Tandoori Chicken and Spinach Salad

This Grilled Tandoori Chicken Salad is made with pearl couscous, spinach, chicken, olives, bell pepper, feta, and more. Filling enough to eat as a main dish!

Creating This Tandoori Chicken Salad Recipe

Before creating this tandoori chicken salad recipe, I had never had tandoori chicken before and I see now that I was really missing out! Besides the incredible flavor from all the tandoori chicken spices, the yogurt in the marinade actually made the chicken really tender.

I wasn’t so sure that the chicken would really absorb all the flavor or be all that tender. Wrong on both accounts!

Instead of having a big hunk of chicken breast, I cut them into kebab-sized pieces and served the grilled chicken on top of a spinach salad. The smoky flavor of the chicken’s spices contrasted with the cool, fresh, lemony taste of the vegetables was a great combination.

We liked this so much we had it two nights in a row. The second time I added a sprinkling of pearl couscous to both plates for a little something extra.

My husband and I were both big fans of this recipe for tandoori chicken salad. It’s definitely a keeper!

Ingredients in Tandoori Chicken Salad

There are two main components to this recipe: the grilled chicken marinade for the salad and the salad veggies. Here’s everything you’ll need to make this grilled tandoori chicken salad:

• Chicken breasts
• Plain Greek yogurt
• Lemon juice
• Garlic
• Tandoori chicken spices
• Artichoke hearts
• Bell peppers
• Cucumber
• Kalamata olives
• Red onion
• Fresh oregano
• Spinach
• Pearl couscous
• Feta cheese
• Olive oil

What are the Tandoori Chicken Spices?

I used my own tandoori chicken spice blend to make this recipe. The tandoori chicken spices include: paprika, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground ginger, cardamom, ground nutmeg, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.

For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.

How to Make Tandoori Chicken Salad

This is one of the best grilled chicken salads I’ve ever made!

It does require some advance planning since the chicken needs to marinate for a couple hours before being grilled, but otherwise it’s easy to whip up at a moment’s notice.

1. Marinate the chicken: In a bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon, garlic, and spices. Whisk until well mixed.
2. Cut chicken into 1 1/2-inch chunks. Stir chicken into the yogurt mixture.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours.
4. Prep the salad: Combine the artichokes, bell pepper, cucumber, olives, and onion in a medium bowl. Remove the leaves from the oregano sprigs and chop.
5. Add the oregano, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
6. Grill the chicken: Remove chicken from the marinade and thread on skewers.
7. After grill has preheated to high, lower heat to medium-high. Grill skewers, turning once, about 4-5 minutes per side.
8. Assemble the salad: Toss spinach with pearl couscous. Divide mixture evenly among four plates.
9. Divide the vegetable mixture and grilled chicken evenly among the four plates.
10. Top with a sprinkling of feta.

The above is simply a quick summary of this recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.

Can This Recipe Be Made Without a Grill?

In addition to making this recipe on an outdoor grill, I have used an indoor electric grill and a grill pan on the stove top. Both of those options worked well!

Can This Recipe Be Prepared in Advance?

Yes! The chicken can be left in the marinade for up to 3 hours, and the vegetable mixture can be assembled up to 2 hours before you grill the chicken.

You may also marinate and grill the chicken up to 5 days in advance. Leftovers reheat well to enjoy on salads throughout the week.

What Readers Are Saying

“I made this tonight but sub’d Balsamic vinegar for lemon juice and it was SO WONDERFUL!!!! I marinated the chicken in the tandoori overnight. YUM a def go-to meal for summer!” — Rachel F.

“My husband loved this recipe. It was so colorful and healthy!” — Jamie

“Making this for our dinner tonight! I can’t wait to taste it.” — Rachel M.

More Grilled Chicken Recipes:

Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken is a perfect easy summer grilled chicken recipe.

In this Basil Kumquat Chicken Skewers recipe, chicken tenderloins are marinated in a summery basil kumquat vinaigrette and grilled, then served alongside grilled purple cauliflower steaks for a simple, yet inspired, summer dish.

Featuring grilled lime cilantro chicken and grilled pineapple tacos, these Homemade Walking Tacos taste fresh and light!

Grilled Chicken Drumsticks are basted with Mango Habenero BBQ Sauce for a delicious addition to any summer potluck.

Buffalo Chicken Cobb Salad is a fun twist on the classic Cobb salad. This recipe features buffalo grilled chicken, celery, blue cheese and blue cheese dressing paired with classic ingredients like lettuce, egg, and avocado.

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Tandoori Chicken and Spinach Salad

Yield: 4 main dish salads

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Marinate: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Marinating in yogurt yields a really tender chicken. I'd never had Tandoori chicken before creating this recipe, but I absolutely love the flavors!

Print

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

• 1 1/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the Salad:

• 1 cup artichoke hearts, quartered
• 1/2 each of red and green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 of a cucumber, peeled and diced
• 1/3 cup whole, pitted kalamata olives
• 2 tablespoons diced purple onion
• 3 sprigs of oregano
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 5 ounces baby spinach
• 1 cup prepared pearl couscous
• 1/3 cup feta cheese

Instructions

1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon, garlic, paprika, cumin, coriander, cardamom, nutmeg, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Whisk until well mixed. Set aside.
2. Cut chicken into 1 1/2 inch chunks. Stir chicken into the yogurt mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours.
3. Combine the artichokes, bell pepper, cucumber, olives, and onion in a medium bowl. Remove the leaves from the oregano sprigs and chop. Add the oregano, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. This can be done up to 2 hours in advance.
4. Preheat grill to high heat and oil grill grates. Remove chicken from the marinade and thread on skewers. After grill has preheated to high, lower heat to medium-high. Grill skewers, turning once, about 4-5 minutes per side.

To assemble salad:

1. Toss spinach with pearl couscous. Divide mixture evenly among 4 plates. Divide the vegetable mixture and grilled chicken evenly among the four plates. Top with a sprinkling of feta.

Notes

Marinade adapted from Eat Well and Easy Grilled Tandoori Chicken
Salad is a goodLife{eats} creation

Recommended Products

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 495Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 134mgSodium: 1001mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 6gSugar: 12gProtein: 56g

GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.

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