This Mediterranean Chicken Orzo Salad is the kind of recipe that belongs on every spring and summer table. Once you make it you are going to put it on repeat all season long. Tender cubed chicken breast, fresh grape tomatoes, crisp cucumber, roasted red peppers, green olives, and green onions are tossed with brown rice orzo and creamy feta cheese in the most delicious homemade lemon orzo salad dressing that is bright, tangy, and packed with Mediterranean flavor in every single bite.
It is a cold orzo salad that is hearty enough to serve as a complete meal and beautiful enough to bring to any gathering.
This easy orzo salad recipe is naturally gluten free, completely make ahead friendly, and perfect for absolutely every occasion you can think of. It is the ultimate potluck pasta salad that feeds a crowd without any stress.
Just toss everything together, pour the dressing over the top, and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.
Whether you are looking for a light summer dinner, a healthy gluten free meal prep option for the week or a stunning cold chicken pasta salad recipe to bring to your next gathering this Mediterranean chicken orzo salad is going to be your new go to all spring and summer long.
If you are looking for more gluten free pasta salads try my Gluten Free BLT Pasta Salad, my Gluten Free Green Goddess Pasta Salad, my Easy Gluten Free Bow Tie Pasta Salad or my Easy Gluten Free Macaroni Salad.
You can find all of my salad recipes here: Gluten Free Salad Recipes
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Instructions
In a measuring cup or small bowl whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Set aside.
Cook the orzo according to the package instructions. Rinse in cold water, drain and pour into a large serving bowl.
Add the cubed chicken breast, tomatoes, cucumber, drained roasted red peppers, green olives, green onions and feta cheese.
Stir the dressing and pour over the top of the orzo mixture. Stir to combine.
Refrigerate covered for at least 1 hour before serving.
Supplies
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Mediterranean Chicken Orzo Salad
- Total Time: 1 hour 23 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This Mediterranean Chicken Orzo Salad is loaded with tender chicken, grape tomatoes, crisp cucumber, roasted red peppers, green olives, green onions, and feta cheese tossed with brown rice orzo in a bright homemade lemon dressing with apple cider vinegar, oregano, and basil. It is a hearty cold orzo salad that gets even more flavorful as it sits making it the ultimate make ahead potluck pasta salad, summer meal prep recipe, and easy weeknight dinner all in one. Naturally gluten free and ready to serve after just one hour of chilling in the refrigerator!
Ingredients
- 12 ounce box Jovial Brown Rice Orzo
- 1 large Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, cooked and cubed
- 10 ounce package Fresh Grape Tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 cup Cucumber, chopped
- 12 ounce jar Roasted Red Peppers, drained and roughly chopped
- ½ cup Green Olives, pitted and chopped
- 5 Green Onions, finely chopped
- 1 cup Feta Cheese Crumbles
- 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Zest
- ½ tsp Dried Oregano
- ½ tsp Dried Basil
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Coarse Ground Black Pepper
- ¼ tsp Garlic Powder
Instructions
In a measuring cup or small bowl whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Set aside.
Cook the orzo according to the package instructions. Rinse in cold water, drain and pour into a large serving bowl.
Add the cubed chicken breast, tomatoes, cucumber, drained roasted red peppers, green olives, green onions and feta cheese.
Stir the dressing and pour over the top of the orzo mixture. Stir to combine.
Refrigerate covered for at least 1 hour before serving.
- Prep Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Side Dish, Salads
- Method: Chopped
- Cuisine: American
If you made this Mediterranean Chicken Orzo Salad I would love to hear what you thought! Please leave a star rating and a comment below. This is one of my favorite easy and impressive recipes for spring and summer and I hope it becomes one of yours too!
Storage
Store leftover Mediterranean chicken orzo salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The salad actually gets better the longer it sits as the orzo absorbs the lemon dressing and the flavors continue to meld together.
If the salad thickens up in the refrigerator simply drizzle a little extra olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice over the top and stir to loosen it back up before serving. This recipe is not recommended for freezing as the fresh vegetables and feta cheese do not hold up well to freezing and thawing.
Top Tip
Make this salad at least a few hours ahead of time and ideally the night before you plan to serve it. The flavors develop and deepen beautifully as the salad sits in the refrigerator and the orzo soaks up the lemon dressing for the most delicious result.
If the salad looks a little dry after sitting overnight just drizzle a little extra olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice over the top and give it a good stir before serving and it will be perfect!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes and I actually recommend it! This cold orzo salad is the perfect make ahead recipe because the flavors develop and deepen beautifully as it sits in the refrigerator. Make it the night before you plan to serve it for the best possible flavor. Just give it a good stir before serving and add a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice if it has thickened up overnight. It is one of those recipes that is genuinely better the next day.
I use Jovial Brown Rice Orzo in this recipe and it is my absolute favorite gluten free orzo. It holds up beautifully in cold pasta salads without getting mushy and has a wonderful texture that is very close to traditional orzo. It is available at many grocery stores and on Amazon. Make sure you rinse the orzo in cold water after cooking and drain it well before adding the other ingredients to stop the cooking process and keep it from clumping together.
Absolutely! Rotisserie chicken is one of my favorite shortcuts for this Mediterranean chicken orzo salad and it makes the recipe even faster and easier to pull together. Simply shred or cube the rotisserie chicken and add it directly to the salad. It adds a wonderful savory flavor that works beautifully with the lemon dressing and Mediterranean ingredients. This is a great way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken from earlier in the week.
Yes this recipe is very easy to customize with your favorite vegetables. Kalamata olives are a great substitute for green olives if you prefer a stronger olive flavor. Artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, red onion, or baby spinach are all delicious additions that work beautifully with the Mediterranean flavors in this salad. If you want to add more color sliced bell peppers or halved yellow tomatoes make the salad even more beautiful and vibrant.
Yes! This salad is delicious without the chicken and is still hearty and satisfying thanks to the orzo, feta cheese, olives, and vegetables. You can also substitute the chicken with chickpeas for a plant based protein option that complements the Mediterranean flavors beautifully. Simply drain and rinse a can of chickpeas and add them directly to the salad in place of the chicken.
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