I like to plan ahead, even though things don’t always go as planned. Anticipation is part of the fun—whether it’s a vacation, a weekend, or preparing meals for the week. I do a lot of food planning: for classes, for family dinners, and for holidays. Thinking about how a meal will come together and how my family and guests will enjoy it is one of my favorite pastimes.
When a new season arrives, I naturally shift my menu to match the change in energy. Spring in particular feels like a new year—time for growth, renewal, and lightening up. I dust off the grill and start planning outdoor meals and gatherings. For spring and summer entertaining I always keep a reliable, crowd-pleasing recipe ready, and this year it’s a Greek-style Grilled Chicken Paillard.
Chicken paillard is simply a thin, pounded piece of protein—here it’s chicken breast. It’s the first chicken dish I taught my older daughter because it’s quick, easy, and versatile. My usual serving is over arugula with Parmesan, lemon, and olive oil—a classic, simple preparation. This version blends those flavors with a Greek salad topping, and it’s been a huge hit at home. The combination is bright and flavorful: garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, oregano, and olive oil dressed over tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and onions, finished with crumbled feta or avocado.
I first tried a Moink Box last fall and was impressed by the quality. Moink partners with small, grass-based farms to provide humanely raised, ethically sourced meats and wild-caught seafood. For busy families who want better-sourced proteins but don’t have time to shop multiple local farms, a customizable Moink Box makes it convenient to stock the freezer with high-quality options. I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts from one of my boxes for this recipe and have enjoyed their beef and salmon as well.
The Greek-style Grilled Chicken Paillard is a great warm-weather recipe: it marinates briefly, grills quickly, and is topped with a fresh, tangy salad. It’s flexible—serve it over arugula, on its own, or alongside grilled vegetables. I’ve served it to my family and friends and it’s been called “the perfect meal.”
I love seeing your recreations—please tag me @pamelasalzman #pamelasalzman when you make this.
You can shop the tools I used for this recipe by clicking on the images below!
Greek-style Grilled Chicken Paillard
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Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons unrefined, extra-virgin olive oil plus extra for drizzling
- 4 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 2 large lemons
- 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons dried oregano, plus extra for sprinkling
- 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt or sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 bone-less skin-less chicken breasts
- 2 Persian cucumbers or ½ English cucumber, diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion or pickled onion, there’s a recipe for pickled shallots in my book on page 109
- 2 Tablespoons roughly chopped kalamata olives
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese or avocado, or both
Instructions
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Heat the grill to medium. In a screw-top jar combine the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Shake until combined. Measure 2 tablespoons of the dressing for the salad and reserve the rest for the marinade.
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Place each chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap or inside a large zip-top bag and pound to about 1/4-inch thickness with a meat mallet or rolling pin so the breast is even in thickness. Remove the plastic, place the chicken in a glass baking dish, and pour the reserved marinade over the breasts. Let sit at room temperature for 30–60 minutes.
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Make the Greek salad topping: in a medium bowl combine the diced cucumbers, quartered cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion, and chopped kalamata olives. Toss with the 2 tablespoons of reserved dressing. Top with crumbled feta or sliced avocado and set aside.
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Grill the chicken until good grill marks form and the meat releases easily from the grates, about 3–4 minutes. Flip and grill the other side until cooked through, about 2 more minutes depending on thickness.
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Transfer the chicken to a platter and top with the prepared Greek salad. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil if desired and sprinkle with additional oregano.
Notes
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