Mediterranean Chicken Salad Jars
Four grab-and-go lunches: lemon-oregano chicken, crunchy cucumber, tomatoes, olives, roasted peppers and feta layered over a red wine vinaigrette, with crisp romaine on top.
Nutrition per serving
1 quart jar- Net carbs
- 6.4g
- Calories
- 407kcal
- Protein
- 31g
- Fat
- 28g
- Total carbs
- 8.9 g
- Fiber
- 2.5 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Vegetarian (halloumi): Golden seared halloumi takes the place of the chicken — salty, squeaky and still good cold.
- Sear the halloumi slices in the oil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes per side, until golden, then cool and cut into cubes. Leave out the feta — the halloumi brings plenty of salt.
No-cook tuna: Oil-packed tuna instead of chicken makes a no-cook version you can pack in 15 minutes.
- Skip cooking the chicken. Flake the tuna, toss it with the tablespoon of oil and the paprika, and layer it in the jars where the chicken would go. Tuna jars keep 3 days.
Creamy tzatziki dressing: Thick, garlicky tzatziki takes the place of the vinaigrette for a creamy, gyro-style jar.
- Stir the lemon juice, garlic, half the oregano and the pepper into the tzatziki and spoon 2 tablespoons into the bottom of each jar in place of the vinaigrette.
- Red wine vinaigrette
- Chicken
- Jar layers
- Red wine vinaigrette
- Chicken
- Jar layers
-
4 oz fetaleave out
- Red wine vinaigrette
- Chicken
- Jar layers
- Red wine vinaigrette
-
2 tbsp red wine vinegarleave out - Chicken
- Jar layers
Estimated cost $12.95 for 4 servings ($3.24 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Make the vinaigrette: shake the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, half the oregano, half the salt and the pepper in a jar until emulsified.
-
Pound the chicken to an even ¾ inch (2 cm). Rub it with the oil, paprika and the remaining oregano and salt. Sear in a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat for 5–6 minutes per side, until it reaches 165°F (74°C). Rest 5 minutes, then dice.
-
Let the chicken cool completely before packing — warm chicken wilts the greens and keeps the jar too warm. Spread it on a plate in the fridge for 15 minutes to speed things up.
-
Set out four 1-quart (1 L) wide-mouth jars. Layer each one from the bottom up: 2 tablespoons of vinaigrette, then cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, olives and roasted peppers, then chicken and feta, and finally pack the romaine on top.
-
Seal and refrigerate. To eat, shake the jar well and tip it into a bowl so the dressing ends up over everything.
Tips for success
-
Order matters: the dressing sits at the bottom under the sturdiest vegetables, so the lettuce on top stays dry and crisp for days. - Pat the cucumber and lettuce dry before packing — extra water is what makes jar salads soggy.
- Swap in leftover souvlaki chicken, or add a spoonful of tzatziki on top of the feta.
Nice to have, not needed
- Wide-mouth quart jars make packing and pouring easiest — any airtight container works if you pack the dressing in a small cup.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 4 days in the fridge
- Doesn’t freeze well
Reheat: Serve cold — shake the jar and tip it into a bowl.
Prep tip: Build all four jars on the weekend for weekday lunches, and eat the one with the softest-looking lettuce first.
Refrigerate the sealed jars up to 4 days. Do not freeze.
Variations
3 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosVegetarian (halloumi)
DietGolden seared halloumi takes the place of the chicken — salty, squeaky and still good cold.
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts → halloumi
- no feta
6.6 g net · 376 kcal · 14 g protein · 33 g fat · ≈$3.51 per serving (+0.2 g net carbs vs the original)
No-cook tuna
ProteinOil-packed tuna instead of chicken makes a no-cook version you can pack in 15 minutes.
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts → tuna, preferably packed in olive oil
6.4 g net · 352 kcal · 24 g protein · 25 g fat · ≈$2.93 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
Creamy tzatziki dressing
FlavorThick, garlicky tzatziki takes the place of the vinaigrette for a creamy, gyro-style jar.
- extra-virgin olive oil → tzatziki
- no red wine vinegar
7.7 g net · 319 kcal · 33 g protein · 16 g fat · ≈$3.32 per serving (+1.3 g net carbs vs the original)
Save it for later
Pin this recipe to your keto board so it’s there when you plan next week.
Save to Pinterest
