Watermelon Chicken Salad with Feta & Cucumber
Looking for a quick, fresh dinner that picky eaters will actually try? This Watermelon Chicken Salad with Feta & Cucumber delivers a sweet-and-salty combo with juicy watermelon, crisp cucumber, and tender chicken—all ready in no time. It’s light, flexible, and easy to adjust, making it a perfect solution for hot nights or when dinner needs to be simple.
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Love summertime salads? Try this Panzanella Salad with Chicken & Mozzarella, our Grapefruit, Avocado and Arugula Salad or this Light and Simple Bow Tie Pasta Salad. Or, for a protein-boost, try our Blackened Shrimp Caesar Salad!
Why We Love this Recipe
- Light but actually filling. This salad feels fresh and summery thanks to the watermelon, cucumber, and balsamic—but the added chicken makes it satisfying enough for a full meal, not just a side.
- That sweet + salty combo just works. Juicy watermelon paired with salty feta is a total win, and the crisp cucumber and mild greens keep everything balanced and approachable—even for picky eaters.
- Fast, flexible, and low-effort. Other than cooking the chicken, this comes together in minutes with simple chopping and tossing. Short on time? Use pre-cooked chicken and pre-cut watermelon to make it even quicker.
🤔 What Goes into the Dressing?
To make our dressing we kept it simple: balsamic vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard and a little black pepper. The dijon gives the dressing a pop of flavor without being too overpowering. Just remember to taste taste the dressing before you pour it. If you taste too much vinegar, adjust the ratios. Make it how you want. You can also add salt, ditch the mustard, whatever you like!
🛒 Ingredients
Notes on key ingredients are provided below. Please see the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
Chicken-Cut into bite sized pieces for faster cooking.
Feta– Crumbled is ideal! Goat cheese is another option but we like the feta-watermelon combo best!
Pickle Juice– Now, don’t be freaked about by the prospect of pickle juice. The chicken won’t taste like pickles. Lol. Rather, you end up with more flavorful, evenly salted, juicy chicken bites in the end.
Cucumber– Chopped into cubes or quarter chunks. Or, if you want to get creative, peel, slice and score cucumbers into these adorable flower shapes!
Watermelon– Ideally chopped into small cubes.
👩🍳 Instructions
Step 1. Marinate chicken.
Step 2. Make Dressing.
Step 3. Cook chicken.
Step 4. Assemble salad.
✏️Tips for Chicken Watermelon Salad
- Make it vegetarian: Very simple. Just eliminate the chicken.
- Taste the dressing before you pour it. If you taste too much vinegar, adjust the ratios. Make it how you want. You can also add salt, ditch the mustard, whatever you like!
- To save time: Buy pre-cooked chicken and/or pre-cut watermelon.
- Swap the greens. While we love the combo of watermelon, cucumber, feta, arugula, and chicken, this salad is easy to customize. Try spinach or basil, or add extras like avocado, red onion, pepitas, pine nuts, or even a drizzle of green goddess dressing.
- Change up the cheese. Not a feta fan? Goat cheese or blue cheese are great alternatives—they still bring that salty bite with a slightly creamier texture.
How to Store this Chicken Watermelon Salad
Storage: For best results, store the chicken, watermelon, veggies, and dressing in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. This helps prevent the salad from becoming watery and keeps everything fresh and crisp. Watermelon should be kept in an airtight container in the fridge and used within 3–4 days for best freshness.
If already mixed, store leftovers in an airtight container and enjoy within 1–2 days, as the watermelon will release liquid over time and the veggies may lose some crunch.
If prepping ahead, wait to add the dressing until just before serving. Before enjoying leftovers, you can drain any excess liquid and refresh the salad with a sprinkle of feta or a drizzle of dressing.
❓FAQ
Yes—prep the ingredients ahead, but store them separately. Add the dressing just before serving to keep everything fresh and prevent excess moisture.
Serve the ingredients separately so kids can build their own plate. You can also skip stronger flavors like arugula and keep dressing on the side.
Yes! Simply skip the chicken for a lighter side salad, or swap in another protein like grilled shrimp or rotisserie chicken.
Tips for Picky Eaters
- Separate the parts! My sister’s kids ate the salad, but only when the chicken, greens and veggies were separated on their plates. And no dressing.
- Make fun cucumber shapes. Learn how to cut cucumbers for kids and jazz up the meal!
- Start simple. Let them try the most familiar parts first—like chicken and watermelon.
- Skip stronger flavors. Leave out arugula or any ingredients that might feel “too much.”
Looking for more tips? Find what works for your kids with our Picky Eater Dinner Planner.
Craft For This Recipe
Paper Plate Watermelon Craft!
Your kids can make this Paper Plate Watermelon Craft while you prepare our Watermelon Salad. They will love this new spin on a paper plate craft, using colored yarn instead of markers! Bonus: you can add to your play food collection. Double bonus: the craft helps kids practice their fine motor skills!
Learn why we use crafts during dinner prep.
Want more easy ideas to keep kids busy nearby? Browse our full list of dinner-time activities.
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🍉 Watermelon Chicken Salad with Feta & Cucumber
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken thighs ((cut into bite-sized pieces))
Marinade
- 2 cups pickle juice ((or less))
- 2 Teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 Teaspoon salt
Dressing
- 3 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/4 Teaspoon black pepper
Salad
- cooking spray
- 4 cups arugula
- 1 1/2 cups cucumber ((chopped into cubes or quarter chunks))
- 1 1/2 cups watermelon ((chopped into small cubes))
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta ((plus extra for garnish))
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350. Meanwhile, put your cut chicken into a large bowl. Add marinade ingredients (pickle juice, garlic salt & salt) and mix altogether. Set aside for 10 minutes.
- Now make the dressing. In a pyrex measurement cup or small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard & pepper. Set aside.
- Once the chicken is done marinating, coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Remove chicken from bowl, using a slotted spoon, and place on pan, spread out. Bake chicken for 10 minutes (chicken should read as at least 165 degrees in order to be cooked through).
- In a large bowl, toss arugula, chopped cucumber, chopped watermelon, feta, and chicken. Then add dressing in slowly, choosing your amount. Toss more, and serve. Serve salad in bowls or plates, with extra feta crumbled on top.
Video
Notes
- Make it vegetarian: Very simple. Just eliminate the chicken.
- Taste the dressing before you pour it. If you taste too much vinegar, adjust the ratios. Make it how you want. You can also add salt, ditch the mustard, whatever you like!
- To save time: Buy pre-cooked chicken and/or pre-cut watermelon.
- Swap the greens. While we love the combo of watermelon, cucumber, feta, arugula, and chicken, this salad is easy to customize. Try spinach or basil, or add extras like avocado, red onion, pepitas, pine nuts, or even a drizzle of green goddess dressing.
- Change up the cheese. Not a feta fan? Goat cheese or blue cheese are great alternatives—they still bring that salty bite with a slightly creamier texture.
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
