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[[ Chicken · Meat · Dinner · Roast · Salad ]]

Warm Roasted Beetroot & Chicken Breast Salad with Garlic-Lemon Yoghurt

Gluten free

Roasted beetroot and seared chicken sit on a garlicky lemon yoghurt with blistered broccoli, feta, walnuts and fresh herbs. The beetroot is earthy and sweet, the yoghurt sharp and cool against the warm ingredients. Good for a midweek dinner when you want something a bit more interesting than usual.

An original recipe by Jamie, created in collaboration with AI.

Time: 45 min
Effort: Medium
Steps: 9

6 of the steps have a timer you can start with one tap.

Warm Roasted Beetroot & Chicken Breast Salad with Garlic-Lemon Yoghurt, photographed at home

Ingredients

4 to feed

1 kg fresh beetroot
40 g olive oil
10 ml red wine vinegar
8 g flaky sea salt
5 g black pepper
700 g chicken breast
6 g fine salt
3 g smoked paprika
10 g butter
400 g broccoli florets
200 g plain Greek yoghurt
1 clove garlic
1 whole lemon
10 g fresh mint or dill
60 g feta cheese
30 g fresh flat-leaf parsley
20 g toasted walnuts

Worked out from the ingredients as written. Packets vary, so check the labels if it matters to you.

How it goes

PrepDry-brine the chicken · Wrap and prep beetroot · Make the yoghurt dressing
CookRoast the beetroot · Sear and oven-finish chicken · Rest the chicken · Blister the greens
FinishPeel and slice beetroot
PlateAssemble the warm salad

Method

Dry-brine the chicken
Pat 700g chicken breasts very dry with paper towels. Season all over with 6g fine salt. Place uncovered on a plate at room temperature for 30–40 minutes while the oven heats — this seasons deep into the meat and keeps it juicy. Hold back the oil, pepper and paprika until just before searing.
Wrap and prep beetroot
Scrub the 1 kg beetroot clean — no need to peel yet. Wrap each individually in foil with a few drops of red wine vinegar and a little olive oil inside each parcel. The acid brightens the sweetness as they steam. Place on a roasting tray.
Make the yoghurt dressing
Grate 1 garlic clove into a bowl with the zest and juice of 1 lemon and a pinch of salt. Let it sit 5 minutes — the lemon's acid takes the raw bite off the garlic. Stir in 200g Greek yoghurt, 15g olive oil, remaining salt, 2g pepper, and 10g chopped fresh mint or dill if using. Taste — it should be bright, creamy, and savoury. Set aside at cool room temperature.
Roast the beetroot
Preheat oven to 200°C fan. Place the foil-wrapped beetroot on a roasting tray in the oven. Roast for 35–45 minutes depending on size — a knife should slide to the centre with no resistance. Start this step first; it's the longest and everything else builds around it.
Sear and oven-finish chicken
When the beetroot has about 20 minutes left, blot any surface moisture from the brined chicken and rub all over with 15g olive oil, 3g black pepper, and 3g smoked paprika. Heat an ovenproof pan over medium-high until a drop of water skitters on contact. Add chicken presentation-side down, press flat for a few seconds, and sear undisturbed for 3–4 minutes until a deep golden crust releases cleanly. Flip, drop in 10g butter, let it foam, and spoon it over the breasts for 30 seconds. Transfer the whole pan to the 200°C oven and roast for 10–14 minutes until the thickest point reads 72°C on a meat thermometer. Carryover heat will carry it to safe ≥75°C as it rests.
Rest the chicken
Remove the cooked chicken from the oven and transfer to a warm plate. Leave uncovered for 5–8 minutes. Uncovered keeps the crust crisp; resting lets juices set so they stay in the meat, not on the board.
Blister the greens
While the chicken roasts, toss 400g broccoli florets with 10g olive oil and 3g salt on a baking tray, spread in a single layer with space between pieces. Roast at 200°C for 12–15 minutes until the edges are charred and the stems are just tender.
Peel and slice beetroot
Unwrap the hot beetroot carefully — steam will escape. Rub the skins off with paper towels — they slip right away. Cut into wedges while warm. Wear gloves if you prefer to save your fingers from the pink stain.
Assemble the warm salad
Work quickly so everything stays warm. On a large warmed platter: spread a third of the yoghurt dressing across the base, arrange beetroot wedges over it, scatter blistered broccoli on top, slice the rested chicken against the grain on an angle and lay it over the salad with any resting juices, dollop the remaining garlic-lemon yoghurt over everything, scatter 60g crumbled feta, 20g toasted walnuts if using, and 30g fresh parsley. Finish with a drizzle of 15g olive oil and a crack of black pepper.