This Chicken Tikka Salad with Mint Coriander Dressing is a PCOS-friendly recipe with 455 calories, 42.3g protein, and 32.3g carbs per serving. Ready in 35 minutes. High in fiber (8.9g), which supports insulin sensitivity.
Nutrition per Serving
Chicken tikka is usually marinated in yogurt. This one uses lemon juice, ginger, garlic and spices, which tenderise the chicken just as well with no dairy. It goes on a crunchy salad with chickpeas and a bright green mint dressing, the same one you get with tikka at a dhaba. Each plate has about 455 calories and 42g of protein.
Grocery list:
- Skinless chicken breast (300g)
- Cooked chickpeas (1 small tin)
- Romaine lettuce
- Cucumber
- Tomato
- Red onion
- Fresh mint
- Fresh coriander
- Green chilli
- Fresh ginger
- Garlic
- Lemon and lime
- Kashmiri chilli powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, garam masala, ground turmeric
- Avocado oil and extra virgin olive oil
Nutrition notes: figures are per plate, half the recipe, worked from USDA FoodData Central values for raw skinless chicken breast and every other weighed ingredient. Some of the lemon marinade stays in the bowl, so the real figures are a little lower than shown.
Keeps: Cooked tikka keeps 3 days in the fridge. Pack the salad and the dressing in separate boxes so the lettuce stays crisp. The dressing keeps 2 days.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Mix the lemon juice, ginger, garlic, all the ground spices, salt and avocado oil in a bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Leave for at least 20 minutes, or up to 8 hours in the fridge.Heat the oven to 220C fan, 240C conventional, or 475F. Thread the chicken onto skewers or spread it on a lined tray.Roast for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges char and the thickest piece is no longer pink inside. You can also cook it in a hot griddle pan for 4 minutes a side.While the chicken cooks, blend the mint, coriander, green chilli, lime juice, olive oil, salt and 2 tablespoons of water to a smooth, pourable dressing.Toss the romaine, cucumber, tomato, red onion and chickpeas together and divide between 2 plates or boxes.Top with the chicken tikka and spoon over the dressing.
Why this works for PCOS
A protein-first lunch is the simplest way to avoid the afternoon slump and the snack cravings that follow. This plate gives 42g of protein, with 32g of carbs and 9g of fibre that come from the chickpeas and vegetables, not from bread or rice.
The ingredients doing the work
- Chicken breast: 150g per plate brings most of the protein.
- Chickpeas: 60g per plate. They add slow carbs, fibre and a little more protein, so the salad holds you until dinner.
- Lemon in the marinade: the acid does the job yogurt does in a classic tikka.
- Mint dressing: herbs and olive oil instead of a creamy raita.
Swaps
Vegetarian: use 300g of extra-firm tofu cubes and roast them for 20 minutes. If you miss the creamy coating, a plain coconut yogurt works in the marinade. Chicken thighs stay juicier but add more fat.
How this fits a PCOS week
Most PCOS meal plans are built around Greek yogurt, cheese and toast. If you cook Indian food, or you skip dairy, those plans fall apart by Wednesday. PCOS Meal Planner builds a week around the food you actually cook, keeps out the foods you avoid, and gives you one shopping list.
Why this Chicken Tikka Salad with Mint Coriander Dressing works for PCOS
With 42.3g of protein per serving (about 37% of calories), this Chicken Tikka Salad with Mint Coriander Dressing sits at the top end of the 25-35g per-meal range that the 2023 International PCOS Guideline recommends for managing insulin resistance and supporting lean mass. Higher-protein meals also blunt the glucose response when carbohydrates are included, which matters for women with PCOS because chronic insulin elevation drives androgen excess and irregular cycles.
The 32.3g of carbohydrates here come paired with 8.9g of fibre, which slows glucose absorption and produces a flatter post-meal blood sugar curve. Fibre is one of the most under-rated tools for PCOS: it feeds gut bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids linked to improved insulin sensitivity, and it modestly lowers circulating androgens by binding bile acids in the gut.
Fat makes up about 36% of calories in this dish. Dietary fat plays a load-bearing role in PCOS because sex hormones are synthesised from cholesterol, and very-low-fat eating can suppress hormone production over time. The 2023 PCOS guideline does not specify a strict fat target, but most clinicians recommend at least 25-35% of calories from a mix of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated sources.
Lunch is where most PCOS meal plans either succeed or collapse. A meal like this Chicken Tikka Salad with Mint Coriander Dressing that combines adequate protein, fibre-rich carbs, and fat keeps blood sugar stable for the rest of the workday and reduces the late-afternoon energy crash that drives sugar cravings around 3-4pm.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this Chicken Tikka Salad with Mint Coriander Dressing recipe is designed to be PCOS-friendly. At 455 calories per serving with 42.3g of protein, it supports balanced blood sugar and hormonal health. It also provides 8.9g of fiber, which helps with insulin sensitivity.
This recipe takes about 35 minutes total. Prep time is 20 minutes and cook time is 15 minutes. It makes 2 servings, so you can meal prep for multiple days.
Per serving: 455 calories, 42.3g protein (37%), 32.3g carbs, 18.2g fat. Plus 8.9g fiber. PCOS meal plans typically aim for 30% protein, 35% fat, 35% carbs to support insulin sensitivity.
Yes, this recipe works well as a PCOS-friendly Lunch. At 455 calories, it fits within typical PCOS meal plan targets for Lunch. Pair it with other PCOS-friendly foods throughout the day for balanced nutrition.
This recipe can be part of a structured PCOS meal plan. It makes 2 servings, making it great for meal prep. For a complete weekly plan tailored to your PCOS type, take our free 60-second quiz at pcosmealplanner.com/pcos-quiz to get a personalized 7-day meal plan.
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