Tzatziki Chicken Salad (Printable Version)

Rotisserie chicken meets creamy tzatziki with crisp vegetables for a satisfying Mediterranean meal ready in minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken & Dairy

01 - 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, skinless
02 - 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, full-fat
03 - 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
04 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
05 - 1 clove garlic, minced

→ Vegetables

06 - 1 medium cucumber, grated
07 - 1/2 small red onion, diced
08 - Salt, to taste
09 - Pepper, to taste

→ Optional Add-Ons

10 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
11 - 1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
12 - 1/4 cup Kalamata or green olives, sliced
13 - 1 small avocado, diced
14 - 2 cups spinach or mixed greens, for serving

# How-to Steps:

01 - Grate the cucumber and squeeze out excess moisture using a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.
02 - In a medium bowl, combine the grated cucumber, Greek yogurt, dill, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly until well incorporated.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, add the shredded chicken. Pour the tzatziki sauce over the chicken and gently fold until evenly coated. Add diced red onion and any optional ingredients such as cherry tomatoes, feta, olives, or avocado. Mix gently to combine.
04 - Cover the salad with plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
05 - Serve chilled over a bed of spinach or mixed greens, or enjoy as is.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You can make this entire salad without turning on a single burner or preheating anything.
  • The tzatziki does double duty as dressing and marinade, soaking into every shred of chicken while it chills.
  • It tastes like you spent an hour cooking when really you just stirred a few bowls together.
  • Leftovers get better overnight as the garlic mellows and the dill blooms through the yogurt.
02 -
  • If you do not squeeze the cucumber dry, the tzatziki will become a thin, runny mess that slides off the chicken instead of clinging to it.
  • Letting the salad chill for at least 30 minutes is not optional, the garlic mellows and the dill blooms and everything just tastes more balanced.
  • Taste your tzatziki before mixing it with the chicken, because once it is all combined, adjusting the seasoning becomes much harder.
03 -
  • If your rotisserie chicken is still warm, let it cool completely before mixing with the yogurt so the tzatziki does not break and turn greasy.
  • For a deeper garlic flavor, let the minced garlic sit in the lemon juice for a few minutes before adding it to the yogurt.
  • Always taste and adjust the salt at the very end, especially if you are adding feta or olives, which can be quite salty on their own.
Go Back