Fattoush salad with grilled chicken

Make this traditional Middle Eastern Dish at home using this Fattoush Salad Recipe. Optional grilled chicken can be added to make it a complete meal with crispy pita chips on top too!

If I’m being totally honest with you guys, I don’t have much energy to write a whole long intro or inspo story to this recipe. We are currently deep in the world of #puppylife and are severely sleep deprived. Rumi is absolutely wonderful, but she’s also a puppy and if you’ve ever had a puppy before you know that it’s full-on for the first couple of months. She’s either on or she’s off and we have absolutely no control of the switch so whenever I’m working I can only hope that switch will be off (or C can take a break to watch her). In the case of this salad recipe she thankfully passed out under the couch when I planned to shoot it, so here we are! She’s now awoken from her slumber so step-by-steps is what you’ll get. Luckily this recipe speaks for itself – trust me!

What is Fattoush Salad?

Fattoush salad is a traditional staple in Lebanese cooking. It typically combines crispy bread known as “khubz” or pita with greens and a medley of vegetables including tomatoes, cucumber and radishes. It is topped with a simple olive oil + lemon dressing and a sprinkling of sumac.

In my version of fattoush salad I included grilled chicken to build out the meal making it a main rather than a starter or side dish.

Ingredients for this Recipe

Chicken breasts
Pita chips –> my homemade recipe
Cherry tomatoes
Cucumber
Romaine lettuce
Radishes
Scallions
Fresh herbs: mint + parsley
Dried spices: sumac, za’atar, paprika, garlic powder
Olive oil
Lemon
Salt + Pepper

What is sumac? One of the key ingredients in this recipe is the sumac. Sumac is a spice made from the dried and ground berries of the sumac flower. It is traditionally used in many middle eastern recipes, including fattoush salad. It has a tangy, almost acidic flavor and can be found at most grocery stores or specialty stores.

How to Make Fattoush Salad

STEP 1: If making pita chips preheat oven and follow instructions in this post.

STEP 2: Place chicken in a bowl and top with olive oil, garlic powder, paprika, za’atar + sea salt. Let marinate for 20 minutes.

STEP 3: Combine all chopped veggies in a large bowl (cherry tomatoes, cucumber, romaine, radishes, scallions, parsley + mint). Stir well.

STEP 4: Top with olive oil, lemon juice, sumac and salt and pepper.

STEP 5: Preheat grill on medium-high (should reach at least 450 degrees F). Place chicken directly onto grill and cook for 5-6 minutes on each side. Remove from oven and cut into bite-sized chunks.

STEP 6: Add chicken to salad and stir to combine.Plate salad into bowls and top with crushed pita chips.

Can you Bake the Chicken?

Absolutely! For one, you can skip the chicken entirely or sub tofu for a vegan meal. Here are a few options if you don’t have a grill:

Grill on the stove-top: Here is my step-by-step tutorial on how to make chicken on your stove-top
Bake in the oven: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place chicken on a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked all the way through.

How to Store This Salad

This fattoush salad will last for several days in the fridge. In fact, it tastes even better the longer you leave it. Just be sure to store the pita chips separately as they’ll get soggy if stored with the rest of the salad. Store the pita chips on the counter in a brown paper bag. Break them up onto the salad just before serving to keep them crunchy.