken as an occasional treat, but couldn’t stomach the smell of it after it being in the frig for a day. I can’t imagine how it would be if you happened to be packing this in the morning for a lunch later! October 7, 2013 at 12:48pm
razmeen: look tasty and yummy mmmmmh. really like it. October 22, 2013 at 5:00am
CakePants: Looks fantastic! I’ll have to make these the next time I’m feeling nostalgic for the time I spent studying abroad in Greece. December 31, 2013 at 12:01am
Internet Travel Guide: 3/21/2014 | The Farmpartment: […] made this Greek Chicken Salad last weekend and it is AMAAAAAAZING. I added some shredded cabbage for crunchiness. […] March 21, 2014 at 3:06pm
The one with all the tastes: […] ας πούμε εδώ: Greek chicken salad sandwiches, με αγγούρι, ντομάτα, φέτα, κρεμμύδι, […] March 27, 2014 at 2:53pm
Greek Chicken Salad | Far From Normal: […] I totally borrowed and adapted this recipe from Cooking Classy. So I can say how super awesome it […] May 28, 2014 at 5:45pm
Sylvia/LittleTreasures: wondering how many this serves. July 4, 2015 at 9:04pm
Jaclyn: It really just depends on the size of the bread/rolls and how much filling your prefer, but probably about 4 – 5. July 9, 2015 at 12:04am
Chere: Made this ahead of time to make dinner quick and easy. Absolutely fantastic and is now a go-to as we almost always have the ingredients on hand anyway. Served in whole wheat pita pockets with Alexis waffle fries and fresh veggies/ hummus dip. Just wondering if you have the nutritional values available . June 9, 2016 at 1:07pm