This Orzo Chicken Salad is one of those meal prep recipes that makes staying on track during a busy week feel a whole lot easier. It’s fresh, filling, packed with Mediterranean-inspired flavors, and loaded with grilled chicken and veggies for a high-protein lunch I actually look forward to eating.
I especially love this recipe for lunch because it gives you a little bit of everything. You have tender orzo, juicy grilled chicken, crunchy cucumbers and bell peppers, sweet cherry tomatoes, salty feta cheese and tons of fresh dill. Then everything gets tossed in a bright, homemade lemon vinaigrette that brings the entire salad together.
And honestly, it gets even better after it sits in the refrigerator for a bit.
When I’m meal prepping, I need recipes that still taste good a day or two later. This Mediterranean chicken orzo salad is perfect for that because the orzo absorbs all that lemony dressing while the vegetables keep everything tasting fresh.
The grilled chicken makes it satisfying enough to serve as a complete meal, while the cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and red onion add plenty of veggies without making it feel like you’re just eating another salad.
Make a big bowl at the beginning of the week, portion it into containers and lunch is basically handled.
What You’ll Need
For the Orzo Chicken Salad
- 1 cup Cooked orzo, cooled
- 1/2 english cucumbers, diced
- 1 cup Cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/3 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1/3 cup tri-colored bell peppers, diced
- 1 cup feta cheese
- 1 tbsp Fresh dill, chopped
- 2 small Grilled chicken breasts, diced
- Italian dressing, for marinating the chicken
The beauty of this recipe is that you can really adjust the amounts based on what you like. I love loading mine up with plenty of vegetables, feta and grilled chicken so every bite has a little bit of everything.
For the Lemon Vinaigrette
- 2/3 cup good-quality olive oil
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- Pinch of black pepper
How to Make Orzo Chicken Salad
Start by marinating your chicken in Italian dressing. You can do this ahead of time or while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat and cook the chicken until it’s beautifully golden on the outside and completely cooked through. Allow it to rest before dicing it into bite-sized pieces.
Meanwhile, cook your orzo according to the package directions. Drain it and allow it to cool before assembling the salad.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked orzo, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, bell peppers, feta cheese, fresh dill and diced grilled chicken.
To make the dressing, add the olive oil, fresh lemon juice, red wine vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, oregano, garlic powder, salt and black pepper to a bowl. Whisk vigorously until the dressing looks creamy and completely combined.
Pour the dressing over the orzo salad and toss really well, making sure everything is evenly coated.
Cover the salad and place it in the refrigerator to chill before serving. This step is important because it gives the orzo time to soak up that bright, tangy dressing and allows all of those Mediterranean flavors to come together.
There’s something about having lunch already prepared that makes the entire week run smoother. Instead of trying to figure out what I’m eating in the middle of a busy day, I can grab a container of this chicken orzo salad straight from the refrigerator.
It has the balance I’m usually looking for in a weekday lunch: protein from the grilled chicken and feta, carbs from the orzo, plenty of colorful vegetables and a homemade dressing made with good olive oil.
It also doesn’t feel like traditional meal prep food. It’s bright, flavorful and satisfying enough that I’m still excited to eat it after it’s been sitting in the refrigerator.
Meal Prep Tips
For the best texture, let the orzo cool before tossing everything together so the vegetables stay crisp and the feta doesn’t completely melt into the pasta.
I also recommend giving the salad a good toss before serving. The dressing naturally settles as it sits, so mixing everything again brings those flavors right back to life.
If you’re making this specifically for meal prep, divide the finished salad into individual airtight containers after it has chilled. You can also keep a little extra feta and fresh dill on the side to add right before eating.
This Orzo Chicken Salad has quickly become one of my favorite high-protein lunch ideas because it checks every box. It’s easy to prep, packed with vegetables, full of fresh Mediterranean flavors and filling without feeling heavy.
The combination of lemon, dill, feta and that Italian-marinated grilled chicken is so good, but the real secret is letting everything chill together before serving. The orzo absorbs all that flavor and somehow gets even better as it sits.
If you’re looking for a simple meal prep lunch to help you stay on track during the week, make a big batch of this one and keep it in the fridge. Future you will be very happy you did.
Orzo Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup Cooked orzo, cooled
- 1/2 english cucumbers, diced
- 1 cup Cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/3 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1/3 cup tri-colored bell peppers, diced
- 1 cup feta cheese
- 1 tbsp Fresh dill, chopped
- 2 small Grilled chicken breasts, diced
- Italian dressing, for marinating the chicken
For the Lemon Vinaigrette
- 2/3 cup good-quality olive oil
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- Pinch of black pepper
Instructions
- Start by marinating your chicken in Italian dressing. You can do this ahead of time or while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
- Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat and cook the chicken until it’s beautifully golden on the outside and completely cooked through. Allow it to rest before dicing it into bite-sized pieces.
- Meanwhile, cook your orzo according to the package directions. Drain it and allow it to cool before assembling the salad.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked orzo, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, bell peppers, feta cheese, fresh dill and diced grilled chicken.
- To make the dressing, add the olive oil, fresh lemon juice, red wine vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, oregano, garlic powder, salt and black pepper to a bowl. Whisk vigorously until the dressing looks creamy and completely combined.
- Pour the dressing over the orzo salad and toss really well, making sure everything is evenly coated.
- Cover the salad and place it in the refrigerator to chill before serving. This step is important because it gives the orzo time to soak up that bright, tangy dressing and allows all of those Mediterranean flavors to come together.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
