Tzatziki Chicken Salad

I’ve had a more traditional Chicken Salad with Grapes and Walnuts up on my site forever, but lately, I’ve been hooked on this Homemade Tzatziki Sauce. So, I decided to try for a Greek-inspired chicken salad that uses something like that traditional sauce as the dressing. And, man, am I glad I did!

Pieces of tender, juicy chicken and crunchy cucumber are tossed together with a Greek yogurt-based dressing loaded with fresh lemon, dill, and garlic. The bright, refreshing flavors of the lemon and dill, next to the creamy tang of the yogurt and the salty feta, are so addictive. I’m telling you, this tzatziki chicken salad is about to become your new meal prep favorite. Serve it with warm pita or wrap it up in crisp lettuce leaves for a fuss-free meal that’ll make you wish you packed double!

Totally Craveable Tzatziki Chicken Salad

This isn’t just any chicken salad! Here’s what makes it special:

• Big, bright (Greek-ish) flavors. Between the tangy yogurt, zingy lemon, salty feta, and aromatic garlic, there’s plenty of flavor to go around here. And that subtle sweetness from the dill? So good! It’s majorly reminiscent of your favorite tzatziki.
• No mayo, no problem. Many (if not most) chicken salads are pretty mayo-heavy. This one uses Greek yogurt instead, which I love because not only does it better match the authentic cucumber dill dip, but I feel way better about eating it.
• Meal prep magic. This is one of the best meal prep items ever. Stuff it into a pita bread or scoop it into lettuce wraps for the perfect grab-and-go lunch.

What You’ll Need

Buckle up and head to the store! Here’s what you’ll need to make this tzatziki chicken salad. Have a look at the recipe card below for precise measurements.

• Cucumber – You can use a regular cucumber (peeled) or an English cucumber (no need to peel). In either case, you’ll want to scrape out the seeds to get rid of excess moisture
• Plain Greek yogurt – Nonfat, low-fat, or whole-milk Greek yogurt will work just fine. I suggest sticking with Greek yogurt. Other kinds are a bit too runny.
• Lemon juice – Squeeze the juice from a lemon or two (Meyer lemons are my favorite). Bottled lemon juice can be overly acidic.
• Garlic – Mince it up nice and fine, or use a garlic press. No one wants big chunks of raw garlic in their chicken salad.
• Dill – I highly recommend using fresh dill for the best flavor. If you must use dried dill, make the salad a couple of hours in advance so the dried herb has some time to impart its full flavor.
• Cooked and cooled chicken – You can use shredded or cubed chicken. Pull it off a rotisserie chicken or use leftovers from my Lemon Roasted Chicken.
• Feta cheese – Look for authentic sheep’s milk feta for the best flavor. If you can find sheep’s feta that’s stored in brine, that’s the best!
• Salt and pepper – Freshly ground black pepper is ideal, and I prefer kosher salt for this recipe. Table salt will work, but you may want to use a tiny bit less.

How to Make Tzatziki Chicken Salad

Here’s a basic overview of how to make this epic chicken salad. For more thorough instructions, scroll to the recipe card below.

• Prep the cucumber. Peel, seed, and dice the cucumber into small pieces.
• Make the dressing. In a large bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, and dill.
• Assemble the salad. Add the chicken, feta, and cucumber. Toss and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Tips and Variation Ideas

Easy as this meal prep marvel is to throw together, I’ve got a few pro tips that’ll help get you to the best chicken salad possible. I threw some fun variations in there as well, just in case:

• Seed that cucumber. Cucumber seeds hold a lot of moisture, which will turn your chicken salad into a runny, soggy disaster. So, remove the seeds before you dice the cucumber and add it to the chicken salad.
• Fresh is best. I highly recommend using fresh (as opposed to dried) dill, and that you squeeze the lemon juice straight from the fruit. You’ll end up with much better, brighter flavors.
• Patience. While you can dive into this chicken salad right away, it’s best to let it chill in the fridge for a bit. That way, the flavors really get a chance to meld.
• Fun additions. This recipe is awesome as is, but you can boost the flavor and color with extras like roasted red peppers, artichokes, sundried tomatoes, red onion, pepperoncini, or Kalamata olives.
• Nutty crunch. If you’d like to add pine nuts or slivered almonds to your chicken salad, go for it! The added texture takes this dish to new heights.
• More herbs. Some tzatziki recipes include parsley. I didn’t use it here, but you totally can. Just chop up a handful and add it to the mix. Chopped chives would be another good one.