SunKissed Satisfying Grilled Lemon Herb Chicken with Feta Kalamata Quinoa Salad

Lemon Herb Chicken Quinoa

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Preparation time:25 Mins

Cooking time:25 Mins

Servings:4 hearty servings

Instructions:

• Marinate the Chicken: In a large bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, oregano, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken breasts, ensuring they are fully coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours.
• Cook the Quinoa: Combine rinsed quinoa and 2 cups broth in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, keep covered, and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and spread onto a baking sheet to cool slightly.
• Prepare the Vegetables & Dressing: Chop the cucumber, halve the tomatoes, chop olives, dice red onion, and chop parsley. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the dressing ingredients: 1/4 cup olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and salt & pepper to taste.
• Grill the Chicken: Preheat grill or grill pan to medium high heat. Remove chicken from marinade. Grill for 6 8 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Rest the chicken on a cutting board for 5 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain.
• Assemble the Salad: In a large bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, chopped vegetables, olives, and parsley. Pour about two-thirds of the prepared dressing over the mixture and toss gently to combine.
• Finish and Serve: Gently fold in the crumbled feta. Divide the quinoa salad among four plates. Top each serving with the sliced grilled chicken and drizzle any remaining dressing over the chicken slices. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts

Calories	565 calories
Fat	28g
Fiber	7g

Recipe Info

Category	Main Course, Salad
Cuisine	Mediterranean

The Ultimate Weekday Powerhouse: Why This Grilled Mediterranean Chicken and Quinoa Salad Reigns Supreme

When you picture a truly satisfying meal, what comes to mind? Is it heavy, complicated, and rich? Perhaps not anymore. We are moving into an era of dynamic, flavour forward dishes that nourish the body while exciting the palate.

That's precisely where our Grilled Mediterranean Chicken and Quinoa Salad earns its stripes. This isn't merely a light lunch option; it’s a complete, protein packed main course built around vibrant, sun-drenched ingredients.

It manages to be perfectly healthy enough for a busy Tuesday yet exciting enough to serve company. This recipe is designed to hit that sweet spot: maximum flavour with streamlined execution, making it a staple among Healthy Dinner Recipes .

Setting the Stage: Crafting a Sun-Drenched Meal Experience

Creating this Mediterranean Quinoa Salad involves layering complementary textures and sharp, clean flavours. We’re aiming for a dish that tastes like a vacation, combining earthy grains, salty cheeses, bright vegetables, and perfectly seared protein.

The real magic lies in ensuring that every component shines, rather than being masked by heavy sauces.

More Than Just a Salad: A Complete Main Course

Many salads fall flat because they lack substance. This particular preparation solves that issue entirely. By centering the dish around fluffy, perfectly cooked quinoa a complete protein source itself and topping it with substantial slices of lemon herb marinated chicken, we transform a side dish into a truly comprehensive Healthy Chicken Quinoa Bowl .

Four servings, easily achievable in under an hour, means less time cooking and more time enjoying this brilliant creation.

The Mediterranean Magic: Key Flavour Components Unveiled

What defines this flavour profile? It’s the interplay between the ingredients. We utilize the briny punch of Kalamata olives, the creamy tang of quality feta cheese, the sweetness of ripe tomatoes, and the cooling crunch of cucumber.

These components are tossed with fluffy quinoa, which acts as the perfect neutral canvas, ready to soak up the zesty lemon vinaigrette that ties everything together. This deliberate combination ensures you never encounter a bland bite, making it a truly Flavorful Quinoa Salad .

Zero Blandness Guaranteed: Introducing Our Lemon Herb Chicken Marinade

The chicken breast can often be the downfall of a lighter meal, drying out before it achieves true flavour. We circumvent this common pitfall with a potent marinade that tenderizes the meat while infusing it with classic Greek and Italian notes.

This marinade is a simple yet incredibly effective mixture of extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, minced garlic, and essential dried herbs like oregano and thyme.

This simple preparation sets the standard for great Mediterranean Chicken Recipes and guarantees your protein component is juicy and aromatic.

Gathering Your Mediterranean Pantry: Essential Components for Success

To bring this vision to life, having the right raw materials on hand is crucial. A trip to the market should focus on quality especially for your olives and cheese, as these pack the biggest flavour punches in the final Quinoa Salad .

We need four main categories of ingredients: the star protein, the grain base, the fresh additions, and the dressing components.

Stocking the Larder: A Precise List of What You Need

For four hearty servings, we begin with four substantial boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 oz each). For the grain, we require one cup of quinoa, which we will cook in two cups of low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth for added background depth, though water certainly suffices.

The Perfect Foundation: Selecting Your Quinoa Grains

Before it hits the heat, ensure your single cup of quinoa is thoroughly rinsed under cold running water. This crucial step washes away saponins, the natural coating that can impart an unpleasant, bitter taste to your final dish. Once rinsed, it’s ready for the 15-minute simmer in broth.

Chicken Prep Essentials: Herbs, Citrus, and Oil Breakdown

The chicken marinade requires a quarter cup of excellent extra virgin olive oil, three tablespoons of fresh lemon juice paired with a teaspoon of zest, three finely minced garlic cloves, one teaspoon of dried oregano, a half teaspoon of dried thyme, salt, and pepper.

These ingredients create the backbone of the flavour profile. The chicken breasts should rest in this mixture for a minimum of 30 minutes to absorb these sunny notes.

