Turkey Bowl Recipe

This one’s been a reader favorite for good reason. After nearly 20 years of feeding families (and winning over skeptics), I’ve learned that ground turkey just needs the right seasoning and a solid sear to become the star of the show. Serve it over rice, wrap it in lettuce, pile it on a salad—whatever your vibe, it works.

Quick, healthy, totally customizable, and way more exciting than your usual weeknight fallback. Make it once, and you’ll get why it’s on so many meal rotations and meal prep plans!

Ground Turkey Bowl Ingredients

• Avocado oil: I like the Chosen brand in the large bottles found at Costco.
• Ground turkey
• Middle Eastern Seasoning: This spice blend is quick to assemble with easy to find seasonings and breaths life into that ground turkey! It also makes a fantastic grill rub or marinade, so keep a jar handy in the cupboard.
• Cucumber
• Cherry tomatoes
• Feta cheese
• Steamed rice (Optional as the base): Jasmine rice is always my first choice for rice bowls since it’s fluffy and not as starchy as short-grained rice. You can also long-grain white rice or basmati rice. If you use brown rice or wild rice plan on some extra cook time for those because they take twice as long as white rice.
• Salad greens (Optional as the base)
• Lemons
• Olive oil
• Hummus
• Plain yogurt: Feel free to use full-fat or non-fat here. Both work well!

How to make Ground Turkey Bowls

1. Start cooking your rice, if you are using it as a base for your bowl.
2. Warm the avocado oil and cook the ground turkey until it is cooked through.
3. Then add the remaining avocado oil and seasoning. Continue to cook, breaking the turkey into small pieces, until it is very golden brown and crisped up.
4. Meanwhile, prep your bowl ingredients.
5. Assemble the bowls by scooping some rice or salad greens into a bowl. Top with a few spoonfuls of seasoned turkey, cucumbers, tomatoes, hummus, plain yogurt, and feta.
6. Squeeze lemon over the whole bowl and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil or a spicy condiment.

Seasoning the Ground Turkey

My favorite seasoning blend for this particular recipe is my Middle Eastern Seasoning. It has a lot of herbs and a bit of curry. Steve said this turkey tasted a little like falafel -- to give you an idea of the flavor.

It doesn't have any unusual spices or herbs. It's heavy on the garlic powder, cumin, and dried parsley and all of the ingredients are easy to find in the grocery store. You can also use this seasoning in my Gyro-Inspired Shredded Beef!

My Greek Seasoning is also really good here as well as any other Middle Eastern-ish type of seasoning like Za'atar or the North African blend, Ras el Hanout.

Tips for how to cook Ground Turkey

Here are a few of my best tips on how to cook ground turkey so it actually tastes good.

Add moisture

If you're making turkey burgers or meatloaf,, add some shredded zucchini, shredded carrots, minced bell peppers, or another type of quick cooking vegetable to the ground meat. It will release some moisture as it cooks and a great way to keep those burgers moist.

Add fat

It seems counterintuitive to add fat to really lean ground turkey because the appeal of ground turkey is that it's an extremely lean protein.

Some say it's a healthier alternative to beef, but I'd rather define "healthy" according to the way meat is sourced. Grass-fed beef is far healthier than conventional red meat and poultry you find in the grocery store. I digress....

I'm not saying that you should go nuts here, but a little bit of fat will go a long way. Try adding a little peanut butter along with some Thai-inspired ingredients to your turkey burgers!

Add LOTS of flavor

Ground turkey has a very mild flavor (like chicken) and is an excellent blank slate for bold flavors. Use a heavy hand with that seasoning or other bold ingredients -- like soy sauce, chili powder, or worcestershire sauce.

How to serve a Turkey Bowl

One of my most favorite meals is my Gyro-Inspired Shredded Beef made into a bowl like this with Tzatziki sauce and Cucumber Tomato Salad with Feta. It's not a last-minute dinner you can make on the fly in 30-minutes. It's more like something that I'd cook for company and one of the most delicious meals that my family loves.

