Go Back
Print

Mediterranean Chicken and Chopped Salad (Whole30 Option)

A delicious marinated baked chicken with a crunchy chopped salad. You need to allow the chicken to marinate from 1-24 hours.

Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Mediterranean
Keyword Mediterranean chicken, Mediterrranean diet, whole30, whole30 chicken
Prep Time 15 minutes
resting time 6 minutes
Total Time 21 minutes
Servings 2 servings

Ingredients

For the Marinade:

  • 1 cup loosely packed basil
  • 1 Tablespoon good quality olive oil
  • juice of one lemon
  • 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste (I buy the tiny can and freeze the leftovers for next time)
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 3'4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 4 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on

For chopped salad:

  • 1 cup Persian Cucumbers, diced
  • 3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 1/4 cup sliced red onions
  • 1/2 cup mint leaves, chopped
  • 1 ripe avocado, diced (or sub with feta cheese if preferred)
  • sea salt, freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 2 Tablespoons good quality olive oil (separated)
  • 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Place all marinade ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth. Add chicken to a bowl and mix with marinade. Allow to marinate in the fridge from 1-24 hours.

  2. When you are ready to cook, remove chicken from fridge, preheat oven to 425 degrees.

  3. Drizzle 1 Tablespoon olive oil in the bottom of an oven safe pan or skillet. Add chicken skin side up.

  4. Place in the oven. Cook for 25-30 minutes, depending on the size of thighs. If chicken needs more browning, change oven setting to broil for three minutes. Remove from oven.

While chicken rests make chopped salad:

  1. Toss prepped cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado, red onions, and mint leaves in a bowl. Drizzle with lemon juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle to taste with sea salt and pepper. Toss.

  2. Plate chicken thighs, add chopped salad. Enjoy!