What if you took all the flavours you love about spanakopita and turned them into a chicken salad? That’s kinda’ what happened here.
In this case, I started with my Marinated Greek Chicken, shredded it, added cucumber, spinach, parsley, dill, green onion, onion, and feta, then folded the whole thing together with my creamy Greek Mayonnaise.
The result is fresh, bright, herby, tangy, and seriously satisfying.
A Fresh Greek-Inspired Chicken Salad
Exactly what I want sitting in my fridge at the end of summer with company coming: make it once, and dinner / snacks is covered for the next few days while we punctuate with charcuterie, cheese and sandwiches.
Serve it with fresh vegetables, pickles, olives, and toasted pita wedges and you’ve got an easy lunch, dinner, picnic, or entertaining spread. I served this while entertaining during the last days of summer holidays and it was hugely popular. Thrilled I made such a big batch, because my company suddenly expanded and there was MORE than enough.
Light. Fresh. High in protein. And very, very good.
The Spanakopita Connection
Classic spanakopita is all about the combination of spinach, herbs, feta, and flaky pastry. We’re keeping the filling and leaving the pastry behind.
Spinach and feta provide the familiar savoury foundation, while dill, parsley, onion, and creamy Greek Mayonnaise bring the flavours together. The chicken turns that classic combination into a substantial, protein-rich salad.
It’s not trying to be spanakopita. It’s spanakopita-inspired chicken salad.
And honestly, sometimes that’s where the fun starts.
How to Make Spanakopita Chicken Salad
Start with Greek Chicken—or Don’t
If you’ve got leftover Marinated Greek Chicken, this is a fantastic way to use it.
The lemon, garlic, oregano, thyme, paprika, and olive oil already in the chicken become another layer of flavour in the finished salad.
But don’t make a special trip to the grocery store. Rotisserie chicken is absolutely welcome here.
That’s one of the reasons I love this recipe. The Greek Mayonnaise does a lot of the flavour work, so even simple cooked chicken becomes something special.
Don’t Skip Draining the Spinach
This is probably the most important technical step in the recipe. once cup pf spinach is a whole BAG of spinach, steamed, cooled, drained and PRESSED.
Spinach holds a lot of water. If you add wet spinach to the chicken salad, that moisture will thin the Greek Mayonnaise and eventually make the salad watery.
Cook the spinach, cool it slightly, then squeeze it thoroughly before chopping.
Really squeeze it. And if you think you’re done, squeeze it one more time.
Your future chicken salad will thank you.
Why I Love It
Chicken salad can sometimes feel like the culinary equivalent of sensible shoes.
Not this one.
The Greek flavours give it personality. Feta brings saltiness, fresh dill and parsley keep everything green and lively, cucumber adds crunch, and the spinach gives it that unmistakable spanakopita connection. Then the Greek Mayonnaise pulls everything together.
It’s creamy without being heavy, and because the sauce is already packed with lemon, garlic, herbs, olive oil, yogurt, and feta, you don’t need a long list of additional ingredients.
It’s a make-ahead food that actually gets better after a little time in the fridge.
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Spanakopita Chicken Salad
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Diet: Gluten-Free
Description
Greek inspired Spanakopita Chicken Salad combines chicken, spinach, feta, cucumber, fresh herbs, and creamy Greek Mayonnaise for a fresh, high-protein, make-ahead meal inspired by classic spanakopita.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
- 1 cup cucumber, seeded and diced
- 1 cup cooked spinach, very well drained and chopped
- 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 cup fresh dill, chopped
- 1/2 cup green onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup white onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup feta, crumbled
- 1 cup Greek Mayonnaise (see recipe card)
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Fresh vegetables
- Pickles
- Kalamata or mixed olives
- Toasted pita wedges
- Extra Greek Mayonnaise for drizzling
- Fresh herbs, optional
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken:
• Start with approximately 2 cups of cooked chicken.
• My preference is leftover Marinated Greek Chicken, but a good-quality rotisserie chicken works beautifully.
• Remove the skin and bones if necessary and chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Prepare the Vegetables
• Seed the cucumber and dice finely.
• Cook the spinach until just wilted, then drain extremely well.
• Squeeze out as much moisture as possible before chopping.
• Chop the parsley and dill.
• Slice the green onion and finely dice the white onion.
Make the Salad
• Combine the chicken, cucumber, spinach, parsley, dill, green onion, white onion, and feta in a large bowl.
• Add 1 cup of Greek Mayonnaise.
• Gently fold everything together until evenly coated.
• Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Serve
• Spoon the chicken salad onto a serving platter or into a bowl.
• Drizzle with additional Greek Mayonnaise.
• Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.
• Serve with fresh vegetables, pickles, olives, and toasted pita wedges
Notes
Serving Suggestions
Serve Spanakopita Chicken Salad with:
• Toasted pita
• Pita chips
• Cucumber
• Bell peppers
• Cherry tomatoes
• Radishes
• Carrots
• Pickles
• Kalamata olives
• Marinated vegetables
• Hummus
• Greek salad
• Spicy Peach & Tomato Salad
It’s also excellent tucked into lettuce cups, pita bread, wraps, or sandwiches.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Boiling, Chopping
- Cuisine: Greek