These easy turkey bowls are a shortcut version of this made with the same seasoning and most of the same components! It's literally one of the best ground turkey recipes I've ever had.

You can adapt this how you like to fit your taste or dietary preferences, but this is what I used:

• Steamed rice or salad greens as a base
• English cucumbers
• Cherry tomatoes
• Feta cheese
• Hummus
• Plain Full-Fat yogurt (or Greek yogurt)
• Fresh lemon juice
• extra-virgin olive oil

One of my favorite things about this meal is that it allows my kid to assemble their own bowls.

The best way to avoid complaints about dinner is to give your kids some control over what they're eating. Build your own bowls are PERFECT for this. (And why we have taco salads/bowls so frequently!)

Ground Turkey Bowl Meal Prep & Storage

This recipe would also make a great meal prep for a week's worth of lunches or dinners for busy weeknights for one person!

Just store each component in an airtight container or assemble each meal in those meal prep containers -- saving the drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice right before serving.

You know.... this technique would make fabulous filling for ground turkey tacos by using your favorite taco seasoning!

Adding a little extra color to your ground meat is helpful when you're making sloppy joes or turkey chili. Grab a can of tomato sauce and try using ground turkey in my Healthy Sloppy Joe's recipe! 

If you like this recipe, check out some other easy ground turkey recipes on my site!

More Ground Turkey Recipes on Perry's Plate

Moroccan Paleo Turkey Chili is a delicious and unique spin on a chili recipe! It's one of my favorite recipes for fall because it's light healthy dinner, yet still incredibly filing.

These Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps can be made with ground turkey, too! They can also be made into bowls if you don't want to bother with lettuce wraps.

Green Chile Turkey Burgers are so full of flavor and adding some guac-ranch and a fried egg gives the burger extra richness and flavor!

Italian Stuffed Paleo Stuffed Zucchini is stuffed with "turkey sausage" which is just ground turkey with some fresh herbs! You can use bulk Italian turkey sausage, too, if you can find it.

If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

More Recipes on Perry's Plate

Ground Turkey Bowl Recipe FAQs

Ground Turkey Bowls

Yield: Serves 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

These delicious bowls have ultra-seasoned crispy ground turkey and can be customized how you like. I love that they're done in under 30 minutes and always a hit with our kids!

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Ingredients

• 4 Tablespoons avocado oil, divided
• 1 ½ pounds ground turkey
• 3 Tablespoons Middle Eastern Seasoning
• 1 English cucumber, diced
• 1-2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• Steamed rice or chopped salad greens
• 2 lemons
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Hummus & plain yogurt, for garnish

Instructions

1. Start cooking your rice, if you are choosing to use it as a base for your bowl.
2. Heat 1 Tablespoon of avocado oil to high heat in a large skillet. Add the ground turkey and cook for 10-12 minutes, breaking it up with a spatula, until it is cooked through and starting to get golden brown in spots.
3. Add the remaining 2 Tablespoons avocado oil and seasoning to the turkey. Continue to cook, breaking the turkey into even smaller pieces, until it is very golden brown and crisped up, another 5-10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prep your bowl ingredients.
5. Assemble the bowls by scooping some rice or salad greens into a bowl. Top with a few spoonfuls of seasoned turkey, cucumbers, tomatoes, hummus, plain yogurt, and feta. Squeeze ¼ lemon over the whole bowl and drizzle with about 1 Tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil. Add some freshly ground pepper and a spicy condiment, if desired. I recommend chili crunch or harissa paste for this bowl, but you can use sriracha if you like.

Notes

1. I love the MIddle Eastern Seasoning with this recipe, but there are a few others that would be great as well. Try using my Greek Seasoning, Za'atar Seasoning, or another bold Mediterranean-inspired seasoning blend.

