Mediterranean Chicken & Rice Bowls (SUPER Easy!)

Name: Mediterranean Chicken & Rice Bowls (SUPER Easy!)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 lb chicken breasts (about 2 large breasts); 1 cup Greek dressing; 2 bags Success Boil-in-Bag White Rice (or 2 heaping cups of cooked white rice); 1 can 15.5 oz chickpeas; 1 large cucumber (chopped); 1 1/2 cup quartered grape tomatoes; 1/4 cup sliced red onion; 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese; 1/4 cup tzatziki; 1/4 cup hummus

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This Mediterranean Rice Bowl recipe is my favorite healthy and tasty dinner or meal prep option! These healthful bowls are quick and easy to prepare, with white rice, marinated Greek chicken, chickpeas, fresh veggies, hummus, tzatziki, and feta cheese. This recipe is super simple and flexible, with little active cooking necessary, and it contains a variety of textures and flavors that everyone will like!

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Why You’ll Love This Mediterranean Rice Bowl
What really sets this recipe apart?
Mediterranean Rice Bowl Ingredients & Substitutions
Equipment Needed
How To Make Marinated Greek Chicken
How To Assemble Mediterranean Bowls
Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations
Expert Tips
How To Meal Prep Rice Bowls
Store Separately
Assemble Bowls
Storing Suggestions
Frequently Asked Questions
More Easy Chicken Recipes
Recipe
Mediterranean Chicken & Rice Bowls (SUPER Easy!)
💬 Comments

Why You’ll Love This Mediterranean Rice Bowl

Hearty & Healthy: This dish contains all the macro-nutrients, protein, fats, and carbs you need for a filling, well-balanced dinner! Because of the crunchy, vibrant vegetables, it feels light and fresh while still being satisfying and full. In my opinion, that is a win-win situation.
Customizable: I'm not sure whether there is a recipe that can be altered more! The key to this recipe is assembly; all you have to do is combine the ingredients to make a tasty supper. The vegetables, the protein, the cereal, the spreads and dips, etc. Every element can be altered to your preference!
Ideal Meal Planning: I made this dish with meal planning in mind! You just need to get the ingredients ready and put your meals together as you go. It's similar to having a fully functional Cava restaurant in your refrigerator.

My favorite question to ask is this one:

What really sets this recipe apart?

The solution is straightforward. Making this meal is incredibly simple and quick! So much so that the term "recipe" is hardly necessary.

I believe that we frequently believe that we cannot take any culinary shortcuts in order to maintain our health. We have to produce all of the dressings, marinades, and spreads ourselves, as well as the whole grains from scratch. This simply isn't true! Making your life easier is perfectly acceptable; sometimes, you simply need to take shortcuts to put dinner on the table.

The ideal illustration of this may be seen in these Mediterranean Chicken & Rice Bowls. They employ:
Greek dressing from the store for the chicken marinade
Success Boil-in-Bag White Rice, and premade tzatziki and hummus

This minimizes the list of ingredients and the amount of work needed! However, I can assure you that the flavor of the bowls is still present. They're my go-to tasty and wholesome supper to make when I'm pressed for time.

greek chicken and white rice bowl with fresh veggies

Mediterranean Rice Bowl Ingredients & Substitutions

This Mediterranean Rice Bowl recipe contains a lot of fresh ingredients, as do many Mediterranean cuisines. I'm talking about lean protein-packed chicken breasts, garbanzo beans, salty feta cheese, juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumber, and more.

Mediterranean rice bowls ingredients measured out

Chicken is the main protein component in this meal. I prefer boneless, skinless breasts.
White rice makes a nutritious base for these bowl dishes. I prefer Success Boil-in-Bag White Rice for its ease of preparation and consistently fluffy results.
Greek chicken bowls are filled with fresh vegetables! I enjoy using cucumber, tomato, and red onion. They provide excellent taste, texture, and nutrients.
Garbanzo beans, often known as chickpeas, are a Mediterranean staple. The small beans are not only delicious, but they are also quite nutritious. They are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. A good source of plant-based protein.
Dips: In my humble view, the hummus and tzatziki are the highlights of this Mediterranean bowl meal. They are so wonderful here that I had to restrain myself from eating the entire container. I usually use store-bought hummus and tzatziki for this dish because it's simple, but homemade is always preferable. I propose you try Cucumber Dill Tzatziki!
Feta: The salty, crumbled feta cheese serves as the finishing touch to this rice bowl. It imparts the ideal flavor to every bite. I've given a measurement in the recipe below, but let's be honest: just throw it all on! YUM.

Equipment Needed

Chef knife and cutting board
Measuring cups
Instant Slim 6-Quarter Air Fryer Oven

How To Make Marinated Greek Chicken

I think my favorite aspect of these Mediterranean bowls is probably the chicken. It is very simple to make and has a ton of flavor!

Although I may be a little late to the party, marinating chicken in store-bought dressing is a game-changer. It is very simple, inexpensive, and adaptable! Considering how large the salad dressing sections are at supermarkets these days, there are countless flavors you could make.

In any case! This chicken can change your life, and it's really easy to prepare. Three steps are needed:

Choose your flavor / dressing:

I suggest using a Greek dressing because these bowls have a Mediterranean flair. However, you are free to select any taste you like!

I completely understand if you choose to avoid store-bought dressings because of the extraneous ingredients and additives they include. But don't panic, there are a ton of healthier ones out there right now. In particular, I adore the Primal Kitchen brand.

