I assume we’ve almost hit that point of 12 months after I simply wish to eat chilly salads each day (I see you, summer time!). I love a superb pasta salad, and with this one, I made a decision to show it right into a full meal by including a ton of veggies and utilizing half the dressing to marinate a few juicy rooster thighs. This Greek Hen Pasta Salad is a transparent winner with anybody who tries it (simply try the feedback and critiques!) A lot of a winner that I might completely eat this Greek rooster pasta salad for breakfast and have NO regrets. 😉


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“That is the perfect factor I’ve ever discovered on the web, not kidding. We’ve been making it for years now and at all times double the recipe, and have but to get sick of it. Can’t advocate it sufficient.”
Kayah
Straightforward Greek Hen Pasta Salad Recipe
This Greek rooster pasta salad recipe comes collectively rapidly and simply and makes about 4 massive meal-sized parts or about six smaller aspect dish parts. It’s additionally an ideal candidate for potlucks and could be tremendous straightforward to double and even triple if wanted. I at all times make this lemony, garlicky rooster pasta salad at any time when I would like one thing a bit of extra filling than a daily pasta salad however nonetheless gentle, contemporary, and filled with taste. It’s critically delish.
Greek Hen Pasta Salad
Greek Hen Pasta Salad is the peerlessly refreshing and filling summer time meal with its medley of greens and tangy lemon garlic dressing.


MARINADE/DRESSING
- 1 lemon ($0.59)
- 3 cloves garlic, divided ($0.12)
- 1/4 cup olive oil ($0.88)
- 1/2 Tbsp dried oregano ($0.15)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- Freshly cracked pepper ($0.03)
SALAD
- 2 boneless, skinless rooster thighs* ($2.61)
- 8 oz. pasta (any form) ($0.59)
- 1/2 cucumber (1.5 cups diced) ($0.37)
- 1 bell pepper (any shade) ($1.48)
- 1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives ($1.08)
- 4 oz. grape tomatoes** ($1.19)
- 1/4 bunch parsley ($0.20)
- 2 oz. feta ($1.36)
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Use a zester, microplane, or small-holed cheese grater to take away the zest from the lemon. Set the zest apart. Squeeze the juice from the lemon right into a separate bowl. You’ll want at the very least 1/4 cup juice.
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Put together the dressing and marinade by mincing two of the three cloves of garlic and mixing them with 1/4 cup lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt, some freshly cracked pepper, and a pinch of the lemon zest. Whisk these substances till effectively mixed.
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Place the rooster thighs in a small zip prime bag and add half of the dressing, saving the remainder so as to add to the salad later. Mince yet one more clove of garlic and add it to the bag with the rooster and marinade. Squeeze the air out and therapeutic massage the bag to verify the thighs are effectively coated within the marinade. Refrigerate the thighs for at the very least half-hour.
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Whereas the rooster is marinating, cook dinner the pasta in line with the bundle instructions, drain in a colander, and let cool.
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Warmth a skillet over a medium flame. As soon as scorching, add the marinated rooster thighs and cook dinner on all sides till they’re effectively browned and cooked by means of (about 5 minutes all sides). There must be sufficient oil within the marinade to maintain the meat from sticking. Take away the cooked rooster from the skillet and let it relaxation for about 5 minutes. As soon as barely cooled, chop the rooster into smaller, bite-sized items.
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Whereas the rooster is cooking, put together the remainder of the greens. Cube the cucumber and bell pepper. Slice the olives and tomatoes in half (or cube if utilizing Roma or common tomatoes). Pull the parsley leaves from the stems and provides them a tough chop.
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Lastly, construct the salad. Add the cooked and cooled pasta to a big bowl. High the pasta with the cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes, olives, parsley, and chopped rooster. Crumble the feta over prime and add a pinch or two of the lemon zest. Pour the remaining dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Serve instantly or refrigerate till able to eat.
See how we calculate recipe prices right here.
*Two Roma tomatoes (diced) or one medium tomato can be utilized rather than the grape tomatoes.
Serving: 1ServingEnergy: 471kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 21gFats: 21gSodium: 643mgFiber: 3g
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The way to Make Greek Hen Pasta Salad Step-by-Step Images


Make the marinade: Begin by eradicating the zest from one lemon. Use a zester, microplane, or small-holed cheese grater to scrape the skinny layer of yellow zest from the peel. Set the zest apart. Squeeze the juice from the lemon right into a separate bowl. You’ll want at the very least 1/4 cup of juice.