Nutrition Information

Yield 6 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 653Total Fat 46gSaturated Fat 13gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 29gCholesterol 166mgSodium 2868mgCarbohydrates 24gFiber 5gSugar 7gProtein 40g

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

The post Mediterranean Meal Prep Ground Turkey Bowl Recipe appeared first on Perry's Plate.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Only a handful of ingredients
• You can flavor it how you want
• Quick 15 minute prep
• You can adjust the amount of tahini to make it extra mild if you prefer

Ingredients

Notes on Key Ingredients

• Chickpeas aka Garbanzo Beans: Use canned or dried beans that have been cooked.
• Fresh lemon juice: Since there are so few ingredients, you'll get the best flavor if they're all as fresh as you can get
• Fresh garlic: See above. Use fresh!
• Tahini: If you're not familiar, tahini is like peanut butter but made with sesame. It looks and feels like peanut butter, but for sure doesn't taste like it. It gives hummus its distinct flavor.
• Olive oil: I use extra-virgin for this.
• Sea salt: I like pink salt

How to Make Homemade Hummus

All you do is toss it all into a food processor and buzz it up!

Don't have a food processor? Get one! I'm sorta serious. First, I use mine more than I use my stand mixer. It's a necessity at this point. Second, it's hard to do this without one. If you use a blender, scrape down the sides and use some extra water. It'll have a looser consistency, but it'll still taste good.

Tips for Extra Silky Hummus

If you want extra silky hummus, try removing the skins from the beans before blending. (Yes, seriously.) My Israeli friend told me this, and while I'm not as committed to extra silky hummus, it's good to know that's how it's done!

Flavor Variations

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Add ½ cup of roasted red peppers and swap out some of the olive oil with the oil from the jar.

Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus

Same as above. I'd start with ⅓ cup of sun-dried tomatoes since they have a stronger flavor and add more to taste. You can also use the oil from the jar to add more flavor.

Roasted Garlic Hummus

You can use store-bought roasted garlic or roast your own and blend it up! You can probably use a whole head of roasted garlic since roasting it calms and sweetens its flavor.

Spicy Hummus

Add some cayenne, chili crunch, or crushed red pepper flakes in your hummus to add heat.

What to Serve with Hummus

As a Dip

Chopped raw vegetables are most commonly served with hummus, but you can get creative with it!

As a Sauce or Spread

Thin it out with a little extra water and oil and use it as a sauce for a rice bowl, pita, or even a salad! I especially love it with my Mediterranean Turkey Bowls.

Make Ahead & Storage

Hummus will keep for a couple weeks in the fridge. Just store chilled in a lidded container.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Dips and Sauces on Perry's Plate

Here are a few more of my favorite homemade condiments!

Green Goddess Dressing

Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Easy Homemade Guacamole

If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

Easy Homemade Hummus

Yield: 3 cups

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Make the best easy homemade hummus in just 5 minutes with canned chickpeas, tahini, and lemon. Naturally gluten-free with endless flavor variations!

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Ingredients

• 2 15-oz cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and well-rinsed
• ⅓ c freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 T tahini, well stirred
• 4 cloves garlic
• salt, to taste
• ¼ c olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Instructions

1. Place all of the ingredients plus ¼ cup water in the bowl of a food processor. Buzz it up until it's smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
2. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil and your choice of garnish. I really loved a little chili crunch mixed in.

Notes

Tahini is a paste made from toasted sesame seeds and has almost the consistency of peanut butter. You should be able to find it either near the peanut butter or in the ethnic aisle of your grocery store. It adds a distinct flavor to hummus that you can't get otherwise.

Nutrition Information

Yield 12 Serving Size ¼ cup
Amount Per Serving Calories 55Total Fat 2gSaturated Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gSodium 68mgCarbohydrates 8gFiber 2gSugar 1gProtein 3g

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

The post Easy Homemade Hummus Recipe appeared first on Perry's Plate.

You will love making your own Middle Eastern Seasoning

This blend is deceptively simple! Just toss it with oil and lemon juice and you instantly elevate chicken, fish, or roasted veggies. I’ve used it in everything from cheesy mash bowls to Instant Pot shredded beef, and it never fails to deliver a punch of fun flavor.

Make extra, because once people taste it, jar envy becomes a real thing. You’ll want to give this one a permanent spot on your spice rack.

