Put this recipe on your must make list! I made it for my family last week and it was a hit across the board. The leftovers were just as delicious and we’ve been enjoying for days since. You all know I love everything Tieghan from Half-baked Harvest creates, she is such a talent. I saw this recipe and loved how fresh and summery everything sounded but my mom doesn’t love salmon so I swapped out chicken instead. The flavors are so fresh and light and healthy and summery and everything you want for a weeknight meal. One of my favorites ways to get creative in the kitchen is to find recipes that I love but switch them up a bit to accommodate our family. The beauty of cooking vs. baking is you can really play around with ingredients, it doesn’t have to be perfect and usually you end up creating something that becomes a family staple. You just have to go for it!
So for this recipe, I sort of followed her steps exactly but added a lot more lemon for freshness. Again, the leftovers are legit so don’t worry about portions, I promise you’ll eat it eventually! I made some adjustments to her original recipe based on what I had in my kitchen. Here is what you’ll need:
Grilled Greek Chicken with Lemon Feta and Orzo Summer Salad
Ingredients:
- 4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tablespoon dried oregano)
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and black pepper
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- zest and juice of 1 lemon + slice up and place around chicken
- 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 cup fresh basil and dill
- 1 box of cooked orzo
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup fresh basil and dill, chopped
- 1 (14 ounce) can chickpeas, drained
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup green olives sliced in half
Place the chicken in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, white balsamic vinegar, chopped oregano, shallot, garlic, and a pinch each of crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper. Rub the seasonings and oil evenly into flesh. Toss the lemon slices into the oil. Let the flavors marinate together while you assemble the salad.
To make the salad. Add the orzo, olive oil, juice of 1 lemon, herbs, and a pinch each of crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to a large serving bowl. Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, olives and toss to combine. (*can also add cucumber and avocado, suggested in original recipe)
Heat your grill, grill pan, or skillet to medium high heat. Place the chicken on the grill with soaked lemon slices on top). Cook until chicken is completely cooked through. Remove everything from the grill including lemons.
Finely chop the lemon slices and mix them with the chopped basil and dill, crumbled feta, and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add a couple of spoonfuls of the feta to the orzo salad.
Divide the salad between plates. Add the chicken and sprinkle with lemon feta. Top with lots of fresh herbs, and an extra squeeze of lemon, if desired. Enjoy!
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Yum, yum, yum! The flavors of this meal are so summery and light. I love that you can easily make the chicken ahead of time and leave it in the fridge to marinate. This dish would be perfect for a dinner party, too!
PS: This recipe is similar to this one but the flavors are next level. I also love this is a grilled option!
*plates are old Aerin for Williams Sonoma!
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