These Greek chicken bowls back a punch of Mediterranean flavor you’re sure to love. Marinated chicken, kalamata olives, feta cheese, and cucumbers for a nice crunch, truly this dish is a refreshing, wholesome, complete meal in itself.
If you’re looking for a lighter meal option for dinner or a great meal to prepare ahead for lunches for the week, then this is the recipe for you!
The secret to these bowls is the marinade. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper, and then pour half of the mixture into a ziplock bag along with the chicken. Let this sit for at least thirty minutes, but you can leave it for up to two hours.
After that, it’s just a matter of chopping up your veggies, cooking your rice, and tossing everything together! You can prepare the rest of the meal while the chicken is marinating. Don’t forget to reserve half of the marinade to use for the dressing. You definitely don’t want to reuse the marinade the raw chicken was sitting in, for obvious reasons.
If you’ve never tried anything with a Mediterranean twist, then let these Greek chicken bowls be the gateway into a whole new world of flavor! This dish may be healthy for you and your family, but that doesn’t mean it skimps out on flavor. One of the great things about Mediterranean cuisine is that it’s very low-sodium. You’ll notice there isn’t a lot of added salt to this recipe. That’s because most Greek meals rely on herbs and spices to add flavor. See what we’re talking about in the recipe below!
Greek Chicken Rice Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups cucumber, chopped
- 2 roma tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup kalamata olives, halved
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- Hummus, as needed
- 2 cups cooked white rice
Preparation
- In a small bowl, whisk together the 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Reserve half to use later as a dressing and pour the remainder in a large zip-top bag.
- Add the chicken to the bag, close, and knead to coat the chicken with the marinade. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 2 hours, if desired.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade and lightly pat dry. Sear the chicken breasts until golden brown and cooked through, 4-5 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine cucumber, tomatoes, olives, and red onion and toss with reserved dressing (NOT the used marinade).
- Divide rice between 4 bowls. Slice the chicken breasts. Top rice with cucumber/tomato mixture and chicken. Sprinkle with feta cheese and serve with hummus. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from The Skinny Dish.