What does this Middle Eastern Spices Blend taste like?

It has a cumin-parsley-garlic base and reminds me of a riff of off curry powder with its touch of turmeric and cloves. It contains more herbs and some sesame seeds, too. It's really great!

Middle Eastern Spice Blend Ingredients

If you have a well-stocked spice cabinet, you should already have most of these seasonings:

• Cumin
• Dried Parsley
• Granulated Garlic
• Sesame Seeds
• Salt
• Ground Coriander
• Dried Oregano
• Dried Rosemary
• Turmeric
• Cinnamon
• Ground Cloves
• Cayenne (optional -- leave this out if you don't want the heat)

How to use this Middle Eastern Spice Mix

Our favorite way to use this is to blend it with some oil and citrus juice to use as a marinade for grilled chicken skewers!

It would also be great in a rice pilaf or adding it to some olive oil and dip pita bread into it. Yum!

Gyro-Inspired Shredded Beef is super easy to make! Just rub a big beef roast with this seasoning and throw it in your slow cooker (or Instant Pot!) with a sliced onion and some fresh garlic. You'll have the most delicious shredded beef to make Greek-inspired bowls!

How to Store Middle Eastern Spice Blend

Store your seasoning in an airtight container for several months or until the spices start to lose their flavor.

More From Perry's Plate

If you make this recipe, be sure to post it to social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

Middle Eastern Spice Mix

Yield: About ⅔ cup

Use this exotic (but easy!) mixture to add some Middle Eastern flavor to marinades, spice rubs, dips, or even roasted vegetables.

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Ingredients

• ¼ cup cumin
• 3 Tablespoons dried parsley
• 2 ¼ teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon crushed rosemary
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne

Instructions

Combine well, and store in an airtight container. Makes about ⅔ c.

This post may contain affiliate links. Any purchases made by using these links won't cost you any extra and helps keep my content free. These links may be Amazon links as I am part of the Amazon Associate Program.

The post Middle Eastern Spice Mix appeared first on Perry's Plate.

I’ve been making versions of this for years, especially when I need to bring a salad or a side to a summer potluck. It hits that sweet spot between wholesome and craveable, which, if you’ve been around here for a while, you know is kind of my thing. The textures alone are super interesting: tender roasted carrots, hearty chickpeas, and crunchy walnuts.

It’s perfect for summer, too! You can serve it warm or at room temperature, make it ahead, or tweak it based on what you have in the fridge.

Carrot and Chickpea Salad Ingredients

• Fresh garlic: this salad pops because of the freshness of the ingredients. You’ll want to use fresh garlic here!
• Salt: I used Kosher, but if you use fine sea salt or table salt you’ll want to hold back a little on the amount.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: Red wine vinegar or rice vinegar would also be good.
• Dijon Mustard: skip the yellow stuff this time
• Ground cumin & cumin seeds: the star of the dressing and the roasted vegetables. If you can’t find cumin seeds, just use ground cumin on the roasted carrots.
• Honey: adds just a touch of sweetness to calm the vinegar.
• Cayenne: just a pinch or leave it out completely
• Extra virgin olive oil: You can also use avocado oil or light olive oil. I wouldn’t use coconut oil here.
• Chickpeas: also known as garbanzo beans
• Carrots: don’t use baby carrots here – they don’t have much flavor
• Avocado oil: for roasting
• Walnut halves: you can also use chopped, but bigger ones add better texture to this salad
• Feta cheese: don’t skimp on this!
• Fresh cilantro & mint: Again, use fresh herbs!

How to Make Roasted Chickpea Salad

1. Whisk the dressing ingredients in a large bowl, then stir in the chickpeas.

2. Roast the carrots and garlic tossed in the oil and cumin seeds.

3. Remove them from the oven and chop up the garlic well.

4. Toss the roasted carrots and garlic into the chickpeas and dressing. Let it cool for a bit.

5. Stir in the walnuts, cheese, and herbs.

6. Serve.

Best Carrot Salad Recipe Variations

Add heat: add an extra pinch or two of cayenne to bump up the heat.

