Herb Lime Chicken Salad Cups (Printable)
Creamy herb and lime chicken served in crisp lettuce cups for a fresh, protein-rich bite.
# List of ingredients:
→ Chicken
01 - 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 12 oz)
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
04 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
→ Salad Base
05 - 1 cup cottage cheese, low-fat or regular
06 - 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
07 - 1 small cucumber, diced
08 - 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
09 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
10 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
11 - 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
12 - 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
13 - Zest of 1 lime
14 - Juice of 1 lime
15 - 1 teaspoon honey (optional)
16 - Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ For Serving
17 - 8 large butter lettuce leaves or romaine hearts
18 - Lime wedges, for garnish
# Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Rub chicken breasts with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Allow to rest until cool enough to handle, then dice into small cubes.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, diced cucumber, quartered cherry tomatoes, sliced green onions, chopped parsley, dill, chives, lime zest, lime juice, and honey if using. Stir until evenly incorporated.
04 - Gently fold the cooled diced chicken into the salad mixture. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
05 - Spoon the chicken salad generously into each butter lettuce leaf, dividing evenly among the cups.
06 - Arrange the filled lettuce cups on a platter. Garnish with extra fresh herbs and lime wedges. Serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The cottage cheese and Greek yogurt combination creates this incredibly creamy texture without needing mayonnaise, which honestly surprised me the first time I tried it.
- Everything comes together in about 35 minutes, and most of that is just waiting for the chicken to bake while you chop herbs and catch up on a podcast.
02 -
- Do not skip the resting time for the chicken because cutting into it while it is piping hot will cause all the juices to run out and leave you with dry, chalky cubes that no amount of cottage cheese can save.
- Assemble the cups right before serving because the lettuce will wilt and become soggy if it sits with the salad mixture for more than about 20 minutes.
03 -
- Zest the lime before you juice it because trying to zest a squeezed lime half is frustrating and yields almost nothing.
- Pat the cucumber dry with a paper towel after dicing it to prevent excess water from thinning out your beautifully creamy salad.