Take a trip to Greece all without leaving your kitchen, thanks to these Greek chicken bowls. The simple recipe makes for a perfect dinner any night of the week.
Bring all of the flavors of the Greek islands to your kitchen with these tasty and filling Greek chicken bowls.
What is best about this recipe is that it can be customized right to your liking. Since it is a bowl, you get to choose what goes in alongside the chicken. Fill the bowl with a base of rice or quinoa, followed by kalamata olives, feta cheese, cucumbers, red onions, cherry tomatoes, tzatziki, and fresh parsley. Add as much or as little of each topping to make the perfect Greek chicken bowl.
The marinated chicken is the secret weapon when it comes to this recipe. While it may take two hours to marinate, it is well worth it. The Greek yogurt coats the chicken and gets sealed in when cooked on the grill. After one bite, you’ll want to make all of your chicken this way.
You really can’t beat these Greek chicken bowls the next time you want a filling and healthy dinner. It will easily find a place in your weeknight dinner rotation after making it just once.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple To Prepare. The hardest part of this recipe will be waiting two hours for the chicken to marinate. Otherwise, it is a bunch of chopping to prepare all of the toppings.
- Customizable. Making a bowl means you get to put as much or as little of the toppings as you like alongside the chicken. Not a fan of olives? Keep them out of your meal!
- Healthy Bites. The combo of the chicken plus the Greek yogurts gives this recipe a burst of protein. Plus, you can choose to use brown rice or quinoa to make it even healthier.
- Bursting With Flavor. Something about marinating the chicken in Greek yogurt makes it so flavorful. And it doesn’t stop there! The yogurt mixes with fresh herbs and garlic to make a bite that will make your tastebuds extra happy.
How To Make Greek Chicken Bowls
Making this recipe is much easier than it seems. You’ll find all of the instructions in a printable version in the recipe card below. Here’s a rundown of the recipe for how to make Greek chicken bowls.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken Thighs. A juicy cut of meat that holds in all the flavor of the marinade.
- Greek Yogurt. The tangy flavor coats the chicken to make it super juicy. It is also the base for the tzatziki sauce.
- Cucumbers. Grated cucumbers mix with Greek yogurt and spices to make a flavorful tzatziki sauce for the bowls.
- Basmati Rice, Quinoa, Brown Rice. Choose your grain of preference to make the base for the bowl.
- Toppings. Kalamata olives, feta cheese, cucumbers, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and fresh parsley join the chicken and rice to make the dish complete.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Season and Marinate the Chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Then transfer the chicken to a bowl or plastic bag and mix in half of the olive oil, Greek yogurt, garlic cloves, dill, and parsley. Make sure all of the chicken is fully covered in the mixture. Let the chicken sit in the mixture for at least two hours.
2. Cook the Chicken. When the chicken is ready to be cooked, heat the grill to a medium temperature. When the grill is hot, place the chicken on the grill and cover with the lid. Let the chicken cook for about 15 minutes, or until the pieces are fully done. When the chicken is done, let it cool completely. Slice the chicken thighs into thin pieces when they are done.
3. Make the Tzatziki. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients needed to make the tzatziki sauce. Mix to combine.
4. Make the Base and Chop the Toppings. Make the base of your choice according to the package directions. While the base is cooking, chop up all of the toppings and set them out in bowls.
5. Assemble the Bowls. Using a medium-sized bowl, lay down the base of your bowl, followed by the sliced chicken. Top the chicken with the kalamata olives, feta cheese, cucumbers, red onions, cherry tomatoes, fresh parsley, and tzatziki sauce. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Wait the full two hours. I know it may seem like an excessive amount of time to marinate chicken, but it will be well worth it. If you cut the marinating time short, the chicken will be dry and won’t have a strong flavor.
- Swap out the toppings. Don’t like red onions? Prefer pickled peppers? Swap them out instead! The bowl can be made to your liking by adding in the toppings you do and don’t like.
- Don’t like tzatziki? Use a mixture of olive oil and vinegar instead. It will still coat the bowl and give it a nice flavor if the dressing isn’t your thing.
Make-Ahead and Storage Recommendations
Greek chicken bowls are a dish that is best enjoyed fresh, but certain steps can be taken to make the dish ahead of time. Both the base and toppings can be made ahead of time and left in the fridge in airtight containers until it is time to use them. To warm up the base, simply put the rice or quinoa in the microwave for a few minutes. The chicken can also be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days before making the dish.
If you do have leftovers, it is best to store them separately. Keep the chicken, base, toppings, and dressing in separate containers. This way, everything will stay rather fresh until the bowls are assembled once again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is tzatziki made from yogurt or sour cream?
Tzatziki sauce is made using Greek yogurt. The creamy sauce combines Greek yogurt with cucumbers and spices, which is perfect for this bowl. If you enjoy the sauce, keep a batch in the fridge to add to other chicken dishes.
Is a Greek chicken bowl better for lunch or dinner?
The Greek chicken bowls are meant to be served for dinner, but there are no rules that say they cannot be made for lunch, too.
Can I use other meat besides chicken to make these bowls?
Meat like ground chicken, ground turkey, or steak will be a great substitute if you want to switch up the bowls. The marinade may have to be adjusted, but the same flavor profile will still be there.
Try These Other Chicken Dishes
- Lemon Dill Chicken – A creamy chicken dish that is great for a weeknight dinner or a special occasion.
- Grilled Chicken Salad With Strawberries and Feta – A refreshing twist on a classic and simple dish.
Greek Chicken Bowls
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 4 chicken thighs boneless and skinless
- salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp. olive oil divided
- 2 tbsp. Greek yogurt
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp. fresh dill finely chopped
- 2 tbsp. fresh parsley finely chopped
For the tzatziki sauce
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup cucumber grated
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. fresh dill chopped
- salt and pepper
For the bowls
- Base: basmati rice/quinoa/brown rice
- Grilled Greek Chicken
- ¼ cup Kalamata Olives
- ½ cup Feta Cheese crumbled
- ½ cucumber thinly sliced
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes quartered
- fresh parsley
Instructions
- Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
- In a bowl or plastic bag, combine half of the olive oil, Greek yogurt, garlic cloves, dill and parsley.
- Add the chicken thighs to the bowl/plastic bag and let it marinade for at least 2 hours.
- Heat a grill to medium-high and add the rest of the olive oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade and sear until golden on both sides (around 5 minutes per side).
- Lower the heat to medium, cover with the lid and let them cook for 15 more minutes, or until they are done.
- Let the chicken cool slightly and slice it thinly.
- Mix all the tzatziki ingredients in a bowl.
- Assemble the bowls by layering the base, grilled Greek chicken, Kalamatas, feta cheese, cucumber, red onion, cherry tomatoes, tzatziki and fresh parsley.
