Greek Rice Bowls are packed full of vegetables to make a light and delicious dish that’s perfect for those hotter days. Served with a tzatziki sauce, it has flavors that are bright and fresh.
Can you use something other than rice?
You bet! Rice is a great option since it’s usually a pantry staple, but this dish would be great on top of just about anything. Creating a salad or wrap out of the chicken and toppings is a great alternative.
If you’re looking for a pasta option, orzo would be the perfect choice as it’s a rice-shaped pasta and a similar size. Lemon roasted potatoes would also be bright and flavorful, making it a good and hearty option.
What kind of chicken should you use?
If you want to stick with a leaner meat, you can use boneless, skinless chicken breast like we did. Remember it does tend to be a bit drier so be careful not to overcook it. You can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you want a meatier flavor and more moisture in the chicken.
What kind of marinade should you use?
All this chicken needs is a very basic marinade. It’s made with olive oil and flavored with lemon juice, garlic, and dried oregano. If you have fresh oregano, you can definitely use that instead. You may need to increase the amount you use though. A good ratio to keep in mind is one tablespoon of fresh herbs to one teaspoon of dried.
The lemon juice will also help speed up the marinade process since it’s so acidic so it doesn’t require as much time as other recipes might. Even if you’re only able to marinade it for 30 minutes, you’ll get tender and flavorful chicken from that.
What kind of tzatziki should you use?
You can use store bought or homemade tzatziki. The tzatziki recipe we used for our Falafel Burgers is a great option and only takes a few ingredients.
If your grocery store doesn’t carry tzatziki, try looking in the refrigerated section by the bagged salad for something like a cucumber yogurt sauce. That’ll give you some of those same flavors especially if it has dill and garlic in it.
What toppings should you use?
Think of all those typical Greek salad ingredients. Top it with some crumbled feta, cucumber, tomatoes, red and green bell pepper slices, kalamata olives, and diced red onion. Even a drizzle of tzatziki and sprinkle of dill will really round out those flavors.
Want to try something with a different flavor? There are so many different inspired recipes in this series. Try this Vegan Burrito Bowl if you’re looking for a meatless version of a classic. Our Korean Beef Bowl is also another great option.
Print
Greek Rice Bowls
- Prep Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 and ½ lbs. chicken breast, diced into 1 inch pieces
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- Steamed rice, to serve
- Crumbled feta
- English cucumber, diced
- Cherry tomatoes, halved
- Red and green bell pepper, sliced
- Kalamata olives
- Red onion, finely diced
- Tzatziki, store bought or homemade
- Dill, optional
Instructions
- In a gallon bag, add pieces of chicken.
- In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, and dried oregano.
- Drizzle mixture over the chicken in the bag and let sit in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. If you’re tight on time, it can marinade in 30 minutes, but more time will allow the flavors to develop more.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add in the chicken pieces. Mix around and cook on each side until browned and cooked through, about 10 – 12 minutes.
- To serve, add steamed rice to a bowl then add chicken pieces.
- Top with crumbled feta, diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, red and green bell pepper slices, kalamata olives, and diced red onion. Drizzle with tzatziki sauce and garnish with dill, if you’d like.
Leave a Reply