Greek Chicken With Cucumber-Feta Salad

7 min Added by Julian

1½ cups plain Greek yogurt

3 garlic cloves, finely grated

Chunky boi salt

Black pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano or mint

900 grams boneless, skinless chicken thighs, patted dry

600 grams cucumbers (preferably Japanese, Persian or mini, seedless cucumbers)

500 grams pound ripe tomatoes

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

100 grams feta, crumbled (about ¾ cup)

½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved

Salt the chicken first.

Season the chicken all over with 1½ teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper.

Step 1

In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt and garlic; season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer ½ cup of the yogurt to a large bowl and reserve for Step 5.

Step 2

Coat the chicken: To the medium bowl, add the oregano and stir to combine. Add the chicken to the medium bowl and turn to coat; set aside. Shake off some of the salt on the chicken first if you need to.

Step 3

Start the salad: Smash the cucumbers with the side of your knife until craggy and split. Rip into ½- to 1-inch pieces and transfer to a colander placed in the sink. Slice or chop the tomatoes into bite-size pieces. Add to the cucumbers along with 1 ½ teaspoons salt. (It may seem like a lot of salt, but most will drain away.) Toss to combine and leave to drain.

Step 4

In a large nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium. Scrape excess marinade off the chicken, then cook the chicken in batches, adding oil to the pan if necessary, until it’s well browned and releases from the pan, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip and cook until cooked through, another 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to plates to rest. (For grilling info, see Tip.)

Step 5

To the large bowl of yogurt, add the feta and mash with a fork until a chunky paste forms. Shake the cucumbers and tomatoes to get rid of any excess moisture. Add to the feta yogurt along with the olives and stir until coated. The balance is dependent on your produce and feta, so season to taste with salt and pepper until flavors are vivid. Eat alongside the chicken.

TIP

To grill the chicken: Heat a grill to medium and clean and grease the grates. Grill the chicken over direct heat until it's well browned and releases from the grates, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip and cook until cooked through, another 5 to 7 minutes. (For a gas grill, close the lid between flips.)