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This is a yummy Chicken Tzatziki Avocado Salad that you will happily want to make on repeat. The chicken is seasoned with a mix of spices and roasted until lightly charred and delicious. Everything is tossed together with a creamy tahini dressing, kale, herbs, avocado, plenty of feta, and Tzatziki sauce. It’s a Greek-inspired salad that’s SO GOOD. Enjoy it for dinner and save the leftovers for lunch. It’s the perfect vibrant salad that’s hearty enough to call a real meal.
I’ve got a big spring salad to kick the week off! It’s only mid-March, but I’m in salad mode at the moment. I’ve made a few in the last few days that I’m so excited to share. Today’s salad just might be my favorite though.
This is definitely a dinner style salad, which is usually how I like to create my salad recipes. They’re always full of color and you won’t walk away hungry.
My oldest brother loves anything with Greek flavors. A chicken or beef gyro is one of his favorite foods. I love a good gyro, too, and that was a bit of the inspiration for this recipe. This Greek-inspired salad is a hodgepodge of delicious ingredients, from the chicken to the dressing and, of course, the Tzatziki sauce. I really think you all will love it! Plus, the leftovers are great all week long!
I’d serve fresh pita or naan alongside – yum!
Here are all the details
Step 1: begin with the chicken
For the chicken, I wanted it to be crispy and have similar flavors to a chicken gyro. I seasoned the chicken breasts with smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili flakes for some heat. Oh, and a tiny drizzle of honey, too.
Use olive oil to bake the chicken until it just begins to brown. The honey helps to balance the spices and brings on some caramelization too.
Step 2: mix the salad
While the chicken is roasting, grab a giant salad bowl. Add all the salad greens, cucumbers, and sun-dried tomatoes.
For the greens, my ideal mix is half kale and half romaine lettuce.
Step 3: the tahini dressing
The tahini dressing is a mix of tahini, lemon or orange juice, toasted sesame oil, garlic, and honey. I wanted to keep this simple, but include an element of citrus and fresh garlic in a nice creamy dressing.
It turned out really delicious!
Step 4: toss the salad
Now we can bring all the layers of this delicious salad together. First, toss the greens with the tahini dressing to ensure they get evenly coated before adding everything else.
Then add the hot chicken to the greens. Throw on the avocado, feta cheese, and fresh herbs. Next, take the Tzatziki sauce and add spoonfuls over the chicken and greens. The last ingredient I love to add is a handful of toasted sesame seeds—my obsession these days.
Step 5: eat
I love to serve this salad with warm chicken; I think it makes it feel more like a dinner. Extra Tzatziki on the side is standard as well. It’s great!
If you don’t have fresh pita or naan, this is also a great salad to pair with a side of homemade fries!
This is such a fun and bright dinner for any night of the week. What I love is that the leftovers are perfect for enjoying the next day for lunch! The sauce will last all week and can be used in multiple recipes.Â
Looking for other easy dinners? Here are some favorites:
Easy Greek Sheet Pan Chicken and Potatoes
30 Minute Spicy Indian Butter Chicken
Sheet Pan Chicken Gyros with Feta Tzatziki
Lastly, if you make this Chicken Tzatziki Avocado Salad, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Chicken Tzatziki Salad
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 692 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cubed
- 1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons honey
- chili flakes, salt, and black pepper
- 4-5 cups shredded kale and/or romaine mixed
- 2 Persian cucumbers, chopped
- 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
- 1 avocado diced/sliced
- 6 ounces crumbled feta cheese
- 1 cup mixed herbs: basil, dill, parsley
- 1-2 cups Tzakiki sauce
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Tahini Dressing
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon or orange juice
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 425° F.2. On a baking sheet, toss the chicken, 2 tablespoons olive oil, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, honey, and season to taste with chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Toss well to evenly coat. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until lightly chard.3. Add the kale/romaine, cucumbers, and sun-dried tomatoes to a large salad bowl.4. To make the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a blender or glass jar and blend/whisk until smooth. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup water to thin the dressing. Taste and season with chili flakes and additional salt.5. Pour some of the dressing over the salad, massaging the dressing into the kale. Add the chicken, avocado, feta, herbs, and sesame seeds. Top the salad with lots of Tzakiki and extra dressing. Lightly toss. Serve and enjoy!Â
This salad has so much flavor, no need to change the recipe, fix it as is! Thanks for sharing it T.
