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Greek chicken pasta salad in a large bowl with feta olives and lemon dressing

Greek Chicken Pasta Salad

A refreshing and filling Greek Chicken Pasta Salad made with juicy marinated chicken thighs, a medley of fresh vegetables, feta cheese, and a tangy lemon garlic dressing. Ready in about 1 hour and perfect for meal prep, potlucks, or a light summer meal.
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4 portions
Course: Lunch, Main Course, Salad
Cuisine: American, Mediterranean
Calories: 471

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lemon zested and juiced, you need at least 1/4 cup juice
  • 3 garlic cloves divided, 2 for dressing and 1 for marinade
  • 0.25 cup olive oil extra virgin recommended
  • 0.5 tbsp dried oregano
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 pinch freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken thighs can substitute chicken breasts pounded to 3/4-inch thickness
  • 8 oz pasta any shape, rotini, fusilli, or bowtie recommended
  • 1.5 cup cucumber about 1/2 a cucumber, diced
  • 1 bell pepper any color, diced
  • 0.25 cup pitted Kalamata olives sliced in half
  • 4 oz grape tomatoes halved, or 2 Roma tomatoes diced
  • 0.25 bunch fresh parsley roughly chopped
  • 2 oz feta cheese block feta crumbled by hand for best results

Equipment

  • Zester or microplane
  • large skillet
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Zip-top bag
  • colander

Method
 

  1. Zest the lemon and set the zest aside. Squeeze at least 1/4 cup of lemon juice into a separate bowl.
  2. Make the dressing by mincing 2 garlic cloves and whisking together with the lemon juice, olive oil, dried oregano, salt, pepper, and a pinch of lemon zest until fully combined.
  3. Place chicken thighs in a zip-top bag. Add half the dressing plus 1 more minced garlic clove. Massage to coat, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  4. While the chicken marinates, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and let cool completely before assembling.
  5. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Cook the marinated chicken thighs about 5 minutes per side until well browned and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Remove and let rest for 5 minutes, then chop into bite-sized pieces.
  6. Dice the cucumber and bell pepper. Halve the tomatoes and olives. Roughly chop the parsley leaves.
  7. Add cooled pasta to a large bowl. Top with cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes, olives, parsley, and chopped chicken. Crumble feta over top, add a pinch of lemon zest, pour the remaining dressing over everything, and toss to coat. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready.

Notes

Make an extra half-batch of dressing and store it separately if meal prepping. The pasta absorbs dressing as it sits so a fresh drizzle before serving brings everything back to life. For a vegetarian version replace chicken with 1 can rinsed chickpeas. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Freezing is not recommended.
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