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Low-Carb Middle Eastern Chicken Salad

★★★★★★★★★★
4.6 stars, average of 24 ratings

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Low-Carb Middle Eastern Chicken SaladPin itFollow us 148.4k

Looking for a nutritious meal to break your fast on a ketogenic diet? Try this warming spiced chicken salad. It's ideal for those who do intermittent fasting and need a higher-calorie meal.

There's nothing quite like a salad that crisps, crunches and delivers on flavour when the weather is warm. This low-carb Middle Eastern Chicken salad does that and then some! The perfect balance of low carb veggies, dressed to impressed in a lemon oil dressing.

The Middle Eastern marinade on the chicken adds a beautifully warming depth of flavour too. I like to pack this salad up in a lunchbox and take to work. It’s great after a long busy day too. Fuss free and a keto family favourite. Why not try making the chicken into kebabs for a BBQ too?

Hands-on Overall

Allergy information for Low-Carb Middle Eastern Chicken Salad

✔  Gluten free
✔  Dairy free
✔  Egg free
✔  Nut free
✔  Pork free
✔  Fish free
✔  Shellfish free
✔  Beef free

Nutritional values (per serving)

Net carbs10.5 grams
Protein37.9 grams
Fat55.4 grams
Calories712 kcal
Calories from carbs 6%, protein 22%, fat 72%
Total carbs18.6 gramsFiber8.1 gramsSugars6.6 gramsSaturated fat8.6 gramsSodium751 mg(33% RDA)Magnesium88 mg(22% RDA)Potassium1,269 mg(63% EMR)

Ingredients (makes 1 serving)

Marinade:
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/8 tsp sea salt or pink Himalayan salt
  • 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 heaped tbsp plain full-fat yoghurt or coconut yogurt for paleo (30 g/ 1.1 oz)
Salad:
  • 1 chicken breast (140 g/ 4.9 oz)
  • 1/2 cup baby kale or any leafy greens of your choice (25 g/ 0.9 oz)
  • 4-5 cherry tomatoes (40 g/ 1.4 oz)
  • 2 tbsp chopped black olives (25 g/ 0.9 oz)
  • 1 small red pepper (60 g/ 2.1 oz)
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (15 ml)
  • 1/3 medium avocado (50 g/ 1.8 oz)
  • 1/2 small cucumber (50 g/ 1.8 oz)
  • Optional: freshly chopped parsley
Dressing:

Instructions

  1. Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl.
  2. Add the chicken breast, coat in the Middle Eastern marinade and leave in the fridge for a few hours, ideally over night. If you’re in a rush, you don’t need to marinate, it just helps the flavours infuse. Low-Carb Middle Eastern Chicken Salad
  3. Preheat the oven to 190 °C/ 375 °F (fan assisted). Place the marinated chicken breast on a baking sheet, lined with a sheet of greaseproof paper. Roast in the oven for 30 - 40 minutes until cooked all the way through. After 20 minutes, drain any juices and turn over the breast for even cooking.
  4. Place the red pepper on a baking tray. Cut in half, remove the seeds and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and roast in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes. Once cooked, but whilst still hot, place in a sandwich bag for 3 minutes. This ‘self steaming’ action makes the skin easy to peel off. Remove the skin and chop the roasted pepper into chunks.
  5. Meanwhile prepare the rest of the salad. Chop the tomatoes, avocado, olives and cucumber into small cubes, but keep them separate.
  6. Prepare the dressing by simply mixing all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Fold the dressing into the peppers, kale and tomatoes.
  7. When the chicken is cooked, remove from the oven and allow to stand for 3 minutes to cool slightly. Chop into small cubes or slices. Arrange the chopped salad in sections. Option to mix all the salad ingredients together in one big bowl and massage in the dressing with your fingers. Either way, equally delicious. Optionally, garnish with fresh parsley. Low-Carb Middle Eastern Chicken Salad

Middle Eastern Chicken Salad
Step by Step

★★★★★★★★★★
4.6 stars, average of 24 ratings
Middle Eastern Chicken Salad
Looking for a nutritious meal to break your fast on a ketogenic diet? Try this warming spiced chicken salad. It's ideal for those who do intermittent fasting and need a higher-calorie meal.
Hands on20m
Overall50m
Servings1
Calories712 kcal
Pin it

Ingredients

  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/8 tsp sea salt or pink Himalayan salt
  • 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 heaped tbsp plain full-fat yoghurt or coconut yogurt for paleo (30 g/ 1.1 oz)
  • 1 chicken breast (140 g/ 4.9 oz)
  • 1/2 cup baby kale or any leafy greens of your choice (25 g/ 0.9 oz)
  • 4-5 cherry tomatoes (40 g/ 1.4 oz)
  • 2 tbsp chopped black olives (25 g/ 0.9 oz)
  • 1 small red pepper (60 g/ 2.1 oz)
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (15 ml)
  • 1/3 medium avocado (50 g/ 1.8 oz)
  • 1/2 small cucumber (50 g/ 1.8 oz)
  • Optional: freshly chopped parsley
  • 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp coconut aminos
  • 1/8 tsp apple cider vinegar

