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!

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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.

• 
  Microplane 45000 Gourmet Series Coarse Cheese Grater, 18/8, Silver
• 
  Za'atar by Z&Z (Zaatar/Zatar/Zahtar) – Premium Za'atar, 8oz – Middle Eastern Spice Mix you can Snack on

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.

This salad, guys. It's SO bold.

Salad with wimpy dressings make me sad. This Syrian salad is definitely not one of those.

Before I give you the low down on that salad, let me talk about Liz. Do you follow Liz's blog, The Lemon Bowl? She's fabulous -- super confident and adventurous, and totally gorgeous.

Liz also has a rich family heritage, and she just released a new recipe ebook dedicated to her Syrian family -- The Ultimate Syrian Sunday Dinner. It's the fourth part in her Food From Our Ancestors Series.

This may have been the first time I grated fresh garlic directly onto a salad. I like it.

This is the star of the show, though. Have you ever used za'atar seasoning? It's a Middle Eastern herb and spice blend.

I have a lame story about za'atar. Want to hear it? Several years ago we lived down the street from the nicest Israeli couple who were going to grad school the same time we were. Nitzan, the wife, gave me a jar of za'atar blend once, and I was thrilled because I'd never tried it before! It was in an empty baby food jar and.... I couldn't get it open. Neither could Steve. So it sat in my spice cabinet for EIGHT YEARS, and I finally tossed it last year because I figured it would be old and flavorless even if I could get it open. The end.

Don't be scared when you sprinkle a whole lot of this blend on your salad.

I looked in few stores for this blend and couldn't find it, and after a quick Google search, I realized I had everything to make it at home! Sumac isn't something I usually have on hand, but I happened to have some in a Trader Joe's spice blend pack. If you need a recipe, here's the one I used: Homemade Za'atar Seasoning (except I didn't blend the sesame seeds)

I'm excited to try the other recipes from The Ultimate Syrian Sunday Dinner book! Go grab a copy and whip up this Syrian Salad and some Stuffed Cabbage Rolls. And a big bowl of Aunt Vieve's Hummus. Or buy the whole Food From Our Ancestors bundle and get the Jewish, Mexican, and Italian Sunday Dinner books, too!

And then call me and we can do an ultimate Sunday dinner potluck.SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave

Syrian Salad

Yield: Serves 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

This Syrian Salad. It's seriously SO bold. It's the best punch of flavor in the face that you'll ever get. And you won't be able to stop eating!

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Ingredients

Toggle ingredient group

• 4 cups Romaine Lettuce, chopped
• 1 cup diced tomato (about two medium)
• 1 cup diced cucumber
• ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
• ¼ cup minced parsley
• ¼ cup minced fresh mint or 1 Tablespoon dried mint
• 2 cloves garlic, grated/crushed
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons za'atar (a Middle Eastern spice and herb blend)
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Place the first six ingredients in a large salad bowl (Romaine through mint)
2. Squeeze juice of one lemon around the bowl, carefully holding your opposite hand underneath to catch the seeds.
3. Using a microplane, grate the garlic directly over the salad.
4. Drizzle salad with olive oil and lemon juice, then sprinkle with za'atar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Gently toss the salad together. Check for seasoning and adjusting accordingly.

Notes

Shared with permission from Food From My Ancestors: Ultimate Syrian Sunday Dinner by Liz Della Croce.

The post Syrian Salad with Za'atar Vinaigrette appeared first on Perry's Plate.