Mediterranean Chicken Bowls with Rice and Creamy Tzatziki
By Emma Collins
Prep
45 min
Cook
10 min
Total
55 min
Servings
4
Level
Easy
Prepare four servings of chicken rice bowls by cooking chicken and tzatziki sauce. Have other ingredients ready for service. Other ingredients in chicken rice bowls include grilled chicken with lemon and herbs, vegetables, rice, feta cheese crumbles, and cucumber yogurt sauce.
The chicken marinade includes olive oil, lemon peel and lemon juice, honey, garlic powder, oregano, basil, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Honey adds sweetness and helps the chicken brown. Lemon and herb flavors add seasoning to the chicken. Tzatziki sauce topping for bowls includes Greek yogurt, grated cucumber with excess moisture removed, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and dill.
After cooling the chicken for 30 minutes or longer, fry the pieces in a single layer in a pan over medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until thoroughly cooked and browned on all sides. Overcooking is the main texture problem. Small pieces of chicken may be too dry. Squeeze excess water from grated cucumber to avoid watery tzatziki sauce.
Start each serving of this bowl with cooked rice and chicken. Add chopped cucumber, lettuce, tomato, red onion, crumbled feta cheese, parsley, and tzatziki sauce. For meal prep, portion rice and chicken ahead of time. Add chilled vegetables and sauce when ready to eat. Serving warm pita bread with this dish is another option.
Why this recipe works
- Serves four generous meals per recipe. You can arrange the chicken, tzatziki, rice, vegetables, and other components of the recipe into individual portions.
- The marinated chicken is infused with lemon, oregano, and garlic flavors through cooking. Chicken pieces can be served warm or cold with or without sauce and will be tasty.
- Keep cold foods separate from rice and meat during preparation to best preserve the texture of vegetables such as lettuce and cucumbers and of tzatziki sauce.
- Leftover bowls can be reheated in several ways. Tips for reheating the bowl are given, along with suggestions for reheating the rice and chicken in the oven, microwave, and other ways.
- A larger batch is simple to make because the recipe lists ingredients for the chicken and sauce separately, along with other serving ideas, which can be doubled or tripled.
- Fresh-cooked meals are healthy options throughout the week. Fresh herbs, feta cheese, vegetables, and tzatziki sauce served with hot rice and browned chicken are examples of healthy choices.
Ingredients
- •1 lb chicken (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- •⅓ cup olive oil
- •1 ½ tbsp lemon zest (about 1 whole lemon)
- •2 tbsp lemon juice
- •2 tbsp honey
- •1 ½ tsp garlic powder
- •2 ½ tsp oregano
- •2 tsp basil
- •1 ¼ tsp salt
- •½ tsp black pepper
- •¾ tsp red pepper flakes
- •1 cup Greek yogurt
- •½ cup cucumber (grated and squeezed of excess liquid)
- •1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
- •1 ½ tbsp olive oil
- •1 ½ tsp garlic (finely minced)
- •½ tsp salt
- •1 tbsp dill (freshly chopped)
- •2 cups cooked rice
- •2 ½ cups tomatoes (diced into 1/2-inch pieces)
- •2 cups cucumber (diced into 1/2-inch pieces)
- •4 cups lettuce (torn or chopped)
- •1 cup red onion (thinly sliced)
- •½ cup feta cheese (crumbled)
- •¼ cup fresh parsley (chopped)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, garlic powder, oregano, basil, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes in a bowl.
- 2
Add the chicken pieces and mix until well coated.
- 3
Cover and refrigerate the chicken for at least 30 minutes.
- 4
Mix the Greek yogurt, grated cucumber, lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and dill in another bowl.
- 5
Stir the tzatziki thoroughly and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- 6
Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat.
- 7
Remove the marinated chicken from the refrigerator and add it to the hot pan in a single layer.
- 8
Cook the chicken for about 10 minutes, until fully cooked through and browned on all sides.
- 9
Scoop cooked rice into serving bowls.
- 10
Top the rice with cooked chicken, tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, red onion, feta cheese, parsley, and dollops of tzatziki sauce.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
500
Protein
32g
Fat
25g
Carbs
45g
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