A quick and healthy Chicken Gyro Salad with Tzatziki Dressing made from crunchy romaine, red onions, and peppers, topped with juicy seasoned chicken , feta cheese and pita croutons!
Sooooooo it’s twenty 1-6. and I’m freaking out just a little bit. Time just seems to move faster and faster the older I get and now that I have two littles at home, it’s flying by at warp-speed which I pretty much hate. I need time to slow down. Which is why one of my New Year’s Resolutions is to slow down. Take a step back from the go-go-go life I’ve been living and just breathe. Soak in the tiny moments and be present.
I actually take New Years Resolutions pretty seriously. Up until a few years that was not the case. I didn’t really get it and I never put too much thought into it. In fact I don’t think I ever even made a real NWR until I was twenty years old. But that year I scribbled down a few of my biggest goals on a paint swatch (seriously.) and pushed it to the back of a drawer and really tried make those goals happen. And most of them did happen. And it was kind of awesome to look back at what I’d written on a teal blue paint chip and see some long term goals take shape.
So every year I make more goals, new resolutions. The new year is a fresh start and I just love that.
It seems like a lot of people make New Years resolutions regarding their eating habits – as in, lose weight, eat healthier etcetera, and it always reminds me of Tim Mcgraw’s My Next 30 Years – “eat a few more salads and not stay up so late…” So to kick off 2016 I’m sharing a brand spanking new healthy and incredibly tasty salad recipe. Last year I shared these—> easy chicken gyros and they have been a huge hit so I thought you might also like my salad version. I’m a HUGE salad fan so this is just about my favorite thing ever.
So Happy New Year. Happy Sunday. Happy chicken gyro salad!
What people are saying about this Chicken Gyro Salad with Tzatziki Dressing
“Made this tonight and it was FANTASTIC. Couldn’t find the Mediterranean seasoning but I found an easy recipe. It was so worth it. The only thing I changed was I used cherry tomatoes cut in half instead of the red peppers and I found a box of Townhouse pita crackers to put on top. Still it was a great recipe and even my hubby loved it. Can’t wait until lunch tomorrow.” – Gina
“We made this for dinner last night, and WOW! It was amazing! It’s easy, and delicious. This is going in the book of staples for lunches and dinners in our house.” – Angie
Chicken Gyro Salad with Tzatziki Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 round pita breads
- 6-8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts - sliced in half lengthwise
- 3 teaspoons mediterranean seasoning - (may sub Italian in a pinch)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 red bell pepper - thinly sliced
- ½ red onion - thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
Tzatziki Dressing
- 1 large cucumber - peeled, seeded, and chopped
- ½ cup plain fat free greek yogurt
- ½ teaspoon salt - or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper - or to taste
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ¼ cup light mayo - (optional – see note)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush pita breads with olive oil and cut into triangles. Lay in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 5-7 minutes until lightly browned. Allow to cool.
- Combine all dressing ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Cover and chill until ready to use.
- Season chicken with Mediterranean seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat in a large skillet for 4-6 minutes on each side until cooked through. Cut into strips.
- Distribute lettuce, chicken, peppers, onions, feta cheese and pita croutons between 4 bowls. Serve with tzatziki dressing.
Notes
A great tip for seeding the cucumber: slice the cucumber in half lengthwise (after peeling), then use a metal teaspoon to scrape out the seeds.
This salad is EVERYTHING !!! Tastes just like a gyRo!
Happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe so much! Thanks, Ashlynn!
My family absolutely LOVES this salad and literally every other single thing I have made of yours. Every time I cook the chicken for this salad in my cast iron I don’t use oil because it doesn’t say to use oil. And every time my husband tells me I need to add oil but I always point to the recipe and say “No, Tiffany says no oil!” So am I wrong? Do I need to be adding oil to the skillet before I book the chicken? I have yet to use it and it’s been perfect every time! But I just need to know to end the debate! Thank you so much!
Made this for dinner gluten free and vegan. It was spectacular.