Za'atar Chicken Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing

Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Servings: 2
Yield: 2 servings

Description

Grilled za'atar-marinated chicken tenders are served over a romaine salad chock-full of crunchy veggies and drizzled in lemon-tahini dressing.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons za'atar seasoning
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound chicken tenders
6 cups torn, bite-sized romaine lettuce
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1 lemon, zested and juiced
4 tablespoons tahini
4 tablespoons water, or more as needed
2 cloves garlic
1 dried date, minced
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

Directions

1 Mix 2 tablespoons lemon juice, olive oil, za'atar, garlic, salt, and pepper together in a gallon-sized plastic zip-top bag. Add chicken tenders and refrigerate, turning occasionally, 30 minutes to 12 hours.
2 Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
3 Place chicken tenders on the grate, reduce heat to medium, and cover. Grill until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a tender registers 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), 4 to 5 minutes per side.
4 Remove chicken from grill and let rest. Prepare the salad in the meantime; place romaine pieces in a large bowl and add tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber, and carrot.
5 Combine lemon zest and juice, tahini, water, garlic, and date in the bowl of a mini food processor or a blender. Pulse several times, adding water by tablespoons if necessary, until desired consistency is achieved. Season with salt and pepper. Pour dressing into the salad bowl and toss.
6 Divide salad between plates. Slice each chicken tender crosswise into 1/4-inch slices and place over the salads. Garnish with chives and mint.