Green Goddess Chicken Salad (Printable version)

Tender chicken chunks in creamy herb-yogurt dressing served over fresh mixed greens, topped with tomatoes, cucumber, and avocado.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
04 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Green Goddess Dressing

05 - 2/3 cup Greek yogurt
06 - 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
08 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
09 - 1 clove garlic, minced
10 - 2 anchovy fillets, optional, finely chopped
11 - 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
12 - 1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
13 - 1/4 cup fresh tarragon or basil, chopped
14 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Salad

15 - 4 cups mixed salad greens including romaine, arugula, and spinach
16 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
17 - 1 small cucumber, sliced
18 - 1 small avocado, sliced

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Rub chicken breasts with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
02 - Place seasoned chicken on the prepared tray and bake for 15 minutes until cooked through. Let rest 5 minutes, then cut into 3/4-inch chunks.
03 - While chicken bakes, combine Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, anchovies if using, parsley, chives, and tarragon or basil in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
04 - In a large bowl, toss chicken chunks with half of the Green Goddess dressing until well coated.
05 - Arrange mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and avocado on a platter or individual plates. Top with the dressed chicken.
06 - Drizzle with remaining dressing as desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The dressing tastes bright and creamy without feeling heavy, the kind of thing you want to eat with a spoon.
  • It comes together fast enough that you can make it on a weeknight and still feel like you cooked something special.
  • Leftovers actually get better after a few hours when the herbs soak into the chicken.
02 -
  • Don't skip the resting step for the chicken or it will be dry and all the juices end up on your cutting board instead of in the meat.
  • Blend the dressing longer than you think you need to, at least 30 seconds, so the herbs break down completely and the color stays bright.
  • Toss the chicken while it's still warm so the dressing melts into it slightly and doesn't just sit on the surface.
03 -
  • Use the freshest herbs you can find because their flavor is the star here, wilted or old herbs make the dressing taste muddy.
  • If your dressing is too thick, thin it with a teaspoon of water or extra lemon juice until it drizzles easily off a spoon.
  • Don't toss the greens with dressing until right before serving or they'll wilt and lose their snap.
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