Swap out the carrots: sweet potatoes or butternut squash would also be good in this salad.

Add some greens. Massaged kale or some baby greens would be delicious here!

How to Store this Recipe for Carrot Salad

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week for best flavor.

If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

Roasted Carrot Salad Recipe

Yield: Serves 6

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

This is such a fun and unique take on a bean salad -- using cumin-roasted carrots and hearty mix-ins like feta and walnuts.

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Ingredients

For the dressing

Toggle ingredient group

• 1 teaspoon crushed or grated garlic
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ¾ teaspoon cumin (or 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and crushed)
• ½ teaspoon honey
• a generous pinch of cayenne pepper (or more if you like it spicy)
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

For the salad

Toggle ingredient group

• 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas (garbanzos), rinsed and drained
• 2 pounds carrots (about a dozen), peeled, cut in half lengthwise then into ⅓-inch slices at an angle
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2 Tablespoons heat-safe oil, like coconut or grapeseed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 2 cups walnut halves
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
• ½ cup lightly packed chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Instructions

Make the dressing by whisking all of the ingredients (except the oil) in a large serving bowl, then adding the oil in a steady stream while whisking. Add the chickpeas and stir well to coat. Let it stand while you roast the carrots.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

On a large, rimmed baking sheet, toss the carrots, garlic, cumin, oil, and salt until well-coated. Spread evenly, then roast, shaking the pan occasionally, until tender and browned, about 25 minutes.

Remove the garlic cloves from the pan and chop them into small pieces. Transfer the garlic and roasted carrots to the bowl with the chickpeas. Toss until well mixed. Cool slightly, then toss in the walnuts, feta, cilantro, and mint. Season to taste with salt, if necessary. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Nat's Notes:

1. You can make the dressing ahead of time and store in a mason jar until you're ready to add the chickpeas.

2. You can toast the walnuts after you remove the carrots and garlic from the pan. Just spread them evenly and put the pan back into the oven for 5 minutes or so while you put the rest of the salad together. Let them cool for a few minutes before adding them to the salad.

This post may contain affiliate links. Any purchases made by using these links won't cost you any extra and helps keep my content free. These links may be Amazon links as I am part of the Amazon Associate Program.

The post Roasted Carrot Salad with Chickpeas appeared first on Perry's Plate.

I LOVE the briny combination of flavors in this salad. I also love that it requires zero oven time and some components can be prepped ahead of time for a quick weeknight dinner. And it’s the only salad I know of that has grilled cheese. Like actual cheese that I grilled.

Yes, you read that correctly. Did you know you can grill certain types of cheese, and it won’t be come a melty mess? Sounds a little like witchcraft, but it’s a game changer. I’ll show you exactly what to look for.

Why You'll Love This Za'atar Chicken Salad Recipe

• Easy prep
• Meal prep friendly
• Super versatile – add it to rice bowls, wraps, and salads.
• Expands your flavor profiles if you haven’t used za’atar before. Trying new things is fun, right?

What is za'atar seasoning?

If you've never used za'atar seasoning, it's a common blend used in Middle Eastern countries. The first time I used it was when I received some from a sweet Israeli neighbor. 

There are regional variations of za'atar, but most blends have a mixture of thyme, sumac, & toasted sesame seeds. It's delicious! I love using in a marinade or a dressing with fresh lemon juice. *chef's kiss*

You can find it at some nicer grocery stores in the spice section. Or you can order it online. I just ordered this za'atar seasoning on Amazon and LOVE it. I use it frequently, so this amount is good for me. It's a lot if you're only wanting to try it out, so I'd find a smaller jar if I were you. 

Best Grilled Chicken Salad Recipe Ingredients

• Chicken thighs or breasts
• Sea salt
• Za'atar seasoning or Greek seasoning
• Lemons
• Avocado oil
• Feta cheese
• Romaine lettuce
• English cucumber
• Cherry or grape tomatoes
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Garlic

Chicken Salad Dressing Ingredients

This dressing only has a few ingredients -- just lemon juice, more za'atar seasoning, garlic, olive oil, and a little salt.

