This fresh and healthy chicken salad with tahini dressing is made with fresh veggies, lemony chicken cubes, and a creamy tahini garlic dressing.
As the weather heats up, I love leaning into entrée salads for a light and satisfying dinner. Chicken salads always go over well in my family, and since chicken breasts high protein and low carb, I make them often. This Chicken Salad with Tahini Dressing is made with tender boneless, skinless chicken breasts which I cube and marinate briefly in lemon, garlic and olive oil. The lemon acts as a tenderizer that also adds bright acidity and flavor to the dish!
Ingredients
- For the chicken: chicken breasts, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.
- For the dressing: tahini, lemon juice, warm water, garlic, cayenne, salt and pepper.
- For the salad: lettuce, tomato, radishes, red onion, and cucumber.
How to Make a Chicken salad with Tahini Dressing
To make your chicken salad, start by making your marinade. In a large bowl or measuring cup, use a microplane to grate your garlic.
Then whisk in the olive oil and lemon juice, and a bit of salt and pepper to taste. If you like a bit of heat, add some chili flakes as well! Then coat your chicken breasts in the bowl or a large resealable bag and let marinate for around 30 minutes.
Once it’s marinated, throw it on the grill or in a hot skillet and cook until golden brown and cooked through.
While chicken is cooking, make your tahini dressing by adding the tahini to a bowl with lemon juice, minced garlic, a pinch of cayenne, and some salt and pepper.
Whisk it all together, adding warm water as needed until you reach your desired consistency.
Then prepare the base of your salad by washing and chopping your fresh produce. I like to use green leaf or romaine lettuce.
And for additional toppings, radishes, tomatoes, cucumbers and thinly sliced red onion are favorites in our household.
To serve, top each bowl of salad greens with cooked chicken and drizzle with dressing. Enjoy your Chicken Salad with Tahini Dressing!
Tips from the Chef
- Make it vegan. This dressing would taste great on a salad, even without chicken. For added protein, try including spinach and chickpeas!
- Watch the chicken. While normally the rule of thumb is the longer you marinate, the better the flavor, that isn’t the case when using lemon juice. Because of the acidity and the tenderizing affect, I wouldn’t let any meat marinate longer than 3 hours if it uses lemon juice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I buy tahini?
Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts?
How far in advance can I prepare the tahini dressing?
More Summer Salads
- Caprese Quinoa Salad
- Grilled Watermelon and Feta Salad
- Cucumber Zucchini Salad
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Mediterranean Chopped Salad
Eat It, LIke It, Share It!
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For a simple, quick, balanced lunch or dinner, my Chicken Salad with Tahini Dressing is great for the whole family.
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Chicken Salad with Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
Salad
- 6 cups chopped lettuce (such as romaine or red leaf)
- 1 tomato (diced)
- 3 radishes (thinly sliced)
- ½ cup red onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 cup cucumber (diced)
Lemony Chicken
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cubed)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic (grated)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Place salad ingredients (lettuce through cucumber) in a large bowl and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, toss together chicken breast cubes with lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and chili flakes; set aside and let sit for 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl whisk together the tahini dressing ingredients (tahini through salt and pepper.) If the mixture is thick, add a little more warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and whisk until you reach desired consistency.
- Heat a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add marinated chicken breast cubes to the pan and saute until golden brown, about 7-9 minutes.
- To assemble salads, divide salad between four bowls and top with cooked chicken cubes and drizzle with tahini dressing.
Last Step:
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