Greek Chicken Pasta Salad

I guess we’ve nearly hit that time of year when I just want to eat cold salads every day (I see you, summer!). I love a good pasta salad, and with this one, I decided to turn it into a full meal by adding a ton of veggies and using half the dressing to marinate a couple of juicy chicken thighs. This Greek Chicken Pasta Salad is a clear winner with anyone who tries it (just check out the comments and reviews!) So much of a winner that I could totally eat this Greek chicken pasta salad for breakfast and have NO regrets. 😉

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“This is the best thing I’ve ever found on the internet, not kidding. We’ve been making it for years now and always double the recipe, and have yet to get sick of it. Can’t recommend it enough.”

Kayah

Easy Greek Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe

This Greek chicken pasta salad recipe comes together quickly and easily and makes about four large meal-sized portions or about six smaller side dish portions. It’s also a great candidate for potlucks and would be super easy to double or even triple if needed. I always make this lemony, garlicky chicken pasta salad whenever I want something a little more filling than a regular pasta salad but still light, fresh, and full of flavor. It’s seriously delish.

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Greek Chicken Pasta Salad

4.61 from 64 votes

Greek Chicken Pasta Salad is the perfectly refreshing and filling summer meal with its medley of vegetables and tangy lemon garlic dressing.

Author: Beth Moncel

Servings 4 to 6

Prep 40 minutes mins

Cook 20 minutes mins

Total 1 hour hr

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Ingredients

MARINADE/DRESSING

• 1 lemon ($0.59)
• 3 cloves garlic, divided ($0.12)
• 1/4 cup olive oil ($0.88)
• 1/2 Tbsp dried oregano ($0.15)
• 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
• Freshly cracked pepper ($0.03)

SALAD

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs* ($2.61)
• 8 oz. pasta (any shape) ($0.59)
• 1/2 cucumber (1.5 cups diced) ($0.37)
• 1 bell pepper (any color) ($1.48)
• 1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives ($1.08)
• 4 oz. grape tomatoes** ($1.19)
• 1/4 bunch parsley ($0.20)
• 2 oz. feta ($1.36)

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Instructions 

• Use a zester, microplane, or small-holed cheese grater to remove the zest from the lemon. Set the zest aside. Squeeze the juice from the lemon into a separate bowl. You’ll need at least 1/4 cup juice.
• Prepare the dressing and marinade by mincing two of the three cloves of garlic and combining them with 1/4 cup lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt, some freshly cracked pepper, and a pinch of the lemon zest. Whisk these ingredients until well combined.
• Place the chicken thighs in a small zip top bag and add half of the dressing, saving the rest to add to the salad later. Mince one more clove of garlic and add it to the bag with the chicken and marinade. Squeeze the air out and massage the bag to make sure the thighs are well coated in the marinade. Refrigerate the thighs for at least 30 minutes.
• While the chicken is marinating, cook the pasta according to the package directions, drain in a colander, and let cool.
• Heat a skillet over a medium flame. Once hot, add the marinated chicken thighs and cook on each side until they are well browned and cooked through (about 5 minutes each side). There should be enough oil in the marinade to keep the meat from sticking. Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet and let it rest for about five minutes. Once slightly cooled, chop the chicken into smaller, bite-sized pieces.
• While the chicken is cooking, prepare the rest of the vegetables. Dice the cucumber and bell pepper. Slice the olives and tomatoes in half (or dice if using Roma or regular tomatoes). Pull the parsley leaves from the stems and give them a rough chop.
• Finally, build the salad. Add the cooked and cooled pasta to a large bowl. Top the pasta with the cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes, olives, parsley, and chopped chicken. Crumble the feta over top and add a pinch or two of the lemon zest. Pour the remaining dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat.

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Notes

*You can also use chicken breasts. Make sure you pound your chicken breast to an even thickness, about 3/4-inch thick, before marinating. Making sure the chicken is thin and even will help it cook quickly without drying it out. You can also filet your chicken breast into two thinner pieces or use chicken tenders.

*Two Roma tomatoes (diced) or one medium tomato can be used in place of the grape tomatoes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 471kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 21gFat: 21gSodium: 643mgFiber: 3g

Read our full nutrition disclaimer here.

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How to Make Greek Chicken Pasta Salad Step-by-Step Photos

Make the marinade: Start by removing the zest from one lemon. Use a zester, microplane, or small-holed cheese grater to scrape the thin layer of yellow zest from the peel. Set the zest aside. Squeeze the juice from the lemon into a separate bowl. You’ll need at least 1/4 cup of juice.

Now, prepare the mixture that will be used for both the dressing and the marinade. Mince two cloves of garlic and combine them in a bowl with 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 Tbsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, some freshly cracked pepper, and a pinch of that lemon zest. Whisk with a fork until well combined.

Marinate the chicken: Add two boneless, skinless chicken thighs to a zip-lock bag and add half of that dressing, plus one more clove of minced garlic (you really want the chicken to be garlicky!). Squeeze out all the air, give the bag a quick massage to distribute the marinade, then refrigerate the chicken for at least 30 minutes.

Cook the pasta: While the chicken is marinating, cook 8oz. of pasta (any shape) according to the package directions. Drain the pasta in a colander and let it cool.

Cook the chicken: Heat a skillet over a medium flame, and once hot, add the marinated chicken thighs. There should be enough oil on them from the marinade to keep them from sticking. Cook the thighs on each side until well browned and cooked through (about five minutes each side).

Remove the chicken from the skillet and let it rest for a few minutes, then chop it into smaller, bite-sized pieces.

Prep the veggies: While the chicken is cooking you can prepare the rest of the vegetables. Dice 1/2 cucumber (1.5 cups diced), dice the bell pepper, slice the tomatoes in half (or dice if using Roma or regular tomatoes), slice 1/4 cup of olives in half, and give 1/4 bunch parsley a rough chop.

Assemble the salad: Finally, it’s time to put everything together! Place the cooked, drained, and cooled pasta in a large bowl (it’s under there, I swear). Top the pasta with the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, olives, parsley, and chopped chicken.

Finally, crumble 2oz. feta over everything and add one last pinch of lemon zest. Pour the remaining dressing over the salad.

And toss until everything is coated in dressing. Done!

I miiiiiight have to make this Greek chicken pasta salad again immediately after this batch is gone. Yeah, definitely.

What Else Can I Add?

This recipe is truly flexible. Don’t like tomatoes? You can skip them and add more bell pepper. Or you can toss in any veggies you have that need to be used up! Here are some of my favorite add-in ideas:

• Spinach
• Corn
• Red onion
• Pickled jalapeños
• Artichoke hearts
• Crumbled pita chips (sprinkled on top for crunch)
• Chopped zucchini or yellow squash
• Pepperoncini
• Roasted red peppers

Storage Instructions

You can keep leftover Greek chicken salad in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. The dressing will soak into the pasta as it sits, so you might want to make extra dressing to drizzle on top before serving. Toss everything together to reincorporate any dressing that has settled at the bottom before serving.

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