Made with just 7 ingredients, these creamy Mediterranean chicken salad pitas are a flavorful lunch or light dinner option—perfect for busy days on the go! Featuring fresh Mediterranean flavors, they're a tasty spin on an old classic.
While you most likely have your own preferred chicken salad mix-ins, I strongly encourage you to give these Mediterranean chicken salad pitas a try!
Like any classic herbed chicken salad recipe, the pulled chicken (made in the Dutch oven) is tender and juicy, the flavors are fresh, and the creamy texture is spot on.
But, sometimes classic can be boring, so to liven things up, I'm going Greek with my chicken salad flavors! The plain ol' celery and grapes have been swapped for punchy kalamata olives, briny capers, and creamy, salty feta cheese.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Flavor - Full of Greek-inspired, savory flavors.
- Easy - Chicken salad pitas are made using precooked chicken and the majority of the ingredients come straight from a jar!
- Versatile - This Mediterranean chicken salad isn't just for pitas. Feel free to serve it in a wrap, over greens, or with crackers.
Ingredients needed
- Cooked chicken breast - Use pre-cooked chicken breast or rotisserie chicken. You'll want to stick with white meat chicken breast here. Dark meats, like chicken thigh meat, are too tender and fatty for chicken salad. I like to use my popular Dutch oven shredded chicken breast.
- Roasted red peppers - I used roasted red peppers straight from a jar. You can make your own if you want to, but you definitely don't have to!
- Red onion - Substitute white or yellow onion if needed.
- Capers - For pops of salty, briny flavor! If you have any leftover, save them for this baked panko cod recipe.
- Kalamata olives - Choose pitted for easy chopping.
- Feta cheese - Adds to the creamy texture of the salad.
- Mayonnaise - Marries all the chicken salad ingredients together.
- Pita pockets - These round, airy pockets are the perfect vehicle for scooping Mediterranean chicken salad!
*See the recipe card below for a detailed list of ingredients and quantities needed.
How to make chicken salad in pita bread
Recipe rundown
- Add everything to a large mixing bowl.
- Mix until well combined.
- Stuff in pita pockets.
- Serve and enjoy!
Step-by-step instructions
These Mediterranean chicken salad pitas couldn't be easier to make! Follow these three simple recipe steps, and you're done!
Step 1: Add the shredded chicken, roasted red peppers, red onion, olives, capers, and feta cheese to a large mixing bowl and mix until well combined.
Step 2: Stir in the mayo, apple cider vinegar, and salt until the salad is creamy and all the ingredients are well incorporated.
Step 3: Stuff about ⅔ cup of chicken salad into a large pita pocket, cut in half. I like to add green leaf lettuce and some fresh parsley for extra flavor and color.
Expert tips
- Use shredded chicken breast. I prefer to shred chicken breast using my hand mixer, but the fork method works, too! What's important is that you have well-shredded chicken breast without any large chunks.
- Your chicken should be tender, juicy, and easy to pull apart. The best way to achieve this is to gently poach your chicken breast on the stovetop, or make it in the oven using your Dutch oven. My Dutch oven pulled chicken is my go-to because it's practically fool-proof!
- Dice your mix-ins for easy eating. There's nothing worse than a giant chunk of onion! For the best flavor and texture, make sure you finely chop your onion, roasted red peppers, and olives.
- Warm the pita bread. Gently warm the pita bread in the oven or on a skillet before filling it. This makes the pitas more pliable and less likely to fall apart.
- Avoid overstuffing the pita pockets. Less equals more when it comes to stuffing pita bread.
What to serve with chicken salad pitas?
For an extensive list of sides for chicken salad pitas, you'll want to take a look at this chicken salad sides post. But if you're just looking for a quick idea, I would stick with a soup and sandwich or soup and salad combo.
Here are some of my favorites:
Chicken salad pita variations
It's so easy to make these chicken salad pitas your own! Here are some ways to change them up:
- Mix in sweet options, such as diced apples, red grapes, or dried cranberries.
- Include crunchy additions, such as slivered almonds or chopped walnuts.
- Add a fresh touch with seasonal vegetables. Tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers are a few of my top picks!
Storage instructions
- Store assembled chicken salad pitas in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. Eventually, the chicken salad will cause the pita bread to become soggy, so they'll only stay fresh for 1-2 days.
- It's best to store leftover Mediterranean chicken salad separately, in an airtight container in the fridge. It'll last for 4-5 days this way!
Frequently asked questions
No, chicken breast is ideal for creamy chicken salad because it's sturdy enough to withstand heavy ingredients like mayonnaise. The flavor and texture of chicken thigh meat just doesn't lend itself well to chicken salad.
I've only tested this chicken salad pita recipe with mayonnaise. However, you could try subbing a portion of the mayonnaise for plain Greek yogurt or sour cream. I wouldn't substitute the entire amount, though.
No, chicken salad is not freezer-friendly. The texture of the mayonnaise becomes grainy and separated during thawing.
More sandwich and wrap recipes
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Mediterranean Chicken Salad Pitas
Made with just 7 ingredients, these creamy Mediterranean chicken salad pitas are a flavorful lunch or light dinner option—perfect for busy days on the go! Featuring fresh, Mediterranean flavors, they're a tasty spin on an old classic.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 servings 1x
- Category: lunch
- Method: no-cook
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked chicken breast - shredded
- ½ cup roasted red peppers - diced
- ½ cup red onion - diced
- ¼ cup capers - liquid drained
- ½ cup Kalamata olives - chopped
- ½ cup crumbly feta cheese
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- Pita pockets
- Optional - green leaf lettuce, fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken, roasted red peppers, red onion, capers, Kalamata olives, and feta cheese. Mix until combined.
- Stir in the mayonnaise, salt, and apple cider vinegar.
- Stuff about ⅔ cup of chicken salad into a pita pocket, cut in half. Add green leaf lettuce, if desired.
- Serve immediately, and enjoy!
Notes
- The nutrition information shown below is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice.
- NOTE: The nutrition facts shown below are for the chicken salad only, and are based on 1/10th of the entire recipe. You'll need to add the nutrition information from your pita bread to the information below to determine your final amounts.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 255
- Sugar: 1.1 g
- Sodium: 407.2 mg
- Fat: 17.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 2.2 g
- Fiber: 0.6 g
- Protein: 21.9 g
- Cholesterol: 79.8 mg
Megan Matthews says
Delicious!