Oh my god! This Mediterranean chicken salad! I could literally eat itevery day of the week (in fact, I nearly did this last week). Itisthat good!I don’t do this often, but I would like to politely urge you to make this as soon as possible. The name doesn’t give it nearly enough justice.
As a general rule, I enjoysalads. This isn’t anything new.But it takes a very specialsalad for me to feel 100% satiated with one as a main course. It also takes a very special salad for metocrave it more than anything else! It has to have a ton of flavor and texture, and this salad checks all of those boxes. I love it.
The wow factor comes from:
- chicken breasts marinaded with ahomemadespice mixturemade up of ground cumin, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, paprika, allspice, cloves, and turmeric. Itliterally makes everything taste better!
- crunchy, vibrant, thinly sliced red cabbage (I love adding it to salads for texture nutrition, and heartiness) combined with scallions and umami-rich sun-dried tomatoes
- za’atar spice, dried sumac, lots of fresh lemon juice, and good-quality olive oil
- creamy, easy lemon tahini sauce for drizzling – this sauce is spectacular!
My favorite recipes are the ones that I end up throwing togetherat the last minute, and this is exactly how this salad came about. I looked to my pantry andlast year’sMiddle Eastern spatchco*cked chicken for inspiration.
The chicken on this salad is marinated with a homemade Middle Eastern inspired spice mixture made up of ground cumin, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, paprika, allspice, sumac, cloves, and turmeric.If you cook regularly, these are ground spices thatare commonly used for both baking and savory dishes. I recommend having all of themin your pantry.
I make a large batch of the spice mixture at once (tip: quadruple the dry spice amountsin the recipe andkeep the leftovers in a small ziplock bag for easy grabbing!) and keep some inmy pantry at all times. It makes everything taste better and itcompliments theother components in this salad perfectly.
The best part?You can marinate the chicken for as little as 20 minutes or up to 12 hours, depending on your time schedule.
The sumacdressing is made with fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, za’atar spice blend, and sumac.
Sumac isdark red spice produced from the berry fruit of sumac flowers. It is very citrus-y and tart in flavor, and is a wonderful staple of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine.I’ve acquired a habit of sprinkling it on salads, vegetables, dips, and so many other things over thepast few years.Unfortunately, sumac is hard to find in most grocery stores, so if you’re looking to grab a container of it, I recommend seeking out any local Middle Easterngrocery stores or simply, ordering it online.
Za’ataris aspice blend made from toasted sesame seeds, sumac, and thyme (and occasionally afew other spices!). You can try your hand atmaking your own– sumac is difficult to find –but I’ve hadbetter luckfinding za’atar spice blend online or in the international aisle of my standard grocery store.
Both of these spices offer so much in flavor! It is hard to meet a vegetable or piece of meat or seafoodthat doesn’t benefit from a sprinkling of both.
This salad is incredibly hearty and satiating on it’s own, and can be whipped up quickly – especially if you prep the spice mixture and tahini sauce ahead of time. All of the components and flavors of the salad come together really well, so please don’t be tempted to skimp on one or the other.
It is also worth noting that this Mediterranean chicken salad tastes incredible with of side ofgrilled vegetables. Eggplant, zucchini, and bell pepper are my favorites for this particular salad!
Yield: 3 - 4 Large Servings
Prep: 45 minutes minutes
Cook: 12 minutes minutes
Additional Time: 3 minutes minutes
Total: 1 hour hour
The chicken on this salad is marinated with a homemade Middle Eastern inspired spice mixture made up of ground cumin, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, paprika, allspice, sumac, cloves, and turmeric! It is tossed with crunchy red cabbage, greens, scalions, sun dried tomatoes, za'atar, and a sumac dressing! Finish with homemade lemon tahini sauce.
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade:
- ¼ cup (60 mL) extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon ground sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground sumac
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 large clove garlic grated with a microplane or pressed
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts roughly 1½ lbs
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Mediterranean Salad:
- 2 large scallions finely sliced
- 4-5 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes finely diced
- 1 heaping teaspoon za’atar spice blend
- ½ teaspoon ground sumac
- ¼ small red cabbage cored and thinly sliced (about ¾ cup)
- 2 small heads of romaine cored, and sliced
- 4-5 ounces mixed greens
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) fresh lemon juice plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Toppings:
- lemon tahini sauce
- za’atar spice for sprinkling
- ground sumac for sprinkling
- lemon wedges for serving
- grilled assorted vegetables optional
- crumbled feta cheese optional
Instructions
Marinate theChicken:Place the olive oil, spices, garlic, and lemon juice in a large gallon freezerZiploc bag.Close the bag, squeezing out anyexcess air, and combine the ingredientstogether - you want to make the spices are evenly incorporated - by squishing the contents of the bag with your hands.Using tongs, add the chicken breasts to the Ziploc bag, squeeze out the excess air from the bag, and reseal. Make sure the marinade is evenly coating both sides of the chicken breasts. Place the bag flat on a largeplate (Ilike to place mine on aquarter-size baking sheet, as I can store it easily in the fridge this way) and marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 12 hours if prepping ahead in the morning.
Grillthe Chicken:Remove the chicken from the fridgeabout 15minutes prior to cooking, so that it comes slightly closerto room temperature. Heat an outdoor grill or large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade, place on a large plate, and season both sides with salt and pepper. Discard the remainder of the marinade. Grill the chicken (I prefer to do this in batches, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, so that the grill stayshot) for 4 to 5minutes per side (cooking time isroughly 10 minutes per inch ofthickness) or until the internal temperature reads 165°F. Adjust the heat and time depending on the thickness and size of your chicken.Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean plate or serving platter and allow it to rest for at least 5 to 10 minutes while you prepare the salad.
Prepare the Salad:In a large salad bowl, combine the scallions, sun-dried tomatoes, za’atar spice,sumac, and cabbage.Add the romaine, mixed greens, lemon juice, olive oil, and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Toss and season to taste, adjusting with additional salt, lemon juice, or olive oil as needed.
For Serving: Once the chicken breasts have rested, slice them against the grain into ½or ¾-inchthick slices. Distribute the salad evenly into four large bowls. Top with grilled chicken and sprinkle each serving with a pinch of za’atar spice and sumac. Serve with assorted grilled vegetables, crumbled feta cheese (optional), wedges of lemon and a large spoonful of lemon tahini sauce.
Tips for Success:
- I recommend making a large batch (tripling or quadrupling) the spice mixture for the chicken marinade. It tastes fabulous on everything, and you can keep a small batch of it in your pantry for easy access!
- This salad stands incredibly well on its own, but tastes fabulous accompanied with a crumbling of feta cheese or simple grilled vegetables, such as eggplant, zucchini, and bell pepper.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 537kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 46g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 23g, Cholesterol: 102mg, Sodium: 599mg, Fiber: 11g, Sugar: 7g
Author: Laura / A Beautiful Plate
Course: Main Course Salads
Cuisine: American
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