The Chicken Salad I’ve Been Making on Repeat (No Mayo Included!)
Creamy, crunchy, herby, lemony chicken salad…with tzatziki bringing it all together. ♡
This tzatziki chicken salad has turned into one of my new favorite weekday lunches that’s high in protein (about 40-50g per serving), comes together in under 30 minutes, and tastes so fresh and flavorful every single time. Instead of the usual mayo situation, it’s dressed with bright, garlicky tzatziki sauce and tossed with juicy cooked chicken, crisp cucumber, chickpeas, feta, red onion, loads of fresh dill, and toasted almonds for that satisfying crunch.
Pile it into a warm pita, scoop it over greens, tuck it into lettuce cups, serve it alongside crackers, or layer it into a bowl with rice or quinoa. Or honestly — just grab a fork and eat it straight from the bowl. It’s one of those recipes that feels light and fresh but still hearty enough to actually keep you full, which is always one of my favorite combos. Let’s make some!
P.S. If you want to save even more time, feel free to use rotisserie chicken and/or store-bought tzatziki and this will come together in minutes!
Recipe Tips
A few quick tips to help this chicken salad turn out extra delicious every time:
- Squeeze the cucumber really well. This is the most important tip for the tzatziki. Grated cucumber holds a surprising amount of water, so give it a good squeeze in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels or cheesecloth before stirring it into the yogurt.
- Use thick Greek yogurt. A good thick plain Greek yogurt will give the tzatziki the best creamy texture and help keep the chicken salad from becoming watery.
- Season the tzatziki first. Taste the tzatziki before adding it to the chicken salad and adjust the lemon, garlic, salt and pepper as needed. Once the salad is mixed, you can always fine-tune again!
- Dice the chicken small. Smaller pieces of chicken make the salad easier to scoop into pita, wraps, lettuce cups or bowls, and help every bite get nicely coated in the tzatziki.
- Don’t skip the chill time if possible. Even 30 minutes in the fridge gives the flavors time to mingle and makes the salad taste so much better.
- Add the almonds at the very end. Stir them in just before serving so they stay toasty and crisp instead of softening in the dressing.
- Taste again before serving. Cold salads often need one final pop of lemon juice, salt or pepper right before serving.
Variations You Can Try
There are so many fun ways to customize this recipe, so please feel free to make it your own:
- Add chopped olives for a briny Mediterranean kick.
- Swap the chickpeas for white beans if you’d like a softer, creamier texture.
- Add chopped roasted red peppers for extra sweetness and color.
- Make it spicier with a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or a drizzle of chili crisp.
- Swap the almonds for pistachios or walnuts if that’s what you have on hand.
- Add avocado just before serving for extra creaminess.
- Add cherry tomatoes if you’d like more juicy freshness.
- Swap the chicken for tuna or salmon for a pescetarian-friendly version.
- Make it extra herby with parsley, basil or extra mint.
FAQ
Totally. Homemade tzatziki gives you the freshest flavor and lets you control the seasoning, but store-bought tzatziki works great if you’re short on time. You’ll need about 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces).
Sure! Either option is delicious.
This salad will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For the best texture, wait to add the toasted almonds until just before serving.
Tzatziki Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Homemade Tzatziki
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup finely grated English cucumber, squeezed dry
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, pressed or finely minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
Chicken Salad
- 3 cups diced cooked chicken
- 1 cup diced English cucumber
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/3 cup finely diced red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus more to taste
- 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds
- fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Make the tzatziki. Stir together the Greek yogurt, grated cucumber, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, dill, mint, salt and pepper in a medium bowl until combined. Taste and season with extra lemon juice, garlic, salt or pepper if needed.
- Mix the chicken salad. In a large mixing bowl, combine the diced chicken, cucumber, chickpeas, feta, red onion and dill.
- Add the tzatziki. Pour the tzatziki over the chicken mixture and gently toss until everything is evenly coated. Add the lemon juice, then taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
- Chill. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, if you have time, to let the flavors mingle.
- Add the almonds. Just before serving, gently stir in the toasted sliced almonds so that they stay nice and crunchy.
- Serve. Serve chilled in pita, wraps, lettuce cups, over greens, with crackers, or however sounds good. Enjoy!!
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
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