These Greek chicken rice bowls are one of my favourite quick and easy weeknight dinner ideas when I don’t know what to cook. With grilled, seasoned chicken thighs and a generous drizzle of tzatziki, with fresh salad, they are super simple to prepare and taste so delicious. You’ll love them for meal prep or for an easy family dinner!
This is another edition of what I actually eat in real life. Along with my chipotle chicken bowls, this is one of my go to easy dinners when I’m feeling tired and plagued with decision fatigue. When I’ve spent all day behind my desk, my brain can feel fried, so I know I need recipes that are not only delicious and nourishing but that are going to take less than 20 minutes and be very low effort.
For days like these, you need recipes that you just know will work and taste good, and with these Greek chicken bowls I know that I will enjoy them. But more importantly, I ALWAYS enjoy anything that means an excuse to eat my dairy free tzatziki. It’s seriously good and you may find me just eating it with a spoon!
Sometimes I’ll pick up some flat breads from the supermarket and have them instead of rice. This is another delicious dinner idea and a great variation of this recipe to keep in your back pocket.
You’ll Also Love: Greek Lamb Pitas (with tzatziki!)
Key Ingredients
These Greek chicken bowls are really quick and simple to make with fresh, delicious and versatile ingredients. It’s exactly what I love about Mediterranean food!
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Chicken thighs – I like to use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe as they remain tender and juicy when grilled but you could use chicken breast if you prefer.
- Garlic and onion powder – to flavour the chicken.
- Dried herbs – I am using a combination of oregano and thyme to give the chicken a Greek-style seasoning.
- Lemon – both the zest and the juice are used to flavour the chicken.
- White rice – feel free to swap for brown rice or quinoa if you prefer, or even cauliflower rice for a low carb option.
- Grape tomatoes – use small grape or cherry tomatoes that have been halved.
- Cucumber – you’ll need around half a continental cucumber for the salad in the bowls, so use the other half to make the tzatziki.
- Kalamata olives – I prefer the flavour of the ones from the deli rather than the jarred ones, but just be careful as these usually still contain the pit.
- Dairy free tzatziki – I haven’t been able to find a store bought version, so I always make my own dairy free tzatziki and not only is it actually really easy to make, it’s so incredibly flavourful. It really is a standout to these Greek rice bowls.
Step-By-Step Instructions
This recipe is really just for the seasoned Greek chicken. Other than that its inspiration and guidelines as you can really get creative with how you assemble your bowls.
I recommend getting started by making the dairy free tzatziki if you’re not using a store-bought version as it tastes its best having sat in the fridge for about 30 minutes before serving. This is also a great thing to prep ahead of time as it will last in the fridge for 3 days.
Step 1: In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, oregano, thyme, pepper, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Add the chicken thighs and toss to coat evenly.
You can cook straight away (which is what I do when short on time) or optionally if you’re more prepared, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 4 hours for more flavour.
Step 2: Heat a grill pan or BBQ over medium-high heat. Grill the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side or until cooked through. This is where a meat thermometer is going to be very helpful to ensure you fully cook the chicken but not overcooking it. The internal temperature should reach 75°C / 165°F. Transfer the chicken to a plate and rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Step 3: Divide the cooked rice between 4 bowls. Top with grape tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and the sliced grilled chicken. Drizzle with a generous amount of tzatziki and serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Air Fryer Method: If you’d prefer to cook your chicken thighs in the air fryer rather than the grill, after step 1, preheat your air fryer to 200°C (390°F) and then place the chicken thighs in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook for 14-16 minutes, flipping halfway, or until the chicken is golden and cooked through (internal temperature should reach 75°C / 165°F).
Storage and Meal Prep Instructions
These Greek rice bowls are perfect for meal prep and can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days.
For best results, store the components in separate containers. Keep the cooked chicken and rice together, and place the chopped salad ingredients in a separate container. Store the dairy free tzatziki separately as well to keep everything fresh.
When ready to eat, reheat the chicken and rice in the microwave until warmed through, then top with the cold salad and tzatziki to serve.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, this Greek chicken rice bowl recipe is naturally gluten free!
Yes you can! After marinating, cook the chicken in the air fryer at 200°C (390°F) for 14-16 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and cooked through.
Yes you can if you prefer. You may need to adjust the cooking time based on the size of your chicken breasts.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More easy rice bowls:
Chicken Katsu Rice Bowls
Hot Honey Chicken Bowls
Teriyaki Chicken Bowls
Air Fryer Salmon Bowls
Greek Chicken Rice Bowls
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Greek chicken:
- 600 grams chicken thighs approx. 4 fillets
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of ½ lemon
For the bowls:
- 2 cups cooked white rice from approx. ⅔ cup uncooked rice
- 1 punnet grape tomatoes halved
- ½ medium cucumber diced
- ½ cup Kalamata olives pitted
- ½ cup dairy free tzatziki
- Lemon wedges to serve
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, oregano, thyme, pepper, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Add the chicken thighs and toss to coat evenly. You can cook straight away or optionally cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 4 hours for more flavour.
- Heat a grill pan or BBQ over medium-high heat. Grill the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side or until cooked through (internal temperature should reach 75°C / 165°F). Transfer to a plate and rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
- Divide the cooked rice between 4 bowls. Top with grape tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and sliced grilled chicken. Drizzle with tzatziki and serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
Veronica K says
This recipe is EASY and SO GOOD! I’ve made it twice for my step daughter, who is going thru chemo for breast cancer..It’s light and healthy and the only thing she says she’s been craving. I use farro instead of rice. Seasoning and chicken prep makes for juicy and delicious breasts every time. I cheat with the tzatziki..had dip on hand just added water to thin consistency. Overall—this recipe is a winner! Thanks so much for sharing it:)
Sally says
Thanks so much for sharing Veronica! I love to hear that you’re step daughter is enjoying this bowl in such a difficult time. Wishing her comfort and recovery.