Instructions

  1. Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl.
  2. Add the chicken breast, coat in the Middle Eastern marinade and leave in the fridge for a few hours, ideally over night. If you’re in a rush, you don’t need to marinate, it just helps the flavours infuse.
  3. Preheat the oven to 190 °C/ 375 °F (fan assisted). Place the marinated chicken breast on a baking sheet, lined with a sheet of greaseproof paper. Roast in the oven for 30 - 40 minutes until cooked all the way through. After 20 minutes, drain any juices and turn over the breast for even cooking.
  4. Place the red pepper on a baking tray. Cut in half, remove the seeds and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and roast in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes. Once cooked, but whilst still hot, place in a sandwich bag for 3 minutes. This ‘self steaming’ action makes the skin easy to peel off. Remove the skin and chop the roasted pepper into chunks.
  5. Meanwhile prepare the rest of the salad. Chop the tomatoes, avocado, olives and cucumber into small cubes, but keep them separate.
  6. Prepare the dressing by simply mixing all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Fold the dressing into the peppers, kale and tomatoes.
  7. When the chicken is cooked, remove from the oven and allow to stand for 3 minutes to cool slightly. Chop into small cubes or slices. Arrange the chopped salad in sections. Option to mix all the salad ingredients together in one big bowl and massage in the dressing with your fingers. Either way, equally delicious. Optionally, garnish with fresh parsley.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories712kcal
Net Carbs10.5g
Carbohydrates18.6g
Protein37.9g
Fat55.4g
Saturated Fat8.6g
Fiber8.1g
Sugar6.6g
Sodium751mg
Magnesium88mg
Potassium1,269mg

Detailed nutritional breakdown (per serving)

Net carbsProteinFatCalories
Total per serving
10.5 g37.9 g55.4 g712 kcal
Paprika, spices
0.2 g0.2 g0.1 g3 kcal
Cumin, ground
0.2 g0.1 g0.1 g2 kcal
Coriander seed, ground
0.1 g0.1 g0.2 g3 kcal
Olive oil, extra virgin
0 g0 g4.5 g40 kcal
Garlic, fresh
0.9 g0.2 g0 g4 kcal
Salt, pink Himalayan rock salt
0 g0 g0 g0 kcal
Pepper, black, spices
0.2 g0.1 g0 g1 kcal
Lemon zest (peel), fresh
0.1 g0 g0 g1 kcal
Lemon juice, fresh
0.8 g0 g0 g3 kcal
Yogurt, plain (full-fat, Greek style, 5% fat)
1.1 g2.7 g1.5 g29 kcal
Chicken, breast (without skin, raw)
0 g31.5 g3.7 g168 kcal
Kale, curly, fresh
0.9 g0.5 g0.1 g7 kcal
Tomatoes, cherry, fresh, all varieties
0.7 g0.3 g0.1 g7 kcal
Black olives
0 g0.3 g3.6 g38 kcal
Peppers, red bell, fresh
2.4 g0.6 g0.2 g19 kcal
Olive oil, extra virgin
0 g0 g13.5 g119 kcal
Avocado, fresh
0.9 g1 g7.3 g80 kcal
Cucumber, fresh
0.7 g0.3 g0.1 g6 kcal
Olive oil, extra virgin
0 g0 g20.3 g179 kcal
Lemon juice, fresh
0.8 g0 g0 g3 kcal
Salt, pink Himalayan rock salt
0 g0 g0 g0 kcal
Pepper, black, spices
0 g0 g0 g0 kcal
Coconut aminos (substitute to soy sauce)
0.3 g0 g0 g2 kcal
Apple cider vinegar
0 g0 g0 g0 kcal

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Jo Harding
Creator of ModernFoodStories.com

Jo Harding

Food is one of life’s most powerful medicines. I’m a true testament that once you find the right approach for you, you can overcome poor health through the healing power of food.

I believe the secret to radiant health starts and ends with a healthy gut so my recipes are all grain, gluten and refined sugar free. Most are also dairy-free.

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Comments (2)

This looks great but couldn't be a meal for me if the calorie count is accurate. Weight maintenance means I'm only at approximately 1300 or so a day. I don't understand how this salad has so many calories?!

Hi Kathy, this salad uses a few high-fat ingredients such as olive oil (almost 3 tablespoons), olives and avocado. As I mentioned in the note in the intro, it's meant to be a meal suitable for those who do intermittent fasting. If you only eat 2 meals per day like I do on most days, it is actually not that high.
I don't count calories but on most days I eat 1800-2200 kcal per day (weight maintenance). This is, of course, different for everyone but I do think that for "weight maintenance", your calorie limit is way too low. Check out this tool - I hope this helps!  KetoDiet Buddy - Easy Macro Calculator for the Ketogenic Diet