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.
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
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
For chopped salad:
- 1 cup Persian Cucumbers, diced
- ¾ cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- ¼ cup sliced red onions
- ½ 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
- 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.
- When you are ready to cook, remove chicken from fridge, preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Drizzle 1 Tablespoon olive oil in the bottom of an oven safe pan or skillet. Add chicken skin side up.
- 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:
- 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.
- Plate chicken thighs, add chopped salad. Enjoy!