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About This Recipe
This healthy Tzatziki Chicken Salad is a light, refreshing twist on traditional chicken salad—perfect for a quick lunch, meal prep, or a light dinner. It’s made with a homemade tzatziki dressing using thick, creamy Greek yogurt, shredded cucumber, lemon juice, garlic, fresh dill, and a touch of honey to create a bright, herby dressing that ties everything together.
I love to batch-prep chicken salad recipes like this and enjoy them throughout the week in a variety of ways. Serve this tangy tzatziki chicken salad over a bed of greens, tucked into a pita, on toasted sandwich bread, or wrapped in butter lettuce leaves for a low-carb meal. It’s incredibly versatile and super easy to make.
For more easy chicken salad recipes, try my Strawberry Poppy Seed Chicken Salad, Buffalo Chicken Salad, Rainbow Chicken Salad, Waldorf Chicken Salad, Avocado Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad or my Apple Pecan Chicken Salad Recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Tzatziki Chicken Salad Recipe
- Fresh flavors: Cool crisp cucumbers, creamy Greek yogurt, zesty lemon, and fresh dill come together to create a light, refreshing spin on traditional chicken salad.
- High-protein and macro-friendly: Packed lots of protein and made without mayo, this is a satisfying yet lighter option that fits easily into your meal plan.
- Great for meal prep: It stores well for several days, making it perfect for make-ahead lunches, quick dinners, or easy grab-and-go meals.
- Versatile serving options: Enjoy it on its own, in a pita, over greens, or stuffed in a lettuce wrap—so many ways to keep it exciting.
- Easy and wholesome: Made with simple ingredients and just a few easy steps!
- Chicken: Make this recipe easier by buying pre-shredded or pulled rotisserie chicken from the store (I love Kirklands pulled chicken). You can also use my Basic Shredded Chicken or any other leftover chicken you have on hand.
- Cucumber: Be sure to gently squeeze out excess moisture after shredding the cucumber so your salad doesn’t get watery.
- Greek yogurt: While any plain Greek yogurt will work for the homemade tzatziki sauce, full-fat versions offer a thicker texture and better flavor. For a lighter option, use fat-free or 2% Greek yogurt.
- Fresh dill: Fresh dill will give you the most flavor, but you can use dried dill (use about ⅓ the amount) in a pinch.
- Lemon juice: I definitely recommend using FRESH lemon juice, although store-bought will work.
- Garlic: Frozen cubes or fresh minced garlic cloves both work.
- Honey: Just a touch of honey balances the tartness of the yogurt and lemon. It’s not enough to make the salad sweet, but it smooths out the flavor and rounds everything together.
- Red onion: The diced red onion adds a pop of color and a crisp, slightly spicy crunch to the mix.
- For serving: pita bread, thinly sliced red onions, sliced tomatoes, crumbled feta cheese, etc.
- More mix-ins: Add in chopped cucumbers, diced celery, kalamata olives, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, etc.
- Different ways to serve: Enjoy this tzatziki chicken salad wrapped in romaine lettuce leaves for a low-carb lettuce wrap option, or enjoy as a dip with your favorite pita chips.
- Dairy-free: Use dairy-free yogurt to make this chicken salad dairy-free.
- Vegetarian: Replace the chicken with canned chickpeas for a plant-based protein option.
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
1. Grate the cucumber.
2. Take the grated cucumber and place it between a few paper towels (or a tea towel); squeeze to remove excess water and place in a bowl.
3. Add the Greek yogurt, dill, lemon juice, garlic, honey, salt, and pepper.
4. Mix it all together.
5. Add the shredded chicken and red onions.
6. Stir until everything is mixed together well. Tweak the taste by throwing in extra salt, black pepper, lemon juice, and any other spices you like.
Keep tzatziki chicken salad stored in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
Helpful Tips
🥒Drain the cucumber well: After shredding the cucumber, use a clean kitchen towel or paper towels to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. This keeps your salad from becoming watery and helps the dressing stay creamy.
🧊Chill before serving: Letting the salad sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes allows the flavors to meld together and intensifies the tangy, garlicky tzatziki flavor.
🍋Use freshly squeezed lemon juice: Bottled lemon juice just doesn’t compare. Fresh juice brightens the whole dish and adds a clean, citrusy flavor.
😋Serve it multiple ways: This greek tzatziki chicken salad is great on its own, but also works beautifully in wraps, sandwiches, lettuce cups, or over a bed of lettuce.
What type of cucumber works best for tzatziki chicken salad?
English cucumber or Persian cucumber is the best choice for this tzatziki chicken salad. They have thinner skins and fewer seeds than standard slicing cucumbers, which means you get a milder flavor and better texture without excess water. If you’re using a regular cucumber, it’s best to peel and seed it first to avoid bitterness and excess moisture. Regardless of the type, always shred the cucumber and squeeze out the extra liquid to keep the salad from becoming watery.
Can I use regular yogurt instead of Greek yogurt?
You can, but the texture and thickness will be different. Greek yogurt is much thicker and creamier, which gives the tzatziki dressing its signature consistency. If using regular yogurt, consider straining it first to remove excess liquid.
Can I freeze this tzatziki chicken salad?
I do not recommend trying to freeze this tzatziki chicken salad. The yogurt-based dressing can separate and become watery when thawed, which affects the texture and flavor.
More Chicken Salad Recipes You’ll Love
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Tzatziki Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (460g)
- 1 medium cucumber peeled & shredded ~1 cup lightly packed
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (170g)
- 3 Tbsp fresh dill chopped
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice (15g)
- 2-3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp honey (7g)
- 1/4 tsp salt & pepper or to taste
- 1/2 cup finely diced red onion (60g)
- For serving: pita bread, thinly sliced red onions, sliced tomatoes, crumbled feta
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Instructions
- Shred the chicken into bite size pieces.
- Take the grated cucumber and place it between a few paper towels (or a tea towel); squeeze to remove excess water and place in a bowl. Add the Greek yogurt, dill, lemon juice, garlic, honey, salt and pepper. Mix it all together.
- Add the shredded chicken and red onions. Stir until everything is mixed together well.
- Tweak the taste by throwing in extra salt, pepper, lemon juice, and any other spices you like.
- Keep chilled until ready to serve. When ready, toast some pita bread. Serve tzatziki chicken salad stuffed in toasted pita along with red onions, tomatoes and crumbled feta, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
