This Za'atar Chicken and Crispy Pita Salad packs a ton of flavor into a healthy and simple recipe, perfect for a busy weeknight. Featuring juicy oven roasted chicken breasts, toasted pita and a lemon yogurt sauce, this salad is mouthwateringly delicious.
A big salad is one of my favorite dinners, especially topped with lean protein and packed with crispy veggies. We make a lot of salads around here, some of our favorites are the Crispy Prosciutto, Blueberry and Blue Cheese Salad and this Beet and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese. Like this za'atar chicken salad, both are right at home as a main dish or a side salad, even a lunch.
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Ingredients that Matter
This recipe features a handful of fresh ingredients along with some pantry staples. Here are the ingredients you'll need for this recipe:
- Chicken Breasts. A pair of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 10 ounces each) provides plenty of lean protein to top this dinner salad.
- Za'atar Seasoning. This blend of herbs, largely from the Middle East, features sesame seeds, sumac and herbs from the oregano, basil and thyme family. It's a lovely blend of spices and herbs that deserve a spot in your spice cabinet.
- Pita. A couple pieces of pita, regular, whole wheat or even gluten-free, torn into bite-sized pieces then toasted provide lots of crunch to the salad.
- Yogurt. The base of the sauce is a plain yogurt, regular or Greek-strained. We love the tangy contrast it provides for the savory chicken and pita.
- Lemon. A squeeze of lemon and lemon zest in the sauce gives the salad brightness.
- Olive Oil. We use olive oil on the chicken and the pita to help with browning and in the sauce to make it a bit richer.
- Salad. The components of the salad are chopped Romaine lettuce, thinly sliced red onions and chopped tomatoes. Feel free to add whatever vegetables you like!
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This recipe is mostly hand-off, with the chicken and pita roasted in the oven and the dressing simply stirred together in a bowl. Here's how the recipe comes together:
Preheat the oven to 450F. Rub or brush the chicken breasts with olive oil then sprinkle with za'atar and salt. Place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven until the internal temperature reaches at least 160F, about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Rest the chicken and allow the residual heat to increase the internal temperature to 165F, at least 10 minutes.
While the chicken cooks, add torn pieces of pita to a sheet tray and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with more za'atar spice mixture. Toss well then bake until crispy, about 7 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes at room temperature.
Make the sauce by stirring together the yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and olive oil until smooth.
Hint: All components of this recipe may be prepped in advance. Be sure to store the chicken and sauce separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The pita may be stored in a zip-top bag at room temperature.
Substitutions
There are lots of substitutions you can make to this recipe based on your dietary restrictions or needs:
- Gluten-Free - Make this recipe gluten-free by swapping out the pita for a gluten-free alternative, like gluten-free pita, gluten-free croutons or gluten-free wraps.
- Dairy-Free - If you need to make this recipe dairy-free, swap out the yogurt for a plant-based yogurt alternative, or considering using a vinaigrette, like our White Balsamic Vinaigrette or Basil Vinaigrette. Both would go very well with this recipe.
- Vegetarian - Leave out the chicken and instead use extra-firm tofu, seitan or even chickpeas or white beans. For the tofu and seitan, follow the recipe as written, cutting the tofu and seitan into strips, brushing with oil and sprinkling with za'atar and roast until crispy, about 20-25 minutes. For the beans, simply toss with oil and za'atar and add to the top of the salad.
More Toppings
The simple lemon yogurt sauce, roasted za'atar chicken and crispy pita make for a delicious salad topper. We love it with juicy tomatoes and red onions, but you can certainly add more or change up the veggies. Try adding:
- Sliced Cucumbers
- Olives
- Artichoke Hearts
- Roasted Red Peppers
- Toasted Pepitas or Nuts
- Sliced Green Bell Peppers
- Tinned Fish
Equipment
This recipe uses very basic equipment, but you will need a baking sheet. I like a sturdy set, like this Nordic Ware 3 Piece Baker's Delight Set. The goal is for the baking sheets not to warp while roasting in a hot oven.
Storage
All the components of this recipe may be made ahead of time. I recommend storing everything separately to preserve the crisp in the lettuce. Try storing the chopped lettuce and other veggies in a airtight container, then the sliced cooked chicken in another, the sauce in another and store all in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Then store the crispy pita in a zip-top bag or airtight container at room temperature for up to a couple days or longer in the refrigerator.
FAQ
Za'atar is a culinary herb and a spice blend containing the herb plus more herbs and spices from the oregano, thyme and basil family. The spice blend also has sesame seeds, sumac and salt.
Yes! If using pre-cooked chicken, toss with a bit of oil and za'atar spice blend until well coated. There's no need to reheat the chicken if it's already cooked.
Try adding chopped cucumbers, olives, marinated artichokes, roasted red peppers, fresh sliced green bell peppers, quinoa or tinned fish.
More Salads
Looking for other salad recipes like this? Try these:
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Recipe
Za'atar Chicken and Crispy Pita Salad
- Total Time: 35 min.
- Yield: 8 cups 1x
Description
This Za'atar Chicken and Crispy Pita Salad packs a ton of flavor into a healthy and simple recipe, perfect for a busy weeknight. Featuring juicy oven roasted chicken breasts, toasted pita and a lemon yogurt sauce, this salad is mouthwateringly delicious.
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 10 ounces each)
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 3 tsp. za'atar spice blend, divided
- ½ tsp. table salt
- 2 pita bread, torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1 head Romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
Dressing
- ⅓ cup Greek-strained plain yogurt
- 1 tsp. lemon zest plus 2 Tbsp. lemon juice (from 1 medium lemon)
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- ¼ tsp. table salt
Instructions
Salad
- Preheat the oven to 450F.
- Brush or rub the chicken breasts with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, 2 teaspoons of the za'atar spice and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Place on a baking sheet and roast until the internal temperature reaches 160°F, about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Cool at room temperature until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, about 5 minutes.
- While the chicken roasts, place torn pieces on a separate baking sheet, drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon za'atar. Cook in oven until crispy, 7-8 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Place chopped lettuce, tomatoes and onions on a platter. Thinly slice chicken and place on top of salad and sprinkle with crispy pita.
Dressing
- while the chicken and pita cook, make the dressing by stirring together the yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Drizzle some of the yogurt sauce on the salad and serve with more on the side.
Notes
- All components of this recipe may be made ahead of time. Store the chicken in a separate container from the lettuce, onions and tomatoes in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Store the sauce in a separate airtight container for up to 4 days. And store the crispy pita in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for longer.
- Try adding other toppings like cucumbers, olive, roasted red peppers, tinned fish, sliced fresh green bell pepper or quinoa.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, swap out the dressing for a vinaigrette, like our Basil Vinaigrette or White Balsamic Vinaigrette.
- To make this recipe without chicken, try using sliced tofu or seitan, cut into strips, brushed with oil and sprinkled with za'atar then roasted until slightly crispy. Or toss chickpeas or white beans with oil and za'atar and adding to the salad room temperature.
- Prep Time: 15 min.
- Cook Time: 20 min.
- Category: Salads
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American/Middle Eastern
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