Grilled Chicken with Cucumber Feta Salad & Herbed Yogurt — 44g Protein, Under $5
The cucumber and feta salad trend is everywhere right now, and for good reason — it is one of the most refreshing and effortlessly good combinations in summer cooking. This version turns it into a complete, high-protein dinner by pairing it with a simply seasoned grilled chicken breast and a herbed yogurt sauce that ties everything together into something that tastes cohesive and considered. The cucumber salad is cool and briny and bright, the chicken is golden and juicy, and the yogurt sauce is the thread that connects them. At 44 grams of protein and under five dollars, this is the dinner that proves trending food and budget food are not mutually exclusive.
Ingredients
Method
- Make the cucumber feta salad first so it has time to marinate: combine the diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, red onion, and crumbled feta in a bowl.
- Add the olive oil, lemon juice, fresh mint or dill, salt, and pepper. Toss gently and set aside.
- Make the herbed yogurt: mix together the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, dried dill, garlic powder, and salt until smooth. Set aside.
- Season the chicken breast with olive oil, dried oregano, salt, and pepper on both sides.
- Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 5–6 minutes per side until golden with clear grill marks and cooked through to 165°F (74°C).
- Rest the chicken for 3 minutes before slicing.
- Spoon the herbed yogurt onto one side of a wide plate.
- Place the sliced chicken on top of or alongside the yogurt.
- Spoon the cucumber feta salad generously beside the chicken.
- Add kalamata olives and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over the feta if using. Serve immediately.
Notes
Feta bought as a block and crumbled yourself is consistently cheaper than pre-crumbled feta and has noticeably more flavour and a better texture — a block keeps in the fridge for weeks in a small container of water. Cucumber is one of the cheapest fresh vegetables available year-round and a single large cucumber provides enough for multiple servings of this salad. The herbed yogurt sauce here costs almost nothing to make and does the job of both a sauce and a side dish simultaneously.
