Zesty, herby & loaded with flavor! This chopped chicken salad with feta will beome your favorite lunch in no time! Made with crisp chopped romaine, diced chicken, crumbled feta cheese & fresh herbs all tossed in a zippy lemon vinaigrette. Serve it with your favorite chips for a delightful crunch!
Chopped Chicken Salad with Feta Cheese – yesss please! I love a good salad for lunch and chopped salads are the perfect contenders. They’re meal-prep friendly, easy to customize and I love how they keep me full for hours. This simple yet zesty version has been a true favorite lately!
I’ve never been one to skimp on salad fixings so this one’s chock-full with all the goods! It’s got diced chicken, big chunks of creamy feta cheese plus an herbaous blend of fresh dill and green onion to really amp up the freshness. But the true star is always the vinaigrette – this lemon vinaigrette is a downright delicious. It’s made with a touch of honey to balance the acidity and red pepper flakes for that every-so-slight dash of heat.
One bite and you’ll be making this healthy salad all year round!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Romaine lettuce: Romaine is the best for chopped salads! Their stems are super crunchy and their sturdy leaves hold up well after being tossed in dressing.
Diced chicken: Feel free to use storebought rotisserie chicken for ease or make your favorite chicken at home.
Feta cheese: I always suggest buying a block of feta cheese and crumbling it yourself. It’s flavor and texture are unmatched. (We love using Murray’s Feta Cheese for ours – it’s incredibly creamy with an irresistible tang!)
Green onion: These add texture and a subtle onion flavor to the salad.
Fresh dill: Fresh herbs are the best way to elevate any salad! This one’s full of chopped fresh dill give the salad a citrus-like taste with herbaous undertones.
Pita chips: Completely optional – I just love crushing and sprinkling them over the top for added flavor and texture. (Or serve them on the side and scoop up mega bites!)
Olive oil: I’d suggest using a mild tasting olive oil for the vinaigrette. (Full-bodied olive oils tend to muddle the dressing flavor and can overpower your ingredients.
Lemon juice: Always use fresh lemon juice for the best reults!
Honey: A touch of honey is added to the vinaigrette for a beautiful balance of flavor.
Seasonings: Salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes are needed to season the dressing.
How to Make A Chopped Chicken Salad with Feta
1. Make the vinaigrette. Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper together in a glass jar or small bowl. Set it aside once done.
2. Toss. Add the chopped romaine, diced chicken, crumbled feta cheese, green onion and fresh dill to a large mixing bowl. Pour your desired amount of dressing over the top and toss until the salad is coated to your liking.
3. Serve. Sprinkled crushed pita chips over each individual bowl or serve with pita chips on the side. (We love using the chips to “scoop” the salad like a dip.)
Let’s Talk Chicken
Once of the beautiful things about this salad is that it works with a variety of chicken. Bought a rotisserie chicken? Chop it up and add it! Got some free time? Use your favortie marinade/spice rub and grill the chicken insated! You can really make this salad as easy or as elevated as you want! Below is my family’s go-to chicken recipe for salads.
- Generously season 1 lb. of chicken tenderloins with paprika, garlic powder, salt and black pepper.
- Add a splash of olive oil to a large sauté pan and heat it over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, add the tenderloins to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
- Transfer the chicken to a tray once done and allow them to cool completely.
Variations
I like to think of this salad as a blank slate of sorts. It’s incredibly flavorful with only a handful of ingredients and it comes together quickly too. You could easily turn it into a “clean out the fridge” meal by adding extra veggies or replace the protein to keep it a main meal. There’s so many options!
- Go meatless! Turn this salad into a tasty side dish by leaving out the chicken!
- Switch the protein! Grilled steak or salmon would be delicious alternatives.
- Bolster the veggies! Chopped red bell pepper, zucchini and cumcumber are some of my favorites. Try grilling the veggies too!
- Add avocado! Large chunks of creamy avocado would add so much texture and flavor!
- Swap the chips! This one might sound crazy – but we LOVE serving this salad with salt & vinegar chips – so yummy!
Why you’ll love this chopped chicken salad recipe!
- Quick & easy! Just chop, toss & go – what could be better?!
- A healthy lunch idea! Full of lean protein, healthy fats & of course – lots of veggies!
- The perfect bite! Chopping the ingredients into bite-sized pieces enhances the flavor & allows for a little bit of everything in every bite.
- Great way to use up leftover chicken! Don’t let that chicken in the fridge go to waste – make this delciious satisfying meal instead!
More salad recipes you might like:
- Southwest Chicken Chopped Salad with Creamy Chipotle Dressing
- BBQ Chicken Salad with Creamy Cilantro Dressing
- Fiesta Mexican Caesar Salad with Cilantro-Lime Caesar Dressing
- Honey Mustard Chicken Cobb Salad
Chopped Chicken Salad with Feta and Lemon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For the chopped salad:
- 1 large head of romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 lb. cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 4-5 green onions, sliced
- ½ bunch of fresh dill, chopped
- Pita chips, crushed (for serving)
For the lemon vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ⅛ cup lemon juice
- ½ tbsp honey
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Make the vinaigrette. Whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together in a jar or glass measuring cup. Set it aside once done.
- Toss. Add the chopped romaine, diced chicken, feta cheese, green onion and chopped dill to a large bowl. Pour your desired amount of vinaigrette over the top and toss until the salad is coated to your liking.
- Serve. Garnish with crushed pita chips and serve immediately.
