This is one that’s been on firm rotation in my house and I suspect it might become a favorite for you too. These lovely bowls are inspired by two things – chicken gyros and the iconic halal cart chicken bowls you’ll find all over New York City. Here, I’ve kind of combined the two!

It’s incredibly easy to make these too. Most of it is hands-off time while you wait for the rice and the chicken to cook.

They’re comforting but light, and super easy to customize. Add hot honey halloumi or marinated feta for extra protein, jazz up the salad with red onion or bell peppers, add pickles on top, swap tzatziki for tahini yogurt sauce, whipped cottage cheese, green tahini sauce or basil pesto. There are so many possibilities!

Ingredients

• Chicken thighs. Because we’re cooking the chicken at a high heat, thighs are safer than breasts (they stay moist so are less likely to dry out). But if you prefer chicken breasts, you can use them instead.
• Spices. You’ll need dried oregano (or use dried mint, parsley, marjoram or mixed herbs), smoked paprika and ground cumin for the chicken, and ground turmeric provides that GORGEOUS golden color to the buttery rice.
• Yogurt. Plain, natural or Greek yogurt is best – this helps to tenderize the chicken and keep it nice and juicy.
• Tzatziki. Use a good store-bought tzatziki if you like, but I recommend trying to make it yourself. It’s SO EASY and far superior – you need just a handful of ingredients (that are already used in this recipe!) Try this recipe for the best tzatziki sauce.

How to make the bowls

Mix your chicken marinade, then toss your diced chicken through. If you have time, pop it into the fridge for a couple of hours (and up to 24 hours) to marinate. But don’t stress if you don’t – it will still be great!

Arrange the marinated chicken onto a lined tray, trying to keep it on one layer if you can. This will help it cook evenly and give you those lovely charred marks all over. Pop into the oven.

While the chicken cooks, make your buttery, fragrant rice. Melt your butter, add your spices, toast the rice then add the chicken stock, cover and cook until fluffy and all the stock is absorbed.

Then all that’s left to do is chop a quick salad and arrange your bowls!

Watch how to make them

Got a question?

Like this recipe? You might enjoy these chicken ideas too

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave a recipe rating and a comment below. And remember to tag @DishedByKate on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok if you’ve made one of my recipes. Seeing your recreations really makes my day 😊.

Mediterranean Chicken Rice Bowls

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5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Kate Phillips
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Description

These Mediterranean-style chicken rice bowls are one of my go-tos for busy weeknights. You’ve got beautifully fragrant rice, charred lemony chicken, creamy tzatziki, tomato cucumber salad AND fluffy flatbreads on the side. There really isn’t much better!

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

For the rice –

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice (like Basmati)
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Black pepper

For the chicken –

• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1lb/500g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced

For the toppings –

• 1/2 cup tzatziki
• 1 cucumber
• 7oz/200g cherry tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons sumac
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Black pepper
• A handful of flat-leaf parsley
• Flatbreads (optional)

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Instructions

1. Marinate the chicken. Heat your oven to 480F/250C. Add the crushed garlic, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of dried oregano, 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika and 1 teaspoon of ground cumin to a bowl, or a container you have a lid for. Mix to combine, then add the diced chicken. Toss the chicken through the marinade, then set it aside. PRO TIP: You can marinate the chicken up to 24 hours ahead of time if you like.
2. Make the buttery rice. Set a large pot you have a lid for over medium heat. Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in the pot, then add 1 teaspoon each of ground turmeric and cumin and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute). Pour in 1 1/2 cups of rice, then stir to coat the rice in the butter and spices. Stir for another few minutes, to gently toast the rice. Add 2 1/2 cups of chicken stock, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a very good grind of black pepper.
3. Simmer the rice. Bring the rice to a boil (increase the heat to help with this). Once it’s boiling, turn the heat to the lowest setting and pop the lid on. Let it cook undisturbed for 15 minutes. After that time, remove the pot from the heat but keep the lid so the rice can finish steaming and cooking before serving (about another 10 minutes).
4. Cook the chicken. While the rice simmers, line an oven tray with baking paper. Arrange the marinated chicken on the tray, ideally on one layer for even cooking and charring. Transfer to the oven for 20 minutes, until golden and charred around the edges.
5. Make the salad. While the chicken and rice cook, dice the cucumber and slice your cherry tomatoes into quarters. Add to a small bowl, then sprinkle over 2 teaspoons of sumac and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Toss to combine and set aside.
6. Assemble your bowls. Divide the buttery rice between bowls, then top with the charred chicken, Spoon over the salad and dollop over the tzatziki. Finish by sprinkling the flat-leaf parsley on top. Serve with the flatbreads if you’re using them, and any extra tzatziki on the side.

Notes

INGREDIENT NOTES: I like to use chicken thighs as they stay nice and juicy even when cooked at a high temperature, but you could use chicken breasts if you prefer. You could swap the dried oregano for another dried herb, like parsley, mint, thyme or marjoram. Skip the yogurt in the marinade for a dairy-free version (or use dairy-free yogurt).

PREP AHEAD: You can marinate the chicken up to 24 hours in advance if you like. You can also make each element in advance, then just assemble the bowls when you’re ready. Everything will keep for at least four days in the fridge.

• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 25
• Category: fakeaways
• Method: oven
• Cuisine: mediterranean

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 bowl
• Calories: 488
• Sugar: 7.9g
• Sodium: 1549.9mg
• Fat: 20.9g
• Saturated Fat: 8g
• Unsaturated Fat: 11.5g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 35.9g
• Fiber: 2.3g
• Protein: 38.6g
• Cholesterol: 147.7mg