This Italian Grinder Chicken Salad takes everything I love about a grinder sandwich (the salami, the pepperoni, the tangy pepperoncini, that hit of red wine vinegar and oregano) and turns it into a high protein chicken salad you can eat straight out of a container all week long. An organic rotisserie chicken does the bulk of the work for you, and a creamy parmesan dressing made with Greek yogurt pulls the whole thing together. It’s salty, tangy, a little zippy, and it keeps you full for hours.
Friends, this is chicken salad number FIVE, and I have a feeling you’re going to be obsessed with this one. If you’ve already made my High Protein Green Goddess Chicken Salad or my High Protein Tzatziki Chicken Salad, you know I’ve been on a serious chicken salad run lately. This time I went straight to the Italian deli counter for inspiration, and I’m not mad about where it landed.
I’ll be honest, I don’t do a ton of meal prepping. Most weeks I’m cooking and filming on the fly. But this is one of the few recipes I actually get excited to make and then eat throughout the week, because opening the fridge and seeing four containers of this ready to go makes my life so much easier. You can cook your own chicken if you want, but I grab an organic rotisserie chicken to save time, and that’s it.
The dressing is where this salad earns the grinder name. If you know me, you know I’m not a mayo girl, so instead of the usual mayo-heavy grinder dressing, I use fat free Greek yogurt as the base and whisk in shredded parmesan, red wine vinegar, oregano, and a few spoonfuls of the juice straight from the pepperoncini jar. That brine gives the dressing the same tangy, slightly spicy bite you get from a grinder sandwich, and the parmesan adds that salty, savory depth that makes it taste like it came from a deli. Everything gets chopped small (the chicken, the salami, the pepperoni, the onion, the pepperoncini) so every forkful gets a little bit of everything. The cherry tomatoes add juicy little pops throughout, and the red onion brings some crunch.
What You Need to Make This High Protein Chicken Salad
- Fat Free Plain Greek Yogurt: This is the creamy, high protein base of the dressing. It’s thick enough to coat every piece of chicken without making the salad heavy. If you prefer a richer dressing, full fat Greek yogurt works too.
- Shredded Parmesan Cheese: Parmesan gives the dressing a salty, nutty flavor that makes it taste like it came straight from the deli counter.
- Pepperoncini Juice: Yes, the juice from the jar! It adds a tangy, mildly spicy kick that ties the dressing to the chopped pepperoncini in the salad.
- Red Wine Vinegar: Red wine vinegar is the backbone of any good grinder dressing. It brightens up the yogurt and balances out the richness of the salami and pepperoni.
- Garlic Powder: Garlic powder dissolves right into the dressing, so you get garlic flavor in every bite without any harsh raw bite.
- Oregano: Oregano is what makes this dressing taste unmistakably Italian. It’s the same flavor you’d find sprinkled on a grinder sandwich, and a full tablespoon makes sure it comes through.
- Kosher Salt: Start with half a teaspoon, then taste. Between the parmesan, salami, and pepperoni, there’s already plenty of salt in this salad, so season gradually.
- Ground Black Pepper: A little black pepper adds warmth to the dressing.
- Rotisserie Chicken: I use one organic rotisserie chicken with the skin removed, pulled apart and chopped into small pieces (about 4 cups). It’s my favorite shortcut, but any cooked chicken you have on hand will work.
- Salami: Salami chopped into small pieces adds that classic Italian deli flavor. Pick your favorite variety, whether that’s Genoa, hard salami, or something spicier.
- Pepperoni: Pepperoni brings a little smokiness and spice that pairs great with the pepperoncini.
- Red Onion: Adds crunch and a sharp bite.
- Pepperoncini: Chopped pepperoncini are tangy, mildly spicy, and essential to the grinder flavor.
- Cherry Tomatoes: Halved cherry tomatoes add juicy, fresh bites throughout the salad. Use any color you like!
How to Make This Italian Grinder Chicken Salad
To make this chicken salad, start with the dressing. Add the Greek yogurt, shredded parmesan, pepperoncini juice, red wine vinegar, garlic powder, oregano, kosher salt, and black pepper to a medium bowl and whisk until smooth and creamy. Give it a taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. If it feels too thick, whisk in a tablespoon or two of water until it reaches your desired consistency. Set it aside.
Next, prep the salad. Remove the skin from the rotisserie chicken, pull the meat apart, and chop it into small pieces. Chop the salami and pepperoni into small pieces, finely dice the red onion, chop the pepperoncini, and halve the cherry tomatoes. Add everything to a large bowl.
Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss until everything is fully coated. Serve it right away, or store it in a covered container in the fridge for up to one week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course. Any cooked chicken works here: baked, grilled, poached, or leftover chicken breast. You’ll need about 4 cups, chopped into small pieces.
It can be! Greek yogurt, parmesan, and fresh vegetables are naturally gluten-free, but some deli meats and rotisserie chickens contain gluten in their seasonings or fillers. Double-check the labels on your salami, pepperoni, and rotisserie chicken.
Yes. Turkey pepperoni and turkey salami are easy swaps and still give you that deli flavor.
Store this chicken salad in a covered container in the fridge for up to one week, or portion it into individual containers for grab-and-go lunches.
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new!
** Photography by Tanya Pilgrim
Ingredients
For the Creamy Parmesan Dressing:
- 1 ¼ cups fat free plain greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons juice from the pepperoncini jar
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and more to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1-2 tablespoons water, if needed to thin
For the Salad:
- 1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed, pulled apart and chopped into small pieces (~4 cups)
- 2 ounces salami, chopped into small pieces
- 2 ounces pepperoni, chopped into small pieces
- ½ red onion, finely diced
- ½ cup pepperoncini, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Instructions
- To make this chicken salad, start with the dressing. Add the Greek yogurt, shredded parmesan, pepperoncini juice, red wine vinegar, garlic powder, oregano, kosher salt, and black pepper to a medium bowl and whisk until smooth and creamy.
- Give it a taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. If it feels too thick, whisk in a tablespoon or two of water until it reaches your desired consistency. Set it aside.
- Next, prep the salad. Remove the skin from the rotisserie chicken, pull the meat apart, and chop it into small pieces.
- Chop the salami and pepperoni into small pieces, finely dice the red onion, chop the pepperoncini, and halve the cherry tomatoes. Add everything to a large bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss until everything is fully coated. Serve it right away, or store it in a covered container in the fridge for up to one week.
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What others are saying
this was a great quick lunch. i had all the ingredients on hand except rotisserie chicken so i used two large cans of the kirkland chicken. Very tasty and quick and easy to make
Thank you so much Christy!
This is delicious. My calorie counter program matched the calories but the protein came out 44.33 g per serving. Still worth it! Smart to mix the dressing first in a large bowl and add all other ingredients to the large bowl. I added extra pepperoncini juice to thin.
Hi Jen! So glad you loved it! Macro variations are totally normal depending on the specific brands used — also please keep in mind the nutrition facts are automatically calculated in the recipe card, so there can be slight discrepancies. And extra pepperoncini juice to thin the dressing is a great call!