Healthy Chicken Tikka Salad with Yogurt Dressing

This chicken tikka salad with yogurt dressing is a high-protein, low-calorie meal that brings bold Indian flavors to your clean eating routine. Made with oven-baked tandoori-spiced chicken and vegetables, and a gut-friendly, oil-free yogurt dressing, this recipe focuses on wholesome ingredients. It is the perfect easy healthy chicken salad for meal prep, and summer lunches and dinners.

Chicken tandoori salad with vegetables and dressing in a bowl.

Why you’ll love this chicken tandoori salad

This isn’t your average chicken salad. What sets this recipe apart is that both the chicken and the vegetables are marinated in the same flavorful tikka spice blend—then oven-baked to smoky perfection.

The result? A hearty salad bursting with bold Indian flavors, tender tandoori chicken tikka, and roasted onions and bell peppers that soak up the spices beautifully.

Here’s why this recipe will become your go-to:

  • 🌶️ Big on flavor, light on calories – thanks to a yogurt-based marinade and clean ingredients
  • 🍗 High in protein from lean baked chicken
  • 🫑 A mix of roasted and fresh veggies– onions and peppers are skewered and cooked with chicken for maximum taste (without extra effort). Fresh lettuce adds crunch and more nutrition.
  • 🥗 Complete meal in a bowl – satisfying enough for lunch or dinner
  • 🥄 No ultra-processed ingredients – only wholesome, everyday pantry staples

Whether you’re eating clean, meal prepping, or just craving something fresh yet comforting, this chicken tikka salad with roasted vegetables checks all the boxes.

Let’s dive into the recipe:

Ingredients

(You can find the exact measurements and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this page.)

Labelled ingredients for chicken tandoori salad on a white surface.

Tandoori marinade

  • Yogurt
  • Mustard oil gives the characteristic tandoori taste. If you can’t find it, it is ok to use other oil like peanut or olive oil.
  • Spices: Chili powder (cayenne), black pepper, coriander and garam masala. I’ve added Kashmiri chili powder for the bright red color. You can use paprika instead.
  • Ginger and garlic: If you look at the chicken tikka recipe, I would have used fresh ginger-garlic paste. Here I’ve used the powdered form as a shortcut. You can use either, the tikka would still taste great!
  • Chicken: Boneless, skinless thighs or breasts.
  • Ghee or melted butter to baste the chicken while roasting. It gives a unique richness to the tikka.

Salad mix-ins

  • Fresh veggies: Romaine lettuce or other crunchy vegetables.
  • Roasted veggies: I’ve used onions and bell peppers. You can use other vegetables (carrots, cauliflower, tomatoes) as well.
  • Herbs: A mix of coriander leaves and mint leaves.
  • Nuts: Sliced almonds or any other nuts/seeds.

Ingredients for lemon yogurt dressing

Labelled ingredients for yogurt lemon dressing.
  • Yogurt: Use homemade or store-bought Greek yogurt. (If using homemade, you might have to drain extra moisture by hanging it in a muslin cloth for about 15 minutes.)
  • Spices: Cumin, chaat masala, black pepper and salt.
  • Lemon juice and honey

How to make chicken tikka salad: Step by step

Step 1: Prepare tandoori marinade

Take Kashmiri chili powder in a small bowl. Heat mustard oil in a small pan and add to the bowl. This will ensure that your tikka is flavorful and bright red in color.

Mix well, then add the rest of the spices, lemon juice and yogurt.

MArinade for tandoori chicken in a bowl with a spoon in it.

Step 2: Marinate the chicken

A quick tip: If you’re using chicken breasts, try the velveting method before marinating. This will give you soft and juicier chicken tikka.

Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add the prepared tandoori marinade to the chicken and toss until they are well coated with the marinade.

Pierce the chicken with a fork so that the marinade gets absorbed better and quicker. Allow it to marinate for about 30 minutes, while you prepare the rest of the ingredients for the salad.

Step 2: Bake chicken tikka with veggies

Preheat the oven to 230°C/446°F.

Thread the marinated chicken onto skewers. You will have some marinade leftover in the bowl.

A person holding a skewer of chicken tikka.

Dice bell peppers and onions (separate the petals of onions). Add to the bowl with the leftover marinade and toss. Thread them onto skewers.

A bowl of marinated vegetables threaded on to skewers.

Place the skewers with chicken and vegetables on a baking tray. Brush with ghee (or melted butter).

A tray with skewers of marinated chicken and vegetables, being basted with ghee.

Place the tray in the oven and bake in the “roast” setting for 10 minutes.

Take out the tray and baste the chicken and veggies once more with ghee/melted butter.

A baking tray with roasted chicken tikka and vegetables on skewers.

Set the oven to “broil” mode. Return the tray to the oven and broil for 5 minutes.

Take out the veggie skewers and let the chicken broil for 5 more minutes. Remove the skewers from the oven and let them rest.

Step 3: Add mix-ins

Arrange a layer of lettuce leaves on a serving platter. Add the baked chicken tikka, onions and bell peppers.

Sprinkle chopped mint leaves, coriander leaves and sliced almonds.

Step 4: Whip up lemon yogurt dressing

The spicy yogurt dressing is the same as in paneer tikka salad recipe.

Mix yogurt, lemon juice, honey, chaat masala, cumin, salt and black pepper in a glass jar. Whisk until well combined and creamy.

