Mediterranean Greek Chicken Pasta Salad

Finding a fresh, satisfying dinner that works for those warm summer evenings or busy weeknights can feel impossible. After all, nobody wants to stand over a hot stove for hours when the weather’s nice, or spend precious time on complicated recipes when you’re already running behind schedule, and things get even trickier when you’re trying to please different taste preferences at the table.

Luckily, this Greek chicken pasta salad checks all the boxes: it’s light yet filling, easy to make ahead for the week, and packed with Mediterranean flavors that everyone seems to love.

What Kind of Pasta Should I Use?

For Greek chicken pasta salad, you’ll want to pick a pasta shape that can hold onto all that lemony dressing and catch the bits of veggies and feta. Rotini, penne, or fusilli are all great choices because their ridges and curves trap the flavors really well. Farfalle (bow ties) also works nicely if that’s what you have in your pantry. You can use regular pasta or go for whole wheat if you prefer a nuttier flavor and extra fiber. Just make sure to cook it al dente since it’ll continue to soften a bit once you mix it with the dressing and let it chill in the fridge.

Options for Substitutions

This Greek-inspired pasta salad is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps:

• Chicken thighs: You can use chicken breasts instead, though they’ll be a bit leaner. You could also swap in cooked shrimp or skip the meat entirely for a vegetarian version.
• Pasta: Any short pasta shape works great here – try penne, rotini, bowtie, or even orzo. Whole wheat or gluten-free pasta are fine substitutions too.
• Kalamata olives: If you’re not into kalamata olives, try green olives or black olives instead. You can also leave them out if olives aren’t your thing.
• Feta cheese: While feta is pretty key to that Greek flavor, you could use crumbled goat cheese in a pinch. For a dairy-free option, just leave it out or use a vegan feta substitute.
• Bell pepper: Any color bell pepper works – red, yellow, orange, or green. You could also use roasted red peppers from a jar for extra flavor.
• Fresh herbs: If you don’t have parsley, fresh dill or basil would be nice alternatives that still give you that fresh, herby taste.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake with this pasta salad is adding the dressing while the pasta is still hot, which causes it to absorb too much liquid and leaves your salad dry – let the pasta cool to room temperature first, or rinse it under cold water to speed things up.

Overmarinating the chicken can make it mushy, so stick to the 30-minute window and don’t leave it sitting in that acidic lemon marinade for hours.

Another common error is overcooking the chicken thighs, so use an instant-read thermometer and pull them off the heat when they hit 165°F to keep them tender and juicy.

Finally, don’t skip resting the chicken before chopping – those 5 minutes let the juices redistribute, so you won’t end up with dry meat and a puddle on your cutting board.

What to Serve With Greek Chicken Pasta Salad?

This pasta salad is pretty filling on its own, but I love serving it with some warm pita bread or naan on the side for scooping up any extra dressing at the bottom of the bowl. A simple side of hummus with some sliced veggies makes a great addition if you’re feeding a crowd or want to bulk up the meal. Since the salad already has plenty of Mediterranean flavors going on, keep things simple with a light side like tzatziki sauce for dipping or some marinated artichoke hearts. If you’re looking for something sweet to finish the meal, fresh watermelon or a handful of grapes pairs really nicely with all those bright, tangy flavors.

Storage Instructions

Store: This pasta salad actually gets better after sitting in the fridge for a few hours as the flavors meld together. Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You might need to add a drizzle of olive oil or a squeeze of lemon juice before serving since the pasta can absorb the dressing over time.

Make Ahead: Greek chicken pasta salad is perfect for meal prep! You can make it a day or two ahead and it’ll taste even better. If you’re planning to keep it longer than a day, consider storing the feta separately and adding it right before serving to keep it from getting too soft.

Serve: This salad is great served cold or at room temperature. If you’re taking it to a potluck or picnic, just pull it out of the fridge about 20 minutes before serving. Give it a good toss and taste it to see if it needs a little extra salt, pepper, or lemon juice.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1200-1350
• Protein: 45-55 g
• Fat: 55-65 g
• Carbohydrates: 130-145 g

Ingredients

For the dressing and marinade:

• 2 lemons (freshly squeezed for best acidity)
• 4 garlic cloves (freshly minced for best flavor)
• 1/3 cup olive oil (I prefer Bertolli Extra Virgin for dressings)
• 3/4 tbsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

For the chicken:

• 2 chicken thighs (boneless and skinless)

For the pasta salad:

• 8 oz pasta (I always use Barilla Rotini to hold the dressing)
• 1/2 cucumber (diced into 1/2-inch pieces)
• 1 bell pepper
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives (pitted and halved)
• 4 oz grape tomatoes
• 1/4 bunch parsley
• 2 oz feta (I like Athenos crumbles for easy mixing)
• 1/4 red onion (thinly sliced)

Step 1: Prepare the Dressing and Marinate the Chicken

• 2 lemons
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3/4 tbsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 chicken thighs
• reserved dressing

Zest both lemons into a small bowl, then squeeze them to get 1/4 cup of juice.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and 2 minced garlic cloves to create your dressing.

