Greek Chicken Bowls (Printable Version)
Grilled chicken with fresh Mediterranean veggies, feta, and creamy tzatziki over rice.
# What You Need:
→ Chicken Marinade
01 - 1.1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
06 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
07 - ½ teaspoon paprika
08 - ½ teaspoon salt
09 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
→ Bowl Assembly
10 - 8.8 oz cooked basmati or brown rice
11 - 1 small cucumber, diced
12 - 7 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
13 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
14 - 1 bell pepper (red or yellow), diced
15 - 3.5 oz pitted Kalamata olives, halved
16 - 3.5 oz feta cheese, crumbled
17 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
→ Tzatziki
18 - 7 oz Greek yogurt
19 - ½ cucumber, finely grated
20 - 1 clove garlic, minced
21 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
22 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
23 - 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
24 - Salt and pepper to taste
# How-To:
01 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, dried oregano, ground cumin, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Add the chicken pieces and toss until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, or up to 2 hours for deeper flavor penetration.
02 - Combine the Greek yogurt, grated cucumber, minced garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh dill in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir until well blended, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
03 - Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange the marinated chicken pieces in a single layer and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and lightly charred on the edges.
04 - Divide the cooked rice among four bowls. Top each portion with the grilled chicken, diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion, diced bell pepper, Kalamata olives, and crumbled feta cheese.
05 - Drizzle each bowl generously with the prepared tzatziki sauce and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley. Serve immediately while the chicken is still warm.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The marinade doubles as a flavor bomb for almost any protein so memorize it and thank yourself later.
- Everything cooks in under twenty minutes which means weeknight dinner stress basically disappears.
- The tzatziki is so good you will want to eat it with a spoon straight from the bowl.
02 -
- Wet tzatziki ruined my first attempt, so always wring that grated cucumber dry like you mean it.
- Marinating the chicken longer than two hours can make the texture mushy because the acid starts breaking down the fibers too aggressively.
03 -
- Let the grill pan get fully screaming hot before the chicken touches it, that initial sear locks in juices and creates the char that makes this dish special.
- Season the tzatziki twice, once when you mix it and again right before serving, because the flavor dulls as it chills.