Drizzle lemon yogurt dressing on the tikka salad and enjoy!

A person holding a spoon over a chicken tikka bowl with yogurt dressing.

What to serve with chicken tikka salad

This chicken tandoori salad is a wholesome low-carb meal in itself. You can add healthy carbs and more protein to make it an even more nutritious meal.

Rice bowls

Pair chicken tikka salad with rice dishes, making it a complete salad bowl.

Soups

Chutneys

In addition to (or instead of) the yogurt dressing, one of these chutneys can be drizzled for added flavor:

Chicken tikka salad bowl with lemon yogurt dressing.
Chicken tandoori salad with fresh and roasted vegetables and dressing in a bowl.

Simple Chicken Tikka Salad Recipe

Healthy chicken tikka salad made with baked chicken tikka, smoky tandoori vegetables, and a healthy lemon yogurt dressing. This is a flavorful Indian-inspired salad that's high in protein, low in calories, and perfect for meal prep, or a quick lunch or dinner.
Author: Sheeba
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course brunch, dinner, LUNCH, Main Course, Salad
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4
Calories 295.6 kcal

Ingredients
  

Tandoori marinade

Chicken tikka

  • 500 grams boneless chicken (1.1 pounds) (breasts or thighs)
  • 1 tablespoon ghee (or melted butter)

Salad mix-ins

  • 2 heads of Romaine lettuce
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 bell pepper
  • 2 tablespoons coriander leaves
  • 2 tablespoons mint leaves
  • 2 tablespoons sliced almonds

Lemon yogurt dressing

  • ½ cup yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • ½ teaspoon chaat masala
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

STEP BY STEP IMAGES

Scroll back to find detailed recipe photos!

Instructions
 

Prepare tandoori marinade

  • Take 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder in a small bowl. Heat 2 teaspoons mustard oil in a small pan and add to the bowl. Mix well.
  • Add the rest of the marinade ingredients: ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon coriander, ½ teaspoon garam masala, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon ginger powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons lemon juice and 2 tablespoons yogurt.

Marinate the chicken

  • Chop 500 grams boneless chicken (1.1 pounds) into bite-sized pieces. Add the prepared tandoori marinade to the chicken and toss until they are well coated with the marinade.
  • Pierce the chicken with a fork so that the marinade gets absorbed better and quicker.
  • Allow it to marinate for about 30 minutes, while you prepare the rest of the ingredients for the salad.

Bake chicken tikka with veggies

  • Preheat the oven to 230°C/446°F.
  • Thread the marinated chicken onto skewers. You will have some marinade leftover in the bowl.
  • Dice 1 bell pepper and 1 large onion (separate the petals of onions).
  • Add to the bowl with the leftover marinade and toss. Thread them onto separate skewers.
  • Place the skewers with chicken and vegetables on a baking tray. Brush with 1 tablespoon ghee (or melted butter).
  • Place the tray in the oven and bake in the “roast” setting for 10 minutes.
  • Take out the tray and baste the chicken and veggies once more with the remaining ghee.
  • Set the oven to “broil” mode. Return the tray to the oven and broil for 5 minutes.
  • Take out the veggie skewers only, leaving the chicken to broil for 5 more minutes.
  • Remove the chicken skewers from the oven and let them rest, while you prepare the rest of the salad.

Add mix-ins

  • Roughly chop 2 heads of Romaine lettuce. Spread them out in a layer on a serving platter.
  • Add the baked chicken tikka, onion and bell pepper.
  • Sprinkle 2 tablespoons coriander leaves, 2 tablespoons mint leaves and 2 tablespoons sliced almonds.

Whip up lemon yogurt dressing

  • Mix ½ cup yogurt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 teaspoons honey, ½ teaspoon chaat masala, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepperin a glass jar.
  • Whisk or shake until well combined and creamy.
  • Drizzle lemon yogurt dressing on the tikka salad and enjoy!

Notes

  • Tenderizing chicken: If you’re using chicken breasts, try the velveting method before marinating. This will give you soft and juicier chicken tikka.
  • Marinating chicken: The longer you marinate the chicken, the more flavorful your tikka is going to turn out. If you have the time, try to marinate overnight for the best results. Remember that if you’re marinating for more than 30 minutes, the chicken should be kept in the fridge.
  • Ginger and garlic: You can use 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger garlic paste instead of the powdered versions.
Nutrition Facts
Simple Chicken Tikka Salad Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
295.6
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
13.6
g
21
%
Saturated Fat
 
4.4
g
28
%
Trans Fat
 
0.01
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1.9
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
5.4
g
Cholesterol
 
94.9
mg
32
%
Sodium
 
758.6
mg
33
%
Potassium
 
744.5
mg
21
%
Carbohydrates
 
13.8
g
5
%
Fiber
 
2.9
g
12
%
Sugar
 
8.1
g
9
%
Protein
 
30.3
g
61
%
Vitamin A
 
1431.9
IU
29
%
Vitamin C
 
46.2
mg
56
%
Calcium
 
97.6
mg
10
%
Iron
 
1.5
mg
8
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Author profile photo

Hi! I’m Sheeba, welcome to Go Healthy ever after!

I have a passion for cooking delicious nourishing food that’s easy to cook with fresh natural ingredients free from additives or preservatives. The easy healthy recipes you find here will inspire you to cook with creativity.

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