Divide the dressing in half—place the chicken thighs in a resealable bag with one half of the dressing plus the remaining minced garlic clove, and let it marinate for 30 minutes while you prepare everything else.

This gives the chicken time to absorb the flavors and ensures it cooks evenly.

I like to marinate the chicken while I’m prepping the other ingredients, so nothing sits idle.

Step 2: Cook the Pasta and Prepare the Vegetables

• 8 oz pasta
• 1/2 cucumber
• 1 bell pepper
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives
• 4 oz grape tomatoes
• 1/4 red onion
• 1/4 bunch parsley

While the chicken marinates, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente, then drain and set aside.

While the pasta cooks, dice the cucumber into 1/2-inch pieces, dice the bell pepper, halve the kalamata olives, halve the grape tomatoes, thinly slice the red onion, and roughly chop the parsley.

Having all your vegetables prepped and ready will make assembly quick and easy once the chicken is cooked.

Step 3: Cook and Rest the Chicken

• marinated chicken thighs from Step 1

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the marinated chicken thighs with their marinade.

Sear for 5 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through (the chicken should reach 165°F internally).

Remove the chicken from the pan and let it rest for 5 minutes—this allows the juices to redistribute, keeping the meat tender and moist.

After resting, chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces.

Step 4: Assemble the Pasta Salad

• cooked pasta from Step 2
• prepared vegetables from Step 2
• chopped chicken from Step 3
• 2 oz feta
• reserved dressing from Step 1

In a large serving bowl, combine the cooked pasta from Step 2, the prepared vegetables, the chopped chicken from Step 3, and the feta cheese crumbles.

Pour the reserved half of the dressing over the mixture and toss everything together until well coated.

I find that crumbled feta works better than chunks here because it distributes more evenly throughout the salad.

Taste and adjust seasoning if needed, then serve immediately or chill until ready to eat.

Mediterranean Greek Chicken Pasta Salad

Delicious Mediterranean Greek Chicken Pasta Salad recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 2 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 1275

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the dressing and marinade::

• 2 lemons (freshly squeezed for best acidity)
• 4 garlic cloves (freshly minced for best flavor)
• 1/3 cup olive oil (I prefer Bertolli Extra Virgin for dressings)
• 3/4 tbsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

For the chicken::

• 2 chicken thighs (boneless and skinless)

For the pasta salad::

• 8 oz pasta (I always use Barilla Rotini to hold the dressing)
• 1/2 cucumber (diced into 1/2-inch pieces)
• 1 bell pepper
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives (pitted and halved)
• 4 oz grape tomatoes
• 1/4 bunch parsley
• 2 oz feta (I like Athenos crumbles for easy mixing)
• 1/4 red onion (thinly sliced)

Method

 

1. Zest both lemons into a small bowl, then squeeze them to get 1/4 cup of juice. In a separate bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and 2 minced garlic cloves to create your dressing. Divide the dressing in half—place the chicken thighs in a resealable bag with one half of the dressing plus the remaining minced garlic clove, and let it marinate for 30 minutes while you prepare everything else. This gives the chicken time to absorb the flavors and ensures it cooks evenly. I like to marinate the chicken while I'm prepping the other ingredients, so nothing sits idle.
2. While the chicken marinates, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente, then drain and set aside. While the pasta cooks, dice the cucumber into 1/2-inch pieces, dice the bell pepper, halve the kalamata olives, halve the grape tomatoes, thinly slice the red onion, and roughly chop the parsley. Having all your vegetables prepped and ready will make assembly quick and easy once the chicken is cooked.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the marinated chicken thighs with their marinade. Sear for 5 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through (the chicken should reach 165°F internally). Remove the chicken from the pan and let it rest for 5 minutes—this allows the juices to redistribute, keeping the meat tender and moist. After resting, chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
4. In a large serving bowl, combine the cooked pasta from Step 2, the prepared vegetables, the chopped chicken from Step 3, and the feta cheese crumbles. Pour the reserved half of the dressing over the mixture and toss everything together until well coated. I find that crumbled feta works better than chunks here because it distributes more evenly throughout the salad. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed, then serve immediately or chill until ready to eat.