You could just sprinkle the individual ingredients over the salad and mix it up well. But if you don't want to risk a clump of grated garlic punching you in the tongue, you might want to mix it up in a little bowl first. (Speaking from experience here.)

What kind of chicken is best for this recipe?

I really love using chicken thighs because they're more moist and don't dry out or overcook as quickly as chicken breasts.

If you'd rather use boneless skinless chicken breasts, go right ahead. If your cuts are extra thick, butterfly them or slice them in half so you have two thinner breast pieces. This will give the marinade more surface area, help it to grill more quickly, and produce better tasting chicken.

How to make Grilled Chicken Salad with Za'atar Seasoning

This one has a SUPER easy za'atar marinade that gets tossed on your chicken. Let it marinated for a couple of hours at least or up to 24 hours. Or if you're in a pinch, let it sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes.

While it's griling, get everything chopped up. I liked this as a chopped salad, but you don't have to chop everything up that well if you'd prefer it as a traditional salad. 

Once the chicken's internal temperature reaches 140F, pull it off the grill. Let the chicken rest, chop it up and add it to the salad along with the dressing in a very large salad bowl.

That's it!

How to Make Chicken Zaatar Salad Ahead of Time

If you'd rather do some prep ahead of time, you can prep everything and store the chopped grilled chicken breasts, feta cheese, and vegetables in the large salad bowl and store the dressing separately. It'll keep for a day or so.

Toss everything together right before serving and you're good to go! 

Za'atar Chicken Salad substitutions

Substitute for Feta

If you don't like feta or would rather use another type of cheese, Halloumi cheese is also great for griling!

You could also sprinkle some goat cheese or blue cheese crumbles into this salad.

Substitute for za'atar seasoning

If you don't like or can't find za'atar seasoning, you can use my Greek Seasoning instead. Or another herb-based seasoning you prefer, like Ranch Seasoning mix or Herbs de Provence

Can I use another type of lettuce?

Sure! I love Romaine in this salad, but you can use any lettuce you like. 

You can even use napa cabbage or very finely shredded regular cabbage in place of half of the lettuce. I wouldn't recommend using all cabbage though, because it will make the salad a lot heavier.

Recommended Toppings for the Best Grilled Chicken Salad

I used halved grape tomatoes and cucumbers (my favorite for things like this), but you can use any kind of chopped raw veg you want.

Here are some suggestions if you need some:

• bell peppers
• snap peas
• zucchini (grilled or raw)
• yellow squash (grilled or raw)
• broccoli
• cauliflower
• red onion
• fresh corn

What to Serve with Grilled Chicken Salad with Za'atar Seasoning

This salad is perfect as a main meal or as a side dish for burgers, casseroles, or other hearty dishes.

How to Store Grilled Chicken Salad

Store it in an airtight container for about a day. It would be best to eat the whole thing the same day you make it, honestly.

If you use some cabbage in your salad, it will last an extra day or so in the fridge. If you use all lettuce it'll get slimy more quickly.

Za'atar Chicken Salad Recipe FAQs

More recipes using za'atar seasoning

This Syrian Salad with Za'atar Vinaigrette is one of the best green salads I've ever eaten! It has SO much flavor and goes great with a lot of dishes.

You could also use za'atar in my Mediterranean Ground Turkey Bowls, too!

More Grilled Chicken Salad Recipes

If you like this recipe, try one of my other salads with grilled chicken!

Grilled Jerk Chicken & Mango Salad is a simple grilled chicken salad recipe with a ton of flavor! I love the sweetness from the mango with the jerk spices in the chicken.

Easy Fiesta Lime Chicken Salad is inspired by Applebee's Fiesta Lime Chicken -- but in salad form. (I like it better this way!)

If you're looking for more grilled chicken recipes, here's a collection of mine: Best Grilled Chicken Recipes. 