Salad Assembly Kit: The Crucial Mix-ins (Olives, Feta, Veggies)

For that essential Mediterranean texture and saltiness, you will need one large English cucumber (diced), a pint of halved cherry tomatoes, a half cup of pitted and roughly chopped Kalamata olives, and a quarter cup of finely diced red onion.

Finally, the creamy element: about four ounces of crumbled feta cheese ideally the block feta packed in brine for superior moisture and flavour and a half cup of finely chopped fresh parsley for herbaceous lift.

Whipping Up the Zesty Drizzle: Vinaigrette Requirements

The dressing needs to cut through the richness of the feta and oil. Whisk together a quarter cup of olive oil, three tablespoons of red wine vinegar, one teaspoon of Dijon mustard (which acts as an emufier), and seasoning to taste.

This zesty drizzle is what unifies the textures in the final Grilled Chicken Quinoa Salad .

Step-by-Step Mastery: From Prep to Plate

This recipe follows a logical sequence designed to maximize efficiency, allowing the chicken to marinate while the quinoa cooks, ensuring everything finishes close to the same time.

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Achieving Peak Flavour: Cooking the Marinated Chicken Perfectly

The key to success here is managing heat and time to achieve a beautiful char without drying out the interior.

Phase One: Marination Time and Quinoa Cooking Protocol

Begin by combining all the marinade components and submerging the chicken breasts; set this aside in the refrigerator. Concurrently, place the rinsed quinoa and two cups of broth into a medium saucepan.

Bring it rapidly to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover tightly, and simmer undisturbed for exactly 15 minutes. Once done, remove it from the heat, but keep the lid on for an additional five minutes to allow the residual steam to finish the cooking process gently.

Crafting the Vibrancy: Assembling the Quinoa Salad Base

While the quinoa steams, prepare your vegetables. Dice the cucumber, halve the tomatoes, chop the olives, and finely dice the red onion. Once the quinoa has rested, fluff it thoroughly with a fork and spread it out slightly on a large baking sheet to allow it to cool just enough so it doesn't wilt the fresh vegetables.

Toss the cooled quinoa with the chopped veggies, parsley, and about two-thirds of your prepared vinaigrette.

Grilling Genius: How to Get Those Signature Char Marks

Preheat your grill or heavy duty grill pan to a medium high heat setting you want it hot enough to sear immediately upon contact. Remove the chicken from the marinade (discarding the excess liquid). Place the breasts on the hot grates, aiming for 6 to 8 minutes per side.

Resist the urge to move them prematurely; allow that gorgeous golden brown crust to form before flipping. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature hits the safe mark of 165° F ( 74° C).

Crucially, let the cooked chicken rest for a full five minutes before slicing thinly across the grain.

The Grand Finale: Combining the Grilled Mediterranean Chicken and Quinoa Salad

Take your dressed quinoa mixture and gently fold in the crumbled feta. This careful folding prevents the feta from dissolving completely into the dressing. Divide this base mixture among your serving plates. Arrange the rested, thinly sliced grilled chicken artfully over the top of the quinoa bed.

Finish by drizzling any remaining dressing lightly over the sliced chicken pieces to lock in that final bright, citrusy punch.

Maximizing Freshness: Tips for Storing Leftover Components

One of the best aspects of a Skinnytaste Chicken Quinoa style meal is its excellent storage capability. For the very best texture, store the chicken, the dressed quinoa salad base (without the feta added yet), and the dressing in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator.

The chicken slices should last beautifully for up to three days, and the dressing maintains its integrity for a week. When assembling leftovers, fold in the feta fresh for the best texture.

Elevating Your Dish: Creative Twists for Your Next Batch

While the core components are perfect, experimentation keeps any home chef sharp. Consider adding thinly sliced bell peppers (yellow or red offer great colour contrast) to the mix-ins, or perhaps tossing in a handful of toasted pine nuts right before serving for an added layer of crunch that complements the rich olive notes.

Nutritional Snapshot: Understanding the Health Perks of This Meal

This entire preparation is a powerhouse of clean eating. It is naturally high in lean protein from the chicken and complex carbohydrates and fiber from the quinoa, making it highly satiating. We are utilizing heart healthy monounsaturated fats from the olive oil, balanced beautifully against the fresh vegetables.

Prep Ahead Power: Components You Can Cook Days in Advance

To simplify weekday assembly, cook your quinoa base (without dressing or feta) up to three days ahead. You can also grill the entire batch of chicken at once. Simply slice the cold chicken and store it separately.

Pulling these three components out of the fridge in the evening means you only need 10 minutes of assembly time for a stunning Healthy Dinner Recipe .

Troubleshooting Grilling Issues: Avoiding Dry Chicken

If you’ve struggled with dry chicken in the past, the solution often lies in temperature management. Use a reliable instant read thermometer. On top of that,, ensure you are not pressing down on the chicken while grilling; this action squeezes out the internal juices you worked so hard to infuse with that marinade.

Variations on a Theme: Swapping Grains or Proteins

While quinoa reigns supreme for its nutritional profile, if you fancy a different texture, farro or even brown rice make excellent substitutes for the base grain. If you are seeking an alternative protein, marinated and grilled shrimp or firm, seasoned tofu works wonderfully in place of the chicken.

Serving Suggestions: Pairing with a Crisp White Wine

To enhance the bright, herbaceous nature of this salad, select a beverage that mirrors its acidity. A chilled, mineral driven Greek Assyrtiko or a crisp Sauvignon Blanc complements the lemon and feta beautifully.

For a non-alcoholic option, a homemade sparkling lemonade infused with mint provides the perfect palate cleanser between bites of this satisfying Grilled Mediterranean Chicken and Quinoa Salad .