Lemon Herb Mediterranean Chicken Salad

Name: Lemon Herb Mediterranean Chicken Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 47 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 1/3 cup Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice; 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly cracked; 1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts; 1 tablespoon High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for the grill; 8 cups romaine lettuce, chopped; 1 large cucumber, diced; 2 Roma tomatoes, diced; 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced; 1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted; 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Grilled lemon-herb chicken over crisp greens, cucumber, tomato, and feta, finished with a raw lemon-herb dressing built on grassy, peppery extra virgin olive oil. The dressing doubles as the marinade, so the whole bowl tastes bright and fresh from the first forkful.

By Olivea Kitchen | Published June 30, 2026

Jump to Recipe

Prep 20 min

Cook 12 min

Total 47 min

Easy

Why We Love This Recipe

We love this salad because it is built almost entirely from whole, fresh ingredients: lean grilled chicken for protein, crunchy romaine, cucumber, and tomato for fiber and water-rich volume, red onion and garlic for aromatic depth, and a raw lemon-herb dressing that never sees the heat. Because the dressing is whisked and served uncooked, its olive oil and fresh lemon go straight to the plate at their freshest.

That raw dressing is where Olivea earns its place. We build it on Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, an oil rich in polyphenols and especially hydroxytyrosol, the most studied olive polyphenol, carried at a lab-verified 1,000+ mg/kg you can check on the label. Its peppery, slightly bitter catch at the back of the throat is the polyphenols you can actually taste, so the same character that makes the dressing lively is the part doing the nourishing work. Olivea is USDA Certified Organic, single-origin from Messinia, Greece, early harvest, and cold-pressed within hours, with its polyphenol load developed alongside Harvard-trained cardiologists and verified by qNMR at the University of Athens. If you want to read further, here is the research on olive-oil polyphenols, and you can see the wider evidence on our science page.

The lemon and parsley add vitamin C and vitamin K, the tomato brings potassium and lycopene, and the feta and chicken round it out with calcium and protein. As a plate of greens, lean protein, and monounsaturated-fat-rich olive oil, it sits right at the heart of the Mediterranean-diet pattern, the kind of fresh, plant-forward meal that is easy to come back to all week.

View Nutrition Facts

Recipe Success Tips

Save half the dressing before it ever touches the chicken.

Whisk the full batch, then set aside half in the fridge before you add the raw chicken to the rest. The reserved portion stays food-safe to spoon over the finished salad, so you taste that bright lemon-herb dressing raw at the table.

Reach for a fresh, peppery high-phenolic oil for the dressing.

Since the dressing is uncooked, the olive oil is front and center. A fresh bottle of Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil brings a grassy aroma and a peppery finish that stands up to the lemon and salt instead of disappearing into them.

Pound the chicken to an even thickness.

Press the breasts to roughly three-quarters of an inch before marinating. Even thickness means the chicken grills in the same few minutes edge to edge, staying juicy rather than drying out at the thin end.

Marinate at least 20 minutes, but not past two hours.

Twenty minutes is enough for the lemon and herbs to flavor the surface. Much past two hours and the acid starts to break down the texture, leaving the chicken mealy rather than tender.

Let the chicken rest before slicing.

Give it five minutes off the heat so the juices redistribute. Slicing too soon spills them onto the board, and the salad loses that juicy quality.

Salt the cucumber and tomato lightly, just before serving.

A pinch of salt draws out their flavor, but do it at the last minute. Salt too early and they weep water that dilutes the dressing.

Ingredients

servings

1/3 cup Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly cracked
1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for the grill
8 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
1 large cucumber, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Kitchen Tools You'll Need

Whisk

Mixing Bowl

Shallow Dish

Grill or Grill Pan

Tongs

Chef's Knife

How to Cook Lemon Herb Mediterranean Chicken Salad

MIX

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, parsley, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper until it looks emulsified and slightly cloudy. Whisked raw into this dressing, the Ultra High Phenolic's grassy, peppery bite stands up to the lemon and salt and becomes the backbone of the salad rather than a neutral carrier.

Pour half the dressing into a separate shallow dish and refrigerate it; this reserved half becomes the finishing dressing for the salad.

MARINATE

Add the chicken breasts to the dressing remaining in the bowl, turn to coat, and marinate 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator.

GRILL

Brush the grates with the High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil and heat the grill to medium-high. Lift the chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip off, and grill 5 to 7 minutes per side until cooked through and an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Discard the marinade the raw chicken sat in.

Transfer the chicken to a board and rest 5 minutes before slicing across the grain into strips.

ASSEMBLE

In a large bowl or on a platter, layer the romaine, cucumber, tomato, red onion, Kalamata olives, and feta. Arrange the sliced chicken on top.