Now, put together the combination that will likely be used for each the dressing and the marinade. Mince two cloves of garlic and mix them in a bowl with 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 Tbsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, some freshly cracked pepper, and a pinch of that lemon zest. Whisk with a fork till effectively mixed.


Marinate the rooster: Add two boneless, skinless rooster thighs to a zip-lock bag and add half of that dressing, plus yet one more clove of minced garlic (you really need the rooster to be garlicky!). Squeeze out all of the air, give the bag a fast therapeutic massage to distribute the marinade, then refrigerate the rooster for at the very least half-hour.


Cook dinner the pasta: Whereas the rooster is marinating, cook dinner 8oz. of pasta (any form) in line with the bundle instructions. Drain the pasta in a colander and let it cool.


Cook dinner the rooster: Warmth a skillet over a medium flame, and as soon as scorching, add the marinated rooster thighs. There must be sufficient oil on them from the marinade to maintain them from sticking. Cook dinner the thighs on all sides till effectively browned and cooked by means of (about 5 minutes all sides).


Take away the rooster from the skillet and let it relaxation for a couple of minutes, then chop it into smaller, bite-sized items.


Prep the veggies: Whereas the rooster is cooking you possibly can put together the remainder of the greens. Cube 1/2 cucumber (1.5 cups diced), cube the bell pepper, slice the tomatoes in half (or cube if utilizing Roma or common tomatoes), slice 1/4 cup of olives in half, and provides 1/4 bunch parsley a tough chop.


Assemble the salad: Lastly, it’s time to place all the pieces collectively! Place the cooked, drained, and cooled pasta in a big bowl (it’s beneath there, I swear). High the pasta with the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, olives, parsley, and chopped rooster.


Lastly, crumble 2oz. feta over all the pieces and add one final pinch of lemon zest. Pour the remaining dressing over the salad.


And toss till all the pieces is coated in dressing. Finished!


I miiiiiight should make this Greek rooster pasta salad once more instantly after this batch is gone. Yeah, undoubtedly.


- Wish to make it vegetarian? No downside. Simply skip the rooster, and you’ll most likely halve the dressing/marinade (or simply make the complete batch when you actually like a whole lot of dressing in your salads). The medley of greens is loads to maintain this salad filling and attention-grabbing by itself! And if you would like a bit of extra protein in there, chickpeas would do very effectively with these flavors! You would additionally use the marinade to make our grilled tofu recipe and use that as an alternative of the rooster.
- Don’t skip the lemon zest. The zest is the magic a part of the lemon. It supplies an extremely lemony taste with out making issues too bitter. So, for this recipe, I take advantage of each the juice and the zest for an additional lemony kick. Whilst you might use bottled lemon juice, I wouldn’t advocate it since you’d lose out on all the flavour from the zest.
- Cool the pasta. I cook dinner the pasta and let it cool whereas I prep the remainder of the salad. If it isn’t fairly cool sufficient, you possibly can rinse the pasta beneath chilly water and let it drain earlier than mixing with the opposite substances.
- Meal prep it! This straightforward Greek rooster pasta salad holds up very well within the fridge. You may make it forward and wait so as to add the dressing till simply earlier than serving, or go forward and toss all of it collectively. Simply know the pasta will take in a few of the dressing because it sits. In case you do costume it upfront, I’d advocate making a bit of additional dressing so as to add earlier than serving.
What Else Can I Add?
This recipe is actually versatile. Don’t like tomatoes? You may skip them and add extra bell pepper. Or you possibly can toss in any veggies you could have that have to be used up! Listed below are a few of my favourite add-in concepts:
- Spinach
- Corn
- Crimson onion
- Pickled jalapeños
- Artichoke hearts
- Crumbled pita chips (sprinkled on prime for crunch)
- Chopped zucchini or yellow squash
- Pepperoncini
- Roasted purple peppers
Storage Directions
You may preserve leftover Greek rooster salad within the fridge for as much as 3-4 days. The dressing will soak into the pasta because it sits, so that you would possibly wish to make additional dressing to drizzle on prime earlier than serving. Toss all the pieces collectively to reincorporate any dressing that has settled on the backside earlier than serving.
Our Greek Hen Pasta Salad recipe was initially revealed on 5/11/16. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be higher than ever 5/17/25.



