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Greek Chicken Bowls

Greek Chicken Bowls
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5 from 7 reviews

These Greek chicken bowls are a 30-minute weeknight dinner packed with turmeric rice, seasoned chicken, crunchy veggies, and creamy tzatziki. Fresh, healthy, and totally satisfying!

Ingredients

Scale

For the chicken (see Notes for vegan or cooking methods)

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 4 cutlets (about 1 pound, organic if possible) OR 15-ounce can chickpeas
  • 1 to 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon each cumin and dried dill
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the bowl

  • 1 cup long grain white rice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 English cucumber
  • 1 handful cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • Pickled Red Onions (made in advance) or 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 handful olives, pitted and sliced
  • 1 handful feta cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups full-fat Greek yogurt*
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
  • 1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Make the rice: Using a strainer, rinse the rice under cold water, then drain it completely. In a saucepan over high heat, bring 1 3/4 cups water to a boil. Add the rice, turmeric, garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir once, and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Once all the liquid has cooked out and the rice is tender, remove the heat. Cover the pot and allow the rice to steam for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff the rice with a fork. Taste and add a little more salt and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.
  2. Make the tzatziki: Meanwhile, grate 1/2 the cucumber using the small holes on a box grater (if using a standard cucumber, peel and seed it first). Place the grated cucumber in a fine mesh strainer and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Sprinkle it with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, then place over a liquid measuring cup and allow to stand for at least 10 minutes. In a medium bowl, mix the yogurt, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, remaining ½ teaspoon kosher salt, dill, and freshly ground black pepper. Squeeze out more water from the cucumber before adding it to the dip. Stir in the grated cucumber. Depending on your yogurt consistency, you can stir back in the cucumber water (or regular water) until it comes to the desired consistency (some Greek yogurts are very thick!). Stores up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
  3. Cook the chicken*: If you buy the chicken as breasts that are not already butterflied or in cutlets, butterfly the chicken by placing your hand over the top of each chicken breast and using a sharp knife to carefully slice the breast horizontally, leaving the edge intact so it can open up like a book. Unfold the breast like a book, then cut along the fold to separate the two halves. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and sprinkle on both sides with the kosher salt (use 1 ¼ teaspoons if the chicken is closer to 1 ½ pounds).  In a small bowl, mix the garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cumin, dill, and a few grinds of black pepper, then sprinkle over the chicken.
  4. Add the olive oil to a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet and heat over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 to 5 minutes per side, until browned on both sides. When the internal temperature is 165°F or the center is no longer pink, remove to a plate. Rest 5 minutes before slicing. 
  5. Assemble the bowls: Slice the remaining half of the cucumber and slice the tomatoes in half. If using red onion instead of pickled onions, slice the onion. Add the rice to a bowl and top with the vegetables and chicken (or chickpeas), then sprinkle with olives and feta crumbles and add a dollop of tzatziki. Leftovers last up to 3 days refrigerated.

Notes

For the chickpeas variation (vegetarian and vegan): Drain and rinse the chickpeas. In a medium bowl, mix them with ½ teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder, and dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon each cumin and dried dill, and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt.  Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the chickpeas (carefully to avoid spitting) and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until warmed through.

Air fryer: For an even faster recipe, substitute air fryer chicken breast or air fryer chicken thighs.

Grilled: If it’s grill season, this recipe is great with grilled chicken breast or grilled chicken thighs. 

For a dairy free sauce, use this Tahini Sauce instead!

Meal prep tips: This recipe is easy to meal prep: prepare the chicken and tzatziki up to 3 days in advance. Slice the veggies and assemble the bowls directly before serving.

Find it online: https://www.acouplecooks.com/greek-chicken-bowls/