Greek Chicken Bowl (Printer view)

Juicy Greek-seasoned chicken over herbed rice with fresh salad and tzatziki.

# What You'll Need:

→ Herbed Rice

01 - 1 cup long-grain white rice
02 - 2 cups water
03 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
04 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
05 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Greek Chicken

07 - 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
08 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
09 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
10 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
11 - 1 tablespoon dried oregano
12 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
13 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
14 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
15 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

→ Tomato-Cucumber Salad

16 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
17 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
18 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely sliced
19 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
20 - 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
21 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
22 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Assembly

23 - 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
24 - 1 cup tzatziki sauce
25 - Lemon wedges for serving
26 - Extra chopped parsley or dill for garnish

# Directions:

01 - Rinse rice under cold water until water runs clear. Heat olive oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add rice and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add water, dried oregano, and salt. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, let stand 5 minutes, then fluff with fork and stir in chopped parsley.
02 - In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Add chicken and toss to coat evenly. Marinate for at least 15 minutes or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator.
03 - Heat grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for 5-7 minutes per side until cooked through and juices run clear. Let rest for 5 minutes, then slice.
04 - In a bowl, combine cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, olive oil, red wine vinegar, dill, salt, and pepper. Toss gently to combine.
05 - Divide herbed rice among four bowls. Top each with sliced chicken, tomato-cucumber salad, olives, and generous dollop of tzatziki. Garnish with extra herbs and lemon wedges.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Everything comes together in under an hour, which means weeknight dinner that tastes like you've been cooking all day.
  • The beauty of a bowl like this is how it adapts to whatever you have on hand, whether that's chicken, shrimp, or nothing at all.
  • One plate holds all the Mediterranean warmth you're actually craving without any heavy feeling afterward.
02 -
  • Marinating the chicken for the full time matters more than you think; even 15 minutes transforms ordinary chicken into something with real character and moisture.
  • The moment you add fresh herbs at the end—whether parsley in the rice or dill in the salad—is when the bowl goes from good to something people actually crave.
  • Don't assemble bowls until everything is cooked and ready; room-temperature rice mixed with hot chicken and cold salad components creates the perfect texture contrast.
03 -
  • If your chicken seems like it might dry out, slice it immediately after cooking while it's still slightly warm; this helps preserve moisture better than letting it cool first.
  • Make extra tzatziki sauce if you can; it becomes essential for almost any Mediterranean meal once people taste what it adds to the table.
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