Spiced Grilled Chicken Salad (Printable)

Aromatic grilled chicken with cucumber, tomatoes, and creamy yogurt dressing in a fresh, crisp salad.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1.1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 2 tsp ground cumin
04 - 2 tsp ground coriander
05 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
06 - 1 tsp ground turmeric
07 - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
08 - 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
09 - 1 tsp salt
10 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
11 - Juice of 1 lemon

→ Salad

12 - 1 large cucumber, diced
13 - 2 medium tomatoes, diced
14 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
15 - 3.5 oz mixed salad greens
16 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

→ Yogurt Dressing

17 - 7 oz plain Greek yogurt
18 - 1 tbsp olive oil
19 - Juice of 1/2 lemon
20 - 1 garlic clove, minced
21 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
22 - Salt and pepper to taste

# How To Make It:

01 - In a bowl, combine olive oil, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper, salt, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Mix thoroughly until well combined.
02 - Add the chicken to the marinade and toss to coat evenly. Allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes, or up to 2 hours for enhanced flavor development.
03 - Preheat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the marinated chicken for 5-7 minutes per side until cooked through with light charring. Remove from heat and rest for 5 minutes before slicing thinly.
04 - In a large bowl, combine diced cucumber, diced tomatoes, sliced red onion, mixed salad greens, and chopped parsley.
05 - Whisk together Greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, ground cumin, salt, and pepper until smooth and well blended.
06 - Divide the salad mixture among individual plates, arrange sliced chicken on top, and drizzle generously with yogurt dressing.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours cooking but comes together faster than ordering takeout.
  • The spiced chicken stays juicy and flavorful even when you meal prep it for the week.
  • You get that restaurant quality char without firing up an outdoor grill.
  • The yogurt dressing is tangy enough to wake up your taste buds without overwhelming the chicken.
02 -
  • Don't skip resting the chicken after cooking or all the juices will run out when you slice it.
  • If your skillet isn't hot enough the chicken will steam instead of char and you'll miss that smoky flavor.
  • Marinating longer than 15 minutes genuinely makes a difference, especially with chicken breasts which can be bland.
03 -
  • Use a meat thermometer to check doneness instead of cutting into the chicken and losing all those juices.
  • If you don't have a grill pan, a regular skillet works fine, just don't move the chicken around too much so it can develop a proper crust.
  • Make a double batch of the spice blend and keep it in a jar for the next time you need quick flavorful chicken.
Return