Greek Chicken and Rice Bowls
These Greek Chicken and Rice Bowls are perfect if you're looking for a nutritionally balanced dinner with all the flavors of Greece! A cucumber tomato salad made with lemon, herbs, and salty feta served with lemon garlic rice, juicy chicken, and tzatziki sauce or hummus. The best part is that you can meal prep most of it in advance so all that's left to do is assemble your bowls when dinner rolls around!
Equipment
- 1 saucepan
Ingredients
For Greek Chicken
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast (or thighs)
- 2 tablespoon Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ large lemon, juice and zest (or 1 small), ~2 tablespoon juice and ½ tablespoon zest
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Cucumber Tomato Salad Ingredients
- ½ an English cucumber
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes
- ½ a bell pepper
- ¼ a red onion (~¼ cup)
- ¼ cup fresh herbs (I use dill, parsley, and mint)
- 2 tablespoon kalamata olives
- 2 tablespoon feta cheese (more as desired)
- 1-2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- ½ a large lemon, juice and zest (or 1 small), ~2 tablespoon juice and ½ tablespoon zest
- 1½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (more to taste)
- dash black pepper
For Lemon Rice
- 1 cup jasmine rice, uncooked
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 cloves garlic, grated or finely minced)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ a large lemon (or 1 small), ~2 tablespoon juice and ½ tablespoon zest
- ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
For Serving (optional)
- tzatziki sauce
- hummus
- your favorite greens
Instructions
- In a bowl or baking dish, combine the chicken marinade ingredients. Add the chicken and coat it in the marinade, making sure to rub it into the chicken really well. Let it marinate a minimum of 1 hour and maximum 24 hours. I aim for 4-8 hours to get the best flavor.
- While the chicken is marinating, make the Greek salad. Mix the dressing ingredients. Chop the vegetables, herbs, and olives. Add the vegetables, herbs and olives to a large bowl with the dressing and toss. Gently mix in the feta.
- Rinse the rice. Then add the rice, water, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper to a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes or according to the timing on the package.
- Remove the rice from the heat and let it sit at least 10 minutes with the lid on. Fluff the rice with a fork and add the parsley, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix it to combine and add more salt as needed.
- To cook the chicken in the oven, preheat the oven to 425℉ (218°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up. Add the chicken in a single layer. Bake the chicken for 18-25 minutes, until the internal temperature is 165℉ (75°C). Cooking time will vary depending on your oven and the thickness of the chicken. Let the chicken sit at least 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven. This helps the juices redistribute into the chicken to prevent it from drying out. Cut the chicken against the grain.
- Assemble your bowls with the rice, tomato and cucumber salad, chicken, and your favorite greens. Add your favorite toppings like tzatziki sauce and hummus.
Notes
*nutrition based on 1 bowl = 3 oz chicken, ¾ cup rice, ~⅔ cup Greek salad, ½ cup greens, 1 tablespoon tzatziki, 1 tablespoon hummus
Expert Tips
- Let the chicken marinate at least 30 minutes. Ideally, it will marinate for a few hours so if you can get that going in the morning that's even better for flavor.
- Be sure to coat the chicken in the marinade really well, rubbing it into the chicken on all sides.
- You can cook the chicken in a skillet, air fryer, or grill instead. Oven is easiest for me on a busy weeknight because I don't have a grill and my air fryer is really small. And I usually don't feel like cleaning my skillet or standing over it, but do whatever is easiest and most comfy for you!
- I like to chop everything for the salad into pretty small pieces so everything is around the same size.
- Remove some of the seeds from the cucumber to get rid of some of the extra moisture. Because if not, once that cucumber touches some salt, will start releasing lots of extra liquid and dilute the salad (trust me, I know from lots of experience 😱)
- If you're making the Greek salad in advance, wait to add the feta right before serving and give it another toss before serving.
- Add even more flavor to your rice by cooking it in chicken broth. If doing so, you can still add the extra garlic powder & black pepper but probably won't need the extra salt.
- Serve everything family style and have lemons on the side for people to squeeze over everything.
- Refrigerator - store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
For more nutrition information and tips, visit mallorythedietitian.com. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! 😊
Nutrition
Serving: 1bowl* (see notes)Calories: 535kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 33gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 4.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 900mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4g
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