This delicious and easy Whole30 Mediterranean chicken salad recipe is the perfect and refreshing lunch full of healthy veggies. Romaine lettuce, cucumbers, avocado, tomatoes, olives, and red onions – all tossed in the most flavorful dressing!
I’m a huge fan of salads for lunch, especially in the warmer months. My husband is always amazed at what a huge stomach I have for veggies coated in delicious zesty dressing, when I can’t eat huge portions of anything else. This Whole30 and paleo chicken salad recipe is my latest favorite dish, and it’s packed with so much flavor and amazing textures!
Paleo & Whole30 Mediterranean Chicken Salad Recipe
This Whole30 chicken salad recipe has a lot of ingredients, but it’s quite simple to make! I love that the dressing doubles up as a marinade, and it’s just so zesty, refreshing, and wonderful. The chicken can be grilled or pan fried, and it’s mixed with crunchy lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado, and olives. It’s a hearty salad that can easily be eaten as a meal!
Ingredients in Paleo Mediterranean Salad
For the dressing:
- olive oil
- lemon juice
- parsley
- apple cider vinegar
- garlic
- dried oregano
- salt and pepper
For the salad:
- boneless skinless chicken thighs
- romaine lettuce
- baby tomatoes
- cucumbers
- avocado
- onion
- kalamata olives
How to Make Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad Recipe
The instructions for this Whole30 chicken salad recipe is actually very simple and easy!
- Make the dressing by combining all of its ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth.
- Coat the chicken in half of the dressing, and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes – 2 hours.
- Preheat grill to medium high heat. Grill the chicken until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
- While the chicken is cooling, add the rest of the ingredients for the paleo Mediterranean salad in a large mixing bowl.
- Slice the chicken into strips, then add to the salad.
- Drizzle the rest of the dressing over the salad, toss to coat, then serve.
Can I Use Chicken Breasts Instead of Thighs?
Yes, you can definitely use chicken breasts to make this Mediterranean grilled chicken salad recipe. However, chicken breasts tend to be thicker than thighs. I recommend a longer cooking time to ensure they aren’t undercooked. I have cooking time and instructions specified in the recipe box below.
What If I Don’t Have a Grill?
If you don’t have a grill, you can always just pan fry the chicken. It won’t have the same smoky flavor and you won’t get the delicious looking grill marks. However, the chicken will still be delicious and juicy! Just make sure to coat the pan in oil before cooking the chicken.
Can I Add Cheese To Whole30 Mediterranean Chicken Salad?
If you want, you can add either feta or goat cheese. However, cheese isn’t paleo or Whole30, so I would omit it if you are avoiding dairy. The salad is quite flavorful on its own!
If you enjoyed this Whole30 and paleo chicken salad recipe, you might also like…
- Whole30 Chinese Chicken Salad with Dates (Paleo, Gluten Free)
- Cobb Salad (Whole30, Paleo, Keto)
- Whole30 Buffalo Chicken Salad (Paleo, Keto)
- Hearty Chicken Salad (Paleo, Whole30, Keto)
- Whole30 Kale Chicken Caesar Salad + The Best Whole30 Caesar Dressing
Whole30 Mediterranean Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup parsley packed
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Salad
- 1½ lb boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- 1 head of romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 cup baby tomatoes halved
- 1½ cup chopped cucumber
- 1 avocado
- 1/2 red onion sliced
- 1/3 cup kalamata olives sliced or roughly chopped
Instructions
- Add all ingredients for the dressing in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Place chicken in a bowl and massage with 1/2 of the dressing, reserving the other half for the salad. Marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- Heat a grill or a pan over medium high heat. Cook the chicken until cooked through (about 5 minutes per side for thighs, or 7 minutes per side for breasts).
- Remove the chicken from heat and set aside until cool enough to handle.
- While the chicken is cooling, add all the salad ingredients (except chicken) in a large salad bowl.
- Slice the chicken into thin strips, then add to the salad.
- Drizzle with the remaining half of the dressing, toss together, then serve.
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This dressing is so yummy, great salad!
So gorgeous and hearty! This is a salad for salad-lovers and salad-haters!