Grilled Chicken and Halloumi Salad with Lemon Dressing
If you’re looking for a summer recipe that feels fresh, filling, and a little bit fancy without being fussy, this Grilled Chicken and Halloumi Salad with Lemon Dressing is it. Think smoky charred chicken, golden brown halloumi, blistered peppers, ribbons of cucumber, briny olives, and crunchy pistachios all tossed over a bed of herbs and greens. It’s the kind of dish you can serve warm off the grill or at room temperature, which makes it perfect for backyard dinners with family and friends.
Equipment
- 3 long metal skewers or 3–5 wooden skewers (Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes)
- 1 Grill-safe skillet (or small pan if warming olives on the stove)
Ingredients
Marinade Ingredients
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh oregano or 1 ½ tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 ½ tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup olive oil
Salad Ingredients
- 5 oz herb salad mix spring mix + parsley, dill, and cilantro
- Substitution: Use baby spinach arugula, or any fresh greens with a handful of chopped fresh herbs
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1¼ inch cubes
- 6 oz halloumi cheese cut into 4 pieces (about 1 x 2-inch cubes)
- 2 red bell peppers
- 2 red onions or one large red onion, cut in halves
- 3-4 Persian cucumbers or 1 English cucumber, sliced lengthwise into ribbons (a mandoline works best)
- 1 lemon halved
- 30 olives We used a mix of Kalamata & pitted Halkidiki
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup lightly salted pistachios shelled
Dressing Ingredients
- ¼ cup reserved marinade
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ cup olive oil
Instructions
Marinate the chicken and halloumi
- In a mini food processor (or bowl with whisk), mix lemon juice, oregano, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until combined.
- Reserve ¼ cup of marinade for the dressing.
- Toss chicken with ¼ cup marinade and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Toss halloumi with 2 tablespoons of marinade and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Prep the grill and skewers
- Preheat grill on high.
- Thread chicken onto 2 skewers.
- Thread halloumi onto 1 skewer.
- In a small grill-safe skillet, combine olives, dried oregano, and lemon zest. Set aside.
Make the salad dressing
- Whisk reserved marinade with lemon juice and honey, then drizzle in olive oil. Set aside.
Grill vegetables and protein
- Place red peppers on the grill and char until blackened and blistered. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let steam.
- Reduce grill heat to medium-high.
- Brush onion halves with olive oil and place cut side down on the grill along with chicken skewers. Grill 5–6 minutes, turning chicken once.
- Flip chicken again, then add lemons (cut side down), olives, and halloumi skewers. Grill 6–8 more minutes, turning everything once.
- Tip: Chicken should be cooked through with crispy edges, and halloumi should be golden with grill marks.
Finish peppers and assemble
- Peel charred skin from peppers, remove seeds and stems, and slice into strips.
- Remove chicken, onions, lemons, and halloumi from grill. Cover with foil to keep warm.
- Leave olives on grill (with lid open, heat off) to stay warm.
Assemble the salad
- Place salad mix on a large platter.
- Add cucumber ribbons, pistachios, roasted peppers, and grilled lemon halves.
- Slice grilled chicken into bite-sized pieces and scatter on top.
- Cut halloumi cubes into 3 pieces (total 12) and add to salad.
- Cut onion halves into quarters and add.
- Serve with warm olives and lemony dressing.
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