Mediterranean Chicken Salad
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Unrated
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Prep Time
45 mins
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Cook Time
15 mins
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Total Time
1 hr
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Servings
8 servings
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Course
Main Course, Salad, Dinner
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Cuisine
Italian
Mediterranean Chicken Salad
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This Mediterranean Chicken Salad is a hypnotic, fresh, bright, satisfying symphony of SO many bold alluring flavors and textures that will have everyone swooning - my husband was obsessed! It's loaded with succulent pesto marinated chicken, smoky salami (or bacon), juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, tangy pepperoncini, fruity Kalamata olives, punchy red onions, buttery mozzarella and creamy avocados all tossed in a vibrant pesto dressing. This Chicken Salad recipe is endlessly customizable, so you can add or swap in any of your favorite ingredients that you have on hand. And the best part- the marinade doubles as the dressing - no double work! This Mediterranean Salad is also prep ahead friendly for a hassle free lunch, light dinner or entertaining.
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Ingredients
Chicken
- 3 chicken breast approx. 20 ounces, medium
Marinade/Dressing
- 1/2 cup basil pesto
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tsp EACH basil dried; rosemary crushed
- 1 tsp EACH onion powder
- 1 tsp EACH garlic powder
- 1 tsp EACH salt
- 1 tsp EACH oregano
- 1 tsp EACH rosemary
- 1/2 tsp EACH paprika
- 1/2 tsp EACH pepper
- 1/2 tsp EACH sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salad
- 5 ounces spring salad mix
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- 4 oz. genoa salami chopped (may sub bacon
- 1 pint cherry tomato halved, or grape tomato
- 1/2 cucumber chopped, English variety
- 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives halved, pitted
- 3 tablespoons Pepperoncini chopped
- 8 oz. mozzarella pearls
- 1 avocado sliced
- 1/2 cup almonds sliced
EASY CROUTONS (OR STORE-BOUGHT)
- 1/2 French bread cubed, loaf, preferably day old
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 tsp basil dried; each
- 1/4 tsp parsley
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- salt freshly cracked; quantity to taste
- black pepper freshly cracked; quantity to taste
Instructions
MARINADE/DRESSING
- Whisk all of the marinade/dressing ingredients together in a medium bowl or freezer bag (whatever you are going to marinate the chicken in). Remove a heaping ¾ cup to a jar to use as the dressing. Add the chicken to the marinade and turn to coat.
- Marinate at room temperature while you prep the salad ingredients (up to 30 minutes) or refrigerate for up to 12 hours. Refrigerate the dressing separately. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.
CROUTONS
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray or use a nonstick baking mat. Add cubed bread to the baking sheet and drizzled with olive oil then sprinkle with spices; toss until evenly coated. Spread bread into an even layer and bake for approximately 12-15 minutes or until golden, stirring halfway through.
TO GRILL CHICKEN:
- Preheat grill to 400 degrees with the lid closed, clean and grease grates.
- Grill chicken undisturbed with the lid closed for 5-7 minutes per side, until chicken is cooked through. (Cook to 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer, then allow to rest for 5 minutes to carryover to 165 degrees F.)
TO COOK CHICKEN ON THE STOVE:
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large non-stick skillet or indoor grill pan over medium-high heat. Once very hot, add chicken and cook, undisturbed, for 3-4 minutes, or until deeply golden on one side.
- Flip chicken over, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook for approximately 5-7 more minutes (depending on thickness of chicken), or until chicken is cooked to 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer, then allowed to rest for 5 minutes to carryover to 165 degrees F.
ASSEMBLE
- Add all of the salad ingredients to a large serving bowl. If expecting leftovers, serve the croutons and avocado on the side.
- Chop or thinly slice the chicken and add to the salad.
- Whisk in a couple tablespoons olive oil to the dressing if it seems extra thick (it will naturally be on the thick side due to the pesto).
- If not expecting leftovers, drizzle salad with the dressing. If expecting leftovers, add dressing to individual servings. Serve with freshly cracked salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- This Chicken Salad recipe is great to prep ahead for meal prep. You can prepare all of the ingredients ahead of time or just the dressing, croutons or salad ingredients. To prep ahead:
- Customize ingredients: The salad ingredients and measurements are simply suggestions. After you load a large salad bowl with lettuce, you can pile on your ingredients in whatever ratios your taste buds desire. Some will like less meat, others will like less cheese – your call! See post for all sorts of add-ins such as artichokes, roasted bell peppers, capers, corn, asparagus, etc.
- Salad bar: If you have picky eaters or want a fun entertaining idea, then consider a salad bar where everyone can pile on as much or as little of their favorite toppings. Everyone's a winner with a salad bar!
- Storage: The salad without dressing will last about 3 days in the refrigerator, although the wet ingredients such as the pepperoncini and tomatoes can soften the crunch of the lettuce a bit. The chicken will last up to 5 days and the croutons will last for up to 2 weeks.
- Fully assembled: This salad can be fully assembled ahead of time if you layer the ingredients in the correct order and store the croutons, avocados and dressing separately. The salad should be layered with the wettest ingredients on the bottom (tomatoes, pepperoncini, olives, cucumbers) and the driest on the top (salami, mozzarella, almonds, lettuce) to prevent soggy salad. Cover, then store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Salad ingredients: can be chopped 24 hours in advance and stored in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. I add the vegetables/olives/pepperoncini to separate paper towels, fold up the paper towels around the contents and place in sandwich bags – this keeps excess moisture away from the veggies to keep them fresh.
- Croutons: can be made up to 2 weeks ahead of time and stored in a resealable plastic bag with as much air removed as possible or in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Marinade/dressing: can be made up to 2 weeks ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If making ahead, take care not to use fresh garlic or herbs because they will only last a day or so in the refrigerator.
- Chicken: can be added to the marinade up to 12 hours ahead of time. Or, it can be frozen in the marinade up to 3 months in advance. You can also cook the chicken and store it separately in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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