High Protein Tzatziki Chicken Salad (No Mayo)

I love to make this high protein tzatziki chicken salad with labne, and the labne is the reason it’s so delicious. Labne is strained thicker than Greek yogurt, which makes it tangier and gives it more protein, and it’s thicker so it replaces mayo so well.

I’m obsessed with labne. My favorite Mediterranean restaurant in New York City does a bowl of rice with seasoned chicken and a big spoon of labne over the top, and that combination is the best. Slightly tangy, creamy, and it goes with everything.

So there’s no mayo in this at all and I don’t need it. I love how high protein the chicken, the labne and the feta make it without a filler. I scoop it up with thin crispy pita chips.

What You’ll Need

The chicken

• Two chicken breasts. Rotisserie is the shortcut and that’s what I use most nights. Seasoned bone-in breasts roasted at 425 for 30 minutes if you’d rather cook them yourself

The tzatziki base

• Plain labne (full fat Greek yogurt works, strain it first or the salad goes loose)
• English cucumber (half shredded and squeezed dry, half chopped)
• Lemon juice
• Garlic cloves, grated (grated, not minced, so it disappears into the labne)
• Red onion, finely diced
• Onion powder (organic if you have it). Labne is thick and it mutes seasoning, so this rounds out the background flavor in a way the fresh onion doesn’t
• Salt and ground white pepper

The finish

• Feta, crumbled. I buy the block that comes in brine and crumble it myself, since it’s creamier and holds together better than the pre-crumbled kind
• Fresh parsley, chopped
• Fresh dill, chopped (dried is not the same here, buy it fresh)
• Chopped Greek olives, optional. They bring salt and brine, so taste before you add more salt

How to Make Tzatziki Chicken Salad

If you’re roasting the chicken, season the bone-in breasts with onion, garlic powder – salt and pepper and put them in at 425 for about thirty minutes. Let them cool enough to handle before you dice them, or the heat will thin out the labne when everything comes together.

Shred half the cucumber, wring it out in a clean towel, and pat it down. Chop the other half.

Stir the labne, lemon juice, grated garlic and the shredded cucumber together first, then season with salt and white pepper. That’s your tzatziki, and tasting it now is easier than fixing the whole bowl later.

Fold in the diced chicken, the chopped cucumber and the red onion. Crumble the feta over the top with the parsley and dill and give it one more gentle fold.

Check the recipe card below for full instructions and amounts.

Tzatziki Chicken Salad FAQs

What is tzatziki chicken salad? Chicken salad made with a greek inspired tzatziki instead of mayo. Tzatziki is a Greek yogurt dip with cucumber and grated garlic, with lemon. You get the same creaminess and more protein and less fat.

Can I use Greek yogurt instead of labne? Yes, use full fat and strain it first. Labne is already strained, which is why it holds up better, and plain unstrained yogurt will make the salad watery within an hour.

How long does it keep? You can store it in the fridge for up to 48 hours – you can freeze it in a glass air tight container for a few days

Can I make it ahead? It’s better after an hour in the fridge, since the garlic and dill need a little time in the labne.

If You Like This You’ll Love These

Here are a few others I’ve made and loved:

High Protein Dill Pickle Chicken Salad for the other one I make without mayo.

Greek Turkey Meatballs with Tzatziki for the same flavors in a hot dinner.

Crispy Potatoes with Everything Dill Tahini for more dill in a good cause.

If you make this tzatziki chicken salad, leave a comment. I love reading your comments and will try to get back to every single one.

Olga

High Protein Tzatziki Chicken Salad (No Mayo)

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Chicken salad bound with labne, cucumber, grated garlic and lemon instead of mayo, finished with feta, parsley and dill.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Chill 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Servings: 4 people

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 2 chicken breasts rotisserie or bone-in roasted, diced
• 1 English cucumber half shredded and squeezed dry, half peeled, chopped and drained
• 1 cup plain labne
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 garlic cloves grated
• 1/4 large red onion finely diced
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• Salt to taste
• Ground white pepper to taste
• 2 oz feta from a block in brine, crumbled
• 1 tsp fresh parsley chopped
• 1 tsp fresh dill chopped
• Chopped Greek olives optional

Equipment

• 1 Box grater
• 1 Clean Kitchen Towel
• 1 Mixing Bowl

Method

 

1. Cook the chicken, if you’re not using rotisserie. Season bone-in breasts and roast at 425 for 30 minutes. Let them cool before dicing.
2. Prep the cucumber. Shred half and squeeze it dry in a clean towel, then pat it down. Peel the other half, chop it, and drain it too.
3. Make the tzatziki. Stir together the labne, lemon juice, microplaned garlic and both the shredded and chopped cucumber. Season with the onion powder, salt and white pepper, and taste it now.
4. Fold everything in. Add the diced chicken and red onion, and fold gently.
5. Finish. Crumble the feta over the top with the parsley and dill, and fold once more.
6. Chill an hour if you have time. The garlic and dill need a little while in the labne.

Notes

Notes

Labne over yogurt. It’s already strained, so it holds as a dressing. Full fat Greek yogurt works if you strain it first. Plain unstrained yogurt goes watery.

Get the water out of both halves. Squeeze the shredded half, drain the chopped half. Cucumber is mostly water and all of it ends up in the bowl otherwise.

Use a microplane for the garlic. It disappears into the labne instead of turning up in bites the way minced garlic does.

Feta. Buy the block that sits in brine and crumble it yourself. It is creamier than pre-crumbled feta, which is drier and coated to stop it clumping.

Onion powder. Labne is thick and mutes seasoning, so the powder rounds out the flavor in a way the fresh red onion does not. Half a teaspoon per cup of labne.

Fresh dill only. Dried is not the same here.

Olives. Chopped Greek olives are a good optional addition. They bring salt and brine, so taste before adding more salt.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!