Some include a chicken marinade and some have just a simple spice rub. All of these can be turned into some kind of salad or used in a grain bowl. Those are my favorite ways to eat grilled chicken for lunch or dinner.

If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

Best Grilled Chicken Salad Recipe

Yield: 6-8

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Marinating Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 30 minutes

I LOVE this grilled chicken salad! It's filled with marinated za'atar grilled chicken, spiced grilled feta, lots of crisp veggies, and a simple lemon-herb dressing!

Print

Ingredients

• 1 ½- 2 lbs chicken thighs or breasts
• 2 ¼ teaspoons sea salt
• 2 ½ Tablespoons za'atar seasoning or Greek seasoning, divided
• 2 lemons, divided
• 3 Tablespoons avocado oil, divided
• 8 ounce block feta cheese
• 2 heads of Romaine lettuce (see note)
• 1 English cucumber
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
• 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic, grated or microplanes

Instructions

1. Place the chicken in a medium or large bowl. If you're using really thick chicken breasts, I highly recommend butterflying them or slicing them so you have two thin breasts.
2. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 Tablespoon of za'atar, 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about half of one of the lemons), and 2 Tablespoons avocado oil. Use a pair of tongs to turn the chicken and get everything coated well. Chill and marinate for at least 2 hours, up to 24 hours.
3. When you're ready to grill the chicken and assemble the salad, preheat your grill to high heat.
4. Place the block of feta on a small plate. Sprinkle with a pinch or two of za'atar seasoning and drizzle with the remaining 1 Tablespoon avocado oil.
5. When the grill has preheated, grill the chicken until cooked through and nice grill marks have formed. Set chicken aside to rest for a few minutes.
6. Make sure the grill is really hot and grill the seasoned feta block for a couple of minutes on each side. Set aside.
7. Slice the romaine lettuce thinly, chop the cucumbers, chicken, & feta, and put them all in a very large salad bowl.
8. In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, garlic, the other 1 ½ Tablesoon of za'atar seasoning, and the juice from one of the lemons (about 3-4 Tablespoons). Pour over the salad and toss to coat.
9. Serve immediately

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Nutrition Information

Yield 8 Serving Size About 1 cup
Amount Per Serving Calories 582Total Fat 41gSaturated Fat 13gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 27gCholesterol 243mgSodium 1314mgCarbohydrates 13gFiber 5gSugar 6gProtein 47g

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

This post may contain affiliate links. Any purchases made by using these links won't cost you any extra and helps keep my content free. These links may be Amazon links as I am part of the Amazon Associate Program.

The post Best Grilled Chicken Salad Recipe appeared first on Perry's Plate.

I'll get to this amazeballs roasted salmon in a second. If you've been hanging around here for a while you'll know a few things about me. . .

1. I have an undying love for bacon & avocados.
2. Roasted vegetables = life.
3. I love me a kick of heat.

That last one is fairly recent. Well, "fairly" meaning 7 years ago when I was pregnant with my 3rd child. Before that point I never put hot sauce or chili flakes on ANYTHING. My husband always did, and I thought he was nuts. During the aforementioned pregnancy I suddenly craved a little heat. I started putting a few drops of Tapatio on my scrambled eggs and a pinch of chili flakes on my pizza.

After my daughter was born (Interestingly enough, she has the most fiery personality out of the four kids.) I still craved that kick of heat.

Fast forward to now and my affinity for spicy sauces and condiments has compounded quite a bit. On any given day you'll find in my kitchen a half dozen different Mexican hot sauces, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, wing sauce, sriracha, Asian chili paste, Italian chili paste, several kinds of chili powder, and a recent favorite -- Tunisian harissa paste.

Harissa paste is apparently having a moment right now, and I'm totally loving it. It's not too hard to find either. Amazon has a TON of different kinds. I got my first jar at Trader Joe's and have been happily playing with it ever since. (Psst... a smidge will turn regular ranch dressing into something quite spectacular.)

Which brings me to this roasted salmon. I've always been a die-hard foil/parchment packet girl when it comes to salmon.