Thanks so much Hilary!! Love to hear that this salad was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it! xT
Forgot to add the rating!
Thanks again:)
So delicious. But I’m a bit upset because I have soooo many wonderful cookbooks, but keep just coming back to yours because they are all so good! 🙂 And, mostly pretty easy. Also, they help me find ways to serve up more vegetables to my family.
Aww, thanks so much for your kind message, Joy! I am so glad this recipe turned out nicely for you! Have a great Sunday! xT
Loved this salad. It is rich, so next time I may drop the tzakiki sauce. You will want to almost drink the tahini dressing, it is that good and you may think this is a ridiculous thought until you try it but I’d love for someone to use it as the base flavor for ice cream.
Next time, I will marinate the chicken in the spice mixture over night.
Hey Banks,
Amazing!! I’m so glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend! xT
This recipe doesn’t mention adding the honey to the chicken.
Hi there,
The honey is listed in step 2:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
What kind of sauerkraut did you use when you made this on Instagram? You also had listed “pickled things”- what was that? Thanks!!
Hey Liz,
So sorry, I am not sure what the sauerkraut you saw was or the pickled things…are you sure it was for this recipe? You can follow all of the ingredients and instructions as written:) Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xT
Flavour sensation! Loved it, thank you! Every mouthful a delight. I definitely needed the water to thin the dressing, but it was divine.
Hey Laurie,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
Easy and absolutely delicious!! My husband loved it
Thanks so much Sue! Love to hear this! xT
So flavorful and delicious!! Prepped everything ahead and baked the chicken right before serving
Hey Paige,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
Can you make this in advance?
Hey Alyssa,
Totally, just wait to add the dressing for when you are ready to serve:) I hope you love this recipe! xT
Love all your recipes. They saved me and my family during Covid. This one however, could use a couple of tweaks. The seasoning for the chicken needs salt, and even though I like spicy food, the heat level on this was a little high. I found the dressing a bit sweet, so I added some apple cider vinegar and that helped. Super easy to pull together. Looks beautiful too.
Hi Trish,
Thanks for your kind message and making so many recipes. So sorry to hear you didn’t love this one. You are going to season the chicken to taste with salt and pepper in step 2:) I appreciate your feedback! xT
Loved this recipe, came together super easy and was full of flavour!
I added water to the tahini dressing to thin it as I found it too thick.
Hi Sonia,
Happy Monday!! Thanks a lot for trying this salad and your comment, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
Where does the 2 cups of olive oil go? This recipe sounds yummy but where do all the ingredients go?
Hi Heather,
So sorry for any confusion, it’s 2 tablespoons of olive oil which is used in step 2. Please let me know if there is anything else that I can help with! xT
Are you sure you mean 2 cups of olive oil?
Hi Deborah,
So sorry about that! It is 2 tablespoons, not cups:) Let me know if you give this recipe a try! xT
and the oscar goes to calories this is insane I’ve seen every recipe with at least 500 calories. We need recipes that more healthy less saucy with more nutrition. After eating these recipes you need to 10 km and drink lots of water Frankly I will pass on them. Not worth it anymore.
I hope no feels offended but I’m thinking about my health and my wife’s.
Caio
Phil – I make Tieghan’s recipes often and I haven’t had any calorie issues. However, I have a casein allergy (dairy) so I omit the cheese, which eliminates some of the calories. I also sub cashew milk or coconut yogurt when making the dairy based sauces. The recipes are actually quite nutritious as they don’t generally involve processed foods. Plus they are very flavorful and full of healthy fats so you don’t need to eat a lot to be satisfied.
Hi Phil,
Thanks for sharing your feedback. I’m sorry you feel this way, but of course no one is forcing you to make these recipes:) Just a gentle reminder that food is soo much more than calories, especially when using whole, non-processed ingredients. I hope you have a great week! Xx
Good by Phil. Happy walking
It’s a salad, Phil.
LOL Phil. So modify or don’t make it.
Just a heads up, your recipe says 2 cups of olive oil. But I think it’s supposed to say 2 tablespoons! Looks delicious can’t wait to try it!
Thanks so much for the heads up, Molly!! You are correct, it’s 2 tablespoons:) Let me know if you give the recipe a try! xT