Quick High-Protein Blueberry Feta Chicken Salad
This high-protein, high-fiber blueberry feta chicken salad is a super delicious take on the classic! It takes a quick 35 minutes to make (including the cooking time for the chicken), and it is so easy to whip up!
This high-protein, high-fiber blueberry feta chicken salad is a super delicious take on the classic! It takes a quick 35 minutes to make (including the cooking time for the chicken), and it is so easy to whip up!
This was NOT the recipe I planned on making or posting, but it was so delicious that I decided to share! In reality, I planned to show you my favorite salad recipe (inspired by a beloved local coffee shop discontinuing their version), but I forgot to buy spinach. I prepped the chicken, bought (almost) all the ingredients, and then got caught at an appointment for so long that I got home ravenous and ready to make a salad ASAP. When I discovered my lack of leafy greens, this was the only thing fast thing I could think to make with the same ingredients. But lo and behold, it tasted awesome.
This recipe is SO easy, but a few things are nice to know, so let's cover them quickly!
Prepare the Chicken
Preheat the oven to 425f. Butterfly the chicken breasts, pat dry, and season with salt and pepper. Place on a lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until the breasts reach a temperature of 165f internally. Allow to cool.
Butterflying your chicken is so important because it's going to mean they cook quickly and evenly in the oven. Since chicken breast needs to get to 165f at its thickest point internally, if your chicken breast has some thin parts and some much thicker parts, most of the chicken breast is going to be drastically overcooked by the time the thickest part is at a safe temperature.
To butterfly a chicken breast, you're going to lay it down flat and slice from the edge, through the middle, almost to the other edge. You should then be able to open it up like a book! Here's a quick and simple tutorial from Martha Stewart, where the chicken breast is even pounded at the end (you don't have to do that for this recipe, but it would make it cook even more quickly and evenly)
Drying your chicken allows the high heat to create more of a crust when it's cooked in the oven, and that is going to help trap moisture that tries to escape during baking. So dry your meats if you want them to retain moisture!
Mix the Chicken Salad
Chop chicken breasts into very small cubes, and mix in the rest of the ingredients except the blueberries, Once everything is combined, gently fold in the blueberries.
This is a little hack that you'll learn if you're an avid baker of blueberry muffins, but if you mix in blueberries too early, too much, or too hard, they are going to release juice and turn whatever you are making unappetizingly grey. Do not put them in first!
Blueberry Feta Chicken Salad Recipe
Download the recipe here
4
15 minutes
35 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup feta
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2/3 cup blueberries
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Butterfly the chicken breasts, pat them dry, and season with salt and pepper. Place them on a lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until the breasts reach an internal temperature of 165°F. Allow to cool.
- Chop the chicken breasts into very small cubes, and mix in the rest of the ingredients except for the blueberries. Once everything is combined, gently fold in the blueberries.
- Serve as a sandwich, on lettuce wraps, or on croissants!
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 4 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 340 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 17.2g | 22% |
| Saturated Fat 5.3g | 26% |
| Cholesterol 80mg | 27% |
| Sodium 302mg | 13% |
| Total Carbohydrate 13g | 5% |
| Dietary Fiber 1.4g | 5% |
| Total Sugars 8.1g | |
| Protein 33.3g | |
| Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% |
| Calcium 177mg | 14% |
| Iron 2mg | 8% |
| Potassium 385mg | 8% |
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About the Author
Hi! I'm Alexandra, and I've been cooking and baking for about 12 years. My passion is making cheap, convenient, nutrient-dense food that still tastes amazing, and helping to perpetuate healthy eating habits without perpetuating diet culture. I want you to find recipes that make your body and your heart happy, without putting any food off limits, or making you feel guilty for loving delicious things.
By Alexandra Massengale