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Enjoy a delicious Greek Chicken Bowl, ready in 30 minutes. It’s filled with lemon-flavored chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, feta cheese, and red onions, all topped with homemade tzatziki sauce. This meal is a fast, easy favorite, offering a burst of Mediterranean flavors that are sure to delight. Perfect for a quick, healthy dinner, this bowl packs both taste and nutrition into every bite.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
- The best-tasting chicken: We marinate one chicken breast in a fantastic easy-to-make marinade made with lemon juice, olive oil, and spices. The marinade not only flavors the chicken but also helps to tenderize it too.
- Filled with Mediterranean flavors: We add kalamata olives, red onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, and feta cheese to our chicken bowl and then drizzle homemade tzatziki sauce over the top.
- Recipe doubles well: If you’d like to make a second bowl, just double the ingredient amounts used in this recipe.
- Made with a simple homemade tzatziki sauce: Tzatziki sauce is a creamy cucumber dip or sauce made from Greek yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, and mint. All of the ingredients are placed into a blender and pureed until smooth. You can use bottled store-bought sauce or dressing instead. See the Ingredient Notes section below to see the dressings we prefer.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Chicken: Use 1 (5 to 6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast.
- Vegetables: I like using grape or cherry tomatoes that are sliced in half, cucumbers, and sliced red onions.
- Olives: Kalamata olives are traditionally used in Mediterranean dishes. This type of olive is filled with antioxidants. Choose pitted Greek olives.
- Feta cheese: Feta is a crumbly, soft Greek white cheese made from sheep’s milk or a combination of sheep’s milk and goat’s milk.
- Rice: Use leftover white or brown rice or use our baked white rice recipe or our baked brown rice recipe. You can also use quinoa, orzo pasta, or cauliflower rice instead.
Chicken Marinade Ingredients
- Olive oil: I use extra virgin olive oil in the Greek chicken marinade as well as in every other recipe on One Dish Kitchen that calls for olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is the least processed form of olive oil. It is an unrefined oil and the highest-quality olive oil you can buy. Because of the way extra virgin olive oil is made, it retains a more true olive taste. It also contains more of the vitamins and minerals found in olives. It’s my favorite type of olive oil to use but you may use lighter olive oil instead.
- Lemon juice: Use fresh or bottled lemon juice.
- Seasonings: Use dried oregano, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
Tzatziki Dressing Ingredients
Although homemade tzatziki sauce is very easy to make, you can use your favorite brand of bottled salad dressing instead. I like using Newman’s Own Greek Vinaigrette or Litehouse Purely Balanced Tzatziki Ranch Dressing.
- Cucumber: I use 1/4 of a medium-sized English cucumber. I like to use an English cucumber when making tzatziki sauce because they are mostly seedless. Using a “regular” cucumber will result in a runny sauce because of all the large seeds. You can either peel the English cucumber or leave it unpeeled.
- Garlic: Use 1-2 cloves of garlic.
- Greek yogurt: Use plain Greek yogurt or sour cream. I do not recommend using plain yogurt because it will make the sauce too thin.
- Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice is preferred.
- Olive oil
- Fresh dill
- Salt
Optional garnishes
- Pita chips
- Fresh dill
Variations
- Add hummus to your chicken bowl. Consider using store-bought hummus or make a small batch of traditional hummus or black bean hummus.
- Use ground chicken instead of a chicken breast. If you’d like to use ground chicken, I would suggest using about 5 ounces and cooking it in a skillet with 1/8 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper (feel free to add any other seasonings you like. Cook for 5 minutes, until the ground chicken is cooked through.
- Use different vegetables. I love the vegetables we use in our Greek chicken bowl but use ones you have on hand or ones you love. Broccoli florets, carrots, and red bell pepper are great choices.
- Add other toppings: Consider adding chopped nuts, seeds, sun-dried tomatoes, or rinsed and drained canned chickpeas to the top of your bowl.
- Make a vegetarian Greek rice bowl. To make this bowl vegetarian, leave out the chicken. You may like to use beans as a source of protein instead.
How To Make A Greek Chicken Bowl
These step-by-step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make a single serving of baked cod. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Make the marinade: Combine lemon juice, olive oil, and spices in a small bowl.
- Place the chicken breast in either a shallow dish or into a zip-top bag and pour the marinade over the chicken. Cover the dish or seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
- Cook the chicken: Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Remove the chicken from the bag and place it on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until completely cooked through and the chicken is no longer pink.
Pro Tip: I like to line my baking sheet with foil to make clean-up easier.
Pro Tip: I recommend using a meat thermometer to see if the chicken is cooked through. Using one is the best way to avoid overcooking the chicken and also the best way to make sure the chicken is fully cooked. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken. If the temperature reads 165°F, the chicken is done.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and cover it with foil to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Pro Tip: Always let chicken rest after cooking. If the chicken is sliced early, the juices will run out of the meat. Letting the chicken rest and cool down a bit allows the muscle fibers to hold on to the juices. This will ensure that your chicken is juicy.
