Greek Chicken Bowls (Printable View)
Herbed grilled chicken with rice, fresh Mediterranean vegetables, feta, and creamy tzatziki sauce.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Chicken & Marinade
01 - 1.1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
04 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
05 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
06 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
07 - ½ teaspoon paprika
08 - ½ teaspoon salt
09 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
→ Rice
10 - 1 cup basmati or long grain rice
11 - 1¾ cups water
12 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
13 - ½ teaspoon salt
→ Fresh Vegetables
14 - 1 small cucumber, diced
15 - 7 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
16 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
17 - 1.8 oz Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
18 - 1.8 oz feta cheese, crumbled
→ Tzatziki Sauce
19 - ½ cup (4.4 oz) Greek yogurt
20 - ½ small cucumber, grated and squeezed dry
21 - 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
22 - 1 garlic clove, minced
23 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
24 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
25 - Salt and pepper to taste
→ Garnishes
26 - Fresh parsley or dill, chopped
27 - Lemon wedges
# Cooking Steps:
01 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, oregano, thyme, paprika, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken breasts and turn to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, or up to 2 hours for deeper flavor.
02 - Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the rice and stir for 1 minute to toast the grains. Pour in the water and salt, bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.
03 - Combine the Greek yogurt, grated and squeezed cucumber, chopped dill, minced garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir thoroughly and refrigerate until ready to serve.
04 - Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill for 5 to 6 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Transfer to a cutting board and rest for 5 minutes before slicing against the grain.
05 - Divide the fluffed rice among four bowls. Arrange sliced grilled chicken, diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion, Kalamata olives, and crumbled feta over the rice in each bowl. Spoon tzatziki generously on top and finish with fresh herbs and lemon wedges.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The marinade does all the heavy lifting so you barely have to think about seasoning the rest of the bowl.
- Tzatziki that you make yourself from scratch will ruin the store bought version for you forever.
- Everything cooks in under 30 minutes, which means weeknight dinners feel special without the exhaustion.
02 -
- Under no circumstances should you skip resting the chicken after grilling because cutting it immediately lets all the juices escape.
- Squeezing the grated cucumber dry is the single step that determines whether your tzatziki is lush or soupy.
03 -
- If your grill pan is not screaming hot before the chicken goes in, you will never get those gorgeous char marks that make this bowl look as good as it tastes.
- Crumbling the feta by hand instead of buying pre crumbled gives you larger, creamier pieces that melt slightly into the warm chicken.