Until I realized that I usually overcooked it when I roasted it in the oven. *eyeroll* It always turned out dry and flavorless.

Besides not overcooking it, I think the other secrets to great salmon are seasoning it well and using some acid to brighten the flavors. Harissa paste definitely provides some salt -- I barely had to salt this fillet. And although it is acidic, I used lemon juice, too.

I can't tell you how much I loved this salmon. It was tender and perfectly seasoned and has a spicy kick, but it didn't make my nose run. (My husband's goal when he eats spicy food. I'm not quite there yet. I like to actually taste my food too, thx.)

This roasted salmon only has FIVE ingredients, guys. I served this with some simple roasted asparagus, but any of these sides would be great with it! I also included instructions to make this on the grill (see recipe notes).

Harissa Salmon Ingredients

• Salmon fillet: Use one large one like I did or several small ones. You can use whatever type of salmon you prefer. Just make sure it’s thawed when you start the recipe.

• Sea salt: I use pink salt. I recommend using sea salt over regular table salt for better flavor. You can also use Kosher salt, but you may need a little extra.

• Harissa paste: This is a Middle Eastern style hot sauce found in many ethic aisles in the grocery store (Trader Joe’s has it, too!). If you can’t find it, you can also use sriracha or sambal oelek.

• Minced garlic: I prefer fresh, using a microplane grater, but you can use pre-minced garlic if you like.

• Lemon: Use half of the juice for prep and the other half for serving.

How to Make Spicy Salmon

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place the salmon on a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt.

3. Combine the harissa paste, garlic, and juice from half of the lemon. Pour the mixture over the salmon.

4. Roast for 16-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillet.

5. Squeeze the juice from the other half of the lemon over the fillet (or over individual servings). Serve warm.

Spicy Salmon Recipe Variations

• Swap out the harissa: Use a different type of spicy condiment like sriracha, sambal oelek, or Calabrian chili paste.

• Swap out the acid: If you don’t have a lemon, try using lime! You can also use rice vinegar in a pinch.

What to Serve with Spicy Salmon

Magic Sauteed Green Beans

Syrian Salad with Za'atar Dressing

Simple Marinated Cucumbers

Marinated Grilled Zucchini

How to Store Salmon

Store any leftovers covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. After that, it gets a little funky.

More like this Harissa Salmon Recipe:

Wild-caught salmon is one of my favorite summer time meals. Most of the time I make my Grilled Cajun Foil-Packet Salmon, Garlic Butter Salmon Sheet Pan Meal, or Creamy Dill Roasted Salmon, but this Harissa Roasted Salmon might be a contender for my favorite.

Harissa Spicy Baked Salmon Recipe

Yield: Serves 4-6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

This spicy Harissa Roasted Salmon is a summertime favorite! There are only 5 ingredients and you can make it on the grill, too. Perfect for palo, keto, and Whole30 eaters.

Print

Ingredients

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• 1 to 1 ½ lb whole salmon fillet (or the same amount in smaller cuts
• sea salt
• 2 teaspoon harissa paste
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 lemon

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment, foil, or spray with nonstick spray.
2. Place the salmon on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt.
3. In a small bowl, combine the harissa paste, garlic, and juice from half of the lemon. Pour the mixture over the salmon, using a spoon to spread it around to coat the whole fillet.
4. Roast for 16-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillet. My fillet was 1.25 pounds and 18 minutes was perfect. It should be just barely cooked through and easily pulls apart with a fork.
5. Squeeze the juice from the other half of the lemon over the fillet (or over individual servings). Serve warm.

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Purchases made by using these links doesn’t cost you any extra and helps to keep my content free.

Harissa Salmon FAQs

Is it better to cook salmon in a skillet or in the oven?

Both do well. I think the oven has a higher chance of drying out the salmon unless you put it in a parchment pouch, so you’ll have to watch it more carefully. Using a lidded skillet makes it easier to keep an eye on it, but it's harder to have consistent temperature control.

What side dishes go with harissa salmon?

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