- While the chicken is resting make the tzatziki sauce: Use our small batch tzatziki sauce recipe or use bottled tzatziki sauce.
This tzatziki recipe yields 1 cup. Store in the refrigerator and consider using tzatziki sauce as a vegetable dip, a dip for pita bread and chips, or as a salad dressing.
- Assemble the Greek bowl: Add the rice to a bowl. Top with sliced chicken, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, red onions, tzatziki sauce, and feta cheese.
- Serving suggestions: Consider tucking pita chips into the sides of the bowl, if using, and garnish with fresh dill, mint, or parsley, if desired.
Expert Tips
- Don’t overcook the chicken. I recommend using a meat thermometer to see if the chicken is cooked through. Using one is the best way to avoid overcooking the chicken and also the best way to make sure the chicken is fully cooked. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken. If the temperature reads 165°F, the chicken is done.
- Let the chicken rest after cooking. If the chicken is sliced early, the juices will run out of the meat. Letting the chicken rest and cool down a bit allows the muscle fibers to hold on to the juices. This will ensure that your chicken is juicy.
- Use different grains. Switch up the grains in this Greek chicken bowl by using a base of white or brown rice, quinoa, orzo pasta, or cauliflower rice.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re looking to cut back on carbohydrates, consider using cauliflower rice or assemble the bowl on top of a bed of fresh spinach or romaine lettuce.
Absolutely! A chicken bowl is an easy dish to meal prep for lunch or dinner.
You can cook the chicken and the grain you are using ahead of time. Store them in a container in the refrigerator. You can also chop the vegetables and make the tzatziki in advance. Store all of the ingredients individually or portion them out into containers.
To make two or three bowls, just double or triple the ingredient amounts.
Yes! Using leftover chicken in a bowl is not only a great way to enjoy leftovers but it makes the dish come together so quickly.
You can store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this easy Greek chicken bowl recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Greek Chicken Bowl For One
Equipment
- mini food processor or box grater
Ingredients
For the chicken marinade
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 (5 to 6 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast
For the tzatziki sauce
- ¼ medium English cucumber , peeled and sliced
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 clove garlic , finely grated or minced
- ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ teaspoon chopped dill
For the bowl
- 1 cup cooked rice
- ½ cup halved grape tomatoes
- ½ cup chopped cucumber
- ¼ cup pitted and sliced kalamata olives
- 3 to 4 slices red onion
- 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
- Optional: fresh dill and pita chips
Instructions
Make the marinade
- Combine lemon juice, olive oil, paprika, oregano, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a small bowl.
- Place the chicken breast in either a shallow dish or into a zip-top bag and pour the marinade over the chicken. Cover the dish or seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
Cook the chicken
- Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Remove the chicken from the bag and place it on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until completely cooked through and the chicken is no longer pink.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and cover it with foil to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Make the tzatziki sauce
- Use a food processor or a box grater to grate or finely chop the cucumber.
- Add salt and spoon the finely chopped cucumbers onto a thick, lint-free dishtowel or clean cheesecloth Pick up the sides of the cheesecloth or towel and make a tight bundle around the cucumber and squeeze out as much moisture as you can.Pro Tip: This step is very important because cucumbers are full of water. When you mix cucumbers with acidic ingredients like yogurt and lemon juice, the cucumber will start to release moisture which will make the yogurt-cucumber sauce watery.
- Let the grated cucumber rest for a few minutes to continue to release any moisture. Add the grated garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, Greek yogurt, and chopped dill to a medium-sized bowl and stir to combine.
- Stir in the grated cucumber.
To assemble
- Add the rice to a bowl. Top with sliced chicken, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, red onions, a few tablespoons of the tzatziki sauce, and feta cheese.
- Consider tucking pita chips into the sides of the bowl, if using, and garnish with fresh dill, mint, or parsley, if desired.
Notes
- Don’t overcook the chicken. I recommend using a meat thermometer to see if the chicken is cooked through. Using one is the best way to avoid overcooking the chicken and also the best way to make sure the chicken is fully cooked. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken. If the temperature reads 165°F, the chicken is done.
- Let the chicken rest after cooking. If the chicken is sliced early, the juices will run out of the meat. Letting the chicken rest and cool down a bit allows the muscle fibers to hold on to the juices. This will ensure that your chicken is juicy.
- Use different grains. Switch up the grains in this Greek chicken bowl by using a base of white or brown rice, quinoa, orzo pasta, or cauliflower rice.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This is a wonderful and versatile dish!
Can’t wait to try this amazing looking rice & chicken bowl. Always enjoy your dishes and this one really appeals to all my senses! Thank you so much!
More recipes using the stove top please.
Hi Francine, we have many recipes using the stovetop. In fact, we have many where the chicken is cooked on the stove, in the oven, in an instant pot, and also in a slow cooker.
Love your recipes!
Thank you so much!
Good recipe.
Thank you.