Greek Chicken Rice Bowl
Yogurt-marinated chicken thighs over brown rice with a chopped salad, feta and quick tzatziki.
The marinade does the work here. Yogurt holds the lemon and oregano against the meat and its acidity tenderises the thighs, so even fifteen minutes makes a visible difference and a few hours makes a great one. Everything else is assembly, and every component keeps separately for lunches later in the week.
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How to make Greek Chicken Rice Bowl
Ingredients
Quantities scale automatically. Cooking times stay the same.
Marinated chicken
Bowls
Quick tzatziki
Equipment
- Heavy skillet or griddle pan
- Box grater
- Saucepan for the rice
Method
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1
Marinate the chicken
Mix the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl, add the thighs and turn them until coated. Leave 15 minutes on the counter, or up to 8 hours in the fridge.
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2
Cook the rice
Start the brown rice in plenty of salted water, about 25 minutes, so it is ready when the chicken is. Drain it and leave it covered for 5 minutes to steam.
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3
Make the tzatziki
Squeeze the grated cucumber hard in a clean tea towel; this is what keeps the sauce thick. Stir it through the yogurt with the garlic, lemon juice, oil and a good pinch of salt.
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4
Sear the chicken
Heat a dry heavy pan over medium-high. Scrape most of the marinade off the thighs and lay them in with space between. Cook 6 to 7 minutes a side, until charred in patches and cooked to 75C / 165F at the thickest point.
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5
Rest and slice
Move the chicken to a board and rest it 5 minutes before slicing it thickly across the grain. Slicing straight away loses the juices to the board.
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6
Build the bowls
Divide the rice between four bowls, add the tomatoes, cucumber, onion and olives in sections, then the sliced chicken. Add a spoon of tzatziki, scatter the feta and herbs, and finish with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.
Cook’s tips
- Scrape the thick marinade off before the chicken hits the pan. Left on, the yogurt burns before the meat is cooked through.
- Thighs are more forgiving than breasts here and stay juicy even if they go a minute long. If you only have breasts, pound them to an even thickness and cut the time to 4 minutes a side.
- Salt the tomatoes and cucumber 10 minutes ahead and the juices become a dressing on their own.
Variations
- Swap the rice for orzo, quinoa or a bed of shredded romaine for a lower-carb bowl.
- Use the same marinade on halloumi or firm tofu for a vegetarian version.
- Add a scoop of hummus and warm pitta and serve it as a mezze plate instead.
Storage and make-ahead
Store the components separately in the fridge for up to 4 days; the chicken and rice reheat well, and the salad and tzatziki stay fresh because they were never heated. Cooked chicken freezes for 2 months.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 572 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 43 g |
| Carbohydrates | 48 g |
| Fat | 23 g |
| Fibre | 6 g |
| Sugar | 7 g |
| Sodium | 640 mg |
Nutrition is estimated from ingredient averages and will vary with brands and portioning.