Drizzle the reserved raw dressing over everything just before serving so the Ultra High Phenolic's fresh, peppery flavor lands on every bite. Finish with extra cracked pepper and lemon wedges if you like.

Recipe Notes

Serving Suggestions

Serve it as a full meal on its own, or alongside warm pita and a scoop of lemon hummus for a mezze-style spread. It also pairs well with a side of Greek lemon rice when you want something a little more filling.

Variations

Swap the grilled chicken for grilled shrimp or chickpeas to keep it Mediterranean, or trade the lemon-herb dressing for a sharper lemon vinaigrette. For a heartier, herb-forward plate, the same marinade approach works beautifully on Greek lemon chicken thighs.

Which Olivea oil to use

Because the dressing is raw, it is the star moment for the bold, peppery Ultra High Phenolic, which keeps its grassy, peppery character front and center. For brushing the grill and cooking the chicken, reach for the smoother, more versatile High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which is suited to everyday cooking heat. Prefer a gentler, less peppery dressing? The High Phenolic gives a more rounded, mellow finish.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Whisk the dressing up to 3 days ahead and keep it in a sealed jar in the fridge, away from light and heat, so the oil stays fresh and bright; let it come to room temperature and shake before using. Store the chopped vegetables and grilled chicken separately and dress only just before serving so the greens stay crisp.

Nutrition Facts per Serving

Nutrition Facts

Serving size 1 salad with chicken and dressing (about 1/4 recipe)

Calories 480

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 34g44%

Saturated Fat 7g35%

Trans Fat 0g

Unsaturated Fat 26g

Monounsaturated Fat 21g

Polyunsaturated Fat 3g

Cholesterol 110mg37%

Sodium 890mg39%

Total Carbohydrate 11g4%

Dietary Fiber 3g11%

Total Sugars 5g

Includes 0g Added Sugars 0%

Protein 40g80%

Vitamin A 320mcg36%

Vitamin C 22mg24%

Vitamin D 0mcg0%

Calcium 180mg14%

Iron 3mg17%

Potassium 880mg19%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

The Best No-Cook Way to Get Olive Oil Benefits

Because this dressing stays raw, a fresh bottle of high-phenolic olive oil delivers its polyphenols and flavor straight to the plate. For an easy daily polyphenol habit on the days you are not whisking up a dressing, the Olivea Hydroxytyrosol Supplement offers a convenient, no-cook dose.

Olivea: Suplemento de hidroxitirosol

$40.00

Add to Cart

Frequently Asked Questions

What is in a lemon herb Mediterranean chicken salad?

It pairs grilled lemon-herb marinated chicken with crisp romaine, cucumber, tomato, red onion, Kalamata olives, and feta. A raw lemon-herb olive oil dressing both marinates the chicken and finishes the salad.

Can I make this Mediterranean chicken salad ahead of time?

Yes. Grill the chicken and chop the vegetables up to a day ahead, and whisk the dressing up to 3 days ahead. Keep everything separate and combine just before serving so the greens stay crisp.

Is lemon herb chicken salad healthy?

It is a plate of lean protein, fresh vegetables, and olive oil, which fits the Mediterranean-diet pattern well. Using the olive oil raw in the dressing keeps it fresh and flavorful right on the plate.

What olive oil should I use for the dressing?

Since the dressing is uncooked, use a fresh, flavorful extra virgin olive oil like Ultra High Phenolic, whose grassy, peppery character carries the lemon and herbs. For grilling the chicken, a smoother High Phenolic olive oil suited to cooking heat works well.

Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts?

Absolutely. Boneless, skinless thighs stay especially juicy on the grill and take the lemon-herb marinade beautifully. Grill them a couple of minutes longer until they reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

How do I keep the chicken juicy?

Pound the breasts to an even thickness, marinate them at least 20 minutes, and rest the chicken 5 minutes before slicing. Slicing across the grain also keeps each bite tender.

Is this salad gluten-free?

Yes, every ingredient here is naturally gluten-free. Serve it with gluten-free pita or skip the bread to keep the whole meal gluten-free.

How do I make it dairy-free?

Leave out the feta or swap in a dairy-free feta-style cheese. The lemon-herb dressing and grilled chicken carry plenty of flavor on their own.

What can I serve with Mediterranean chicken salad?

Warm pita, hummus, or a scoop of lemony rice round it into a full Mediterranean spread. A crisp white wine or sparkling water with lemon pairs nicely.

Can I use bottled lemon juice?

Fresh lemon juice is worth it here because the dressing is raw and the citrus is so prominent. Bottled juice tastes flat and slightly bitter by comparison.