However, try my Greek Chicken Marinade if you truly don't want to use a dressing. Lemon juice, fresh herbs, fresh garlic, and other delectable ingredients make it quite simple as well.

Marinate:

The longer, the better! If you only have 60 minutes, that will do the trick, but if you have more time, marinating overnight will produce the finest flavor.

Pour the Greek dressing over the chicken breasts after placing them in a bowl or other container. Coat the chicken breasts on both sides completely. Put it in the fridge, covered, until you're ready to cook it.

Cook:

The air fryer is currently my favorite method of cooking chicken. The chicken turns out deliciously, and it's quick and simple! It has a delightfully juicy center and a beautiful brown, crispy exterior.
Air Fry: Line the basket of an air fryer with the marinated chicken breasts. Depending on the thickness of the chicken, air fry it for 12 to 15 minutes at 400 degrees F, turning it halfway through. To obtain a great color, I usually do 15 minutes or a little longer.
Bake: Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper and arrange the marinated chicken breasts on it. Bake for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Check out more of my favorite recipes that use the popular air fryer if you enjoy it too. such is my 15-Minute Homemade French Bread Pizza In The Air Fryer, Air Fryer Peach Cobbler, or Frozen French Fries in the Air Fryer.

chicken breasts marinating in greek dressing

How To Assemble Mediterranean Bowls

The majority of the preparation for these nutritious bowls consists of just assembling them, aside from boiling the chicken. All you have to do is combine the ingredients and voilà! You can now start eating your Greek chicken rice bowl.

Additionally, you must cook the rice, but Success Boil-in-Bag White Rice makes that process a breeze! In ten minutes, you'll have the ideal, fluffy rice without any mess or measuring. It's the best, really!

For all of your cooking requirements, Plus Success Rice also offers other quick and simple whole grain solutions. They work well in a variety of recipes, such as a Mexican-inspired Beef & Brown Rice Skillet, Copycat Sweet-green Crispy Rice Bowl, and Jennifer Aniston Quinoa Salad.

Simply divide the ingredients into four servings to assemble the rice bowls.

Make a bed of cooked white rice first. Then include the red onion, tomatoes, cucumber, chickpeas, and chicken. Add the feta cheese, tzatziki, and hummus last. If you'd like, you can also sprinkle some more Greek dressing on top.

To find out how to make these Mediterranean bowls your own, see my section below on Optional Variations and Dietary Adaptations.

Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations

I think this meal for a healthy lunch or simple dinner is ideal! It's easy to cook, full of tasty Mediterranean tastes, and nutritious. Why not fall in love?

Like all of my recipes, though, there is always opportunity for modification to make it ideal for you. Here are a few of my suggestions for modifications and adaptations to fit your particular requirements or preferences:

Distinct Grain: Do you dislike white rice? No issue! You may use any type of grain to make these grain bowls. Try quinoa, couscous, brown rice, or wild rice.
No Grain: You can still enjoy these bowls if you don't eat grains. Maybe use roasted sweet potatoes instead of rice! Alternately, add some mixed greens or shredded lettuce if you simply want low-carbs.
Different Meat: I can see why some people don't like chicken breasts, but I myself love them! It's not necessarily the most impressive lean, white flesh. If you want the darker, juicier flesh, try using chicken thighs instead! Alternately, try ground beef, shrimp, or salmon instead of chicken. Really, you are free to select any protein you like. Another excellent choice would be a Greek Chicken Meatballs!
Vegetarian: This rice bowl recipe is fantastic because it's so simple to make vegetarian. Just add extra beans or tofu or any meat substitute.
Toppings: The exciting part has begun! The fact that you may top these meal prep rice bowls whatever you wish is possibly their most adaptable feature. Although I kept it simple, you could attempt a lot of other things.

kalamata Olives
Artichokes
A red pepper
Vegetables roasted
Avocado
Nuts: walnuts, pistachios, and almonds
Chickpeas roasted
Herbs: basil pesto, oregano, and fresh parsley
Harissa
Cucumber and tomato salads
Falafel
Tahini sauce

Expert Tips

Let the chicken marinate for as long as you can! The chicken breasts should marinate for at least an hour, but preferably overnight. It will significantly improve the taste! It's also a fantastic idea to start marinating the morning before. Simply combine the chicken, Greek dressing, and Ziploc bag in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator until cooking time. So easy!
The chicken is air-fried! The air fryer is the best option if you want delicious chicken in the shortest amount of time. If you want to find more uses for the air fryer, check out my other recipes.
To make this dish even better, try making your own tzatziki or hummus! This recipe's ease of use is one of my favorite things about it. To make my life and yours as easy as possible, I have used a variety of shortcuts, such as store-bought dips and spreads, marinade dressing, and Success Boil-in-Bag White Rice. However, that does not preclude you from fancifying things if you so choose!
The red onion trick! Raw red onions frequently have too strong of a flavor to my taste, ruining a meal. Therefore, I always soak my raw red onion in warm water for a few minutes to get rid of that sharp bite and make it taste better. When it comes to chopped or sliced onions, this always works!
PERSONALIZE! modify, modify, customize while making these Mediterranean chicken and rice bowls. That's my top cooking advice. The best thing about it is that you may add or remove anything you want! Many suggestions for personalizing this dish are provided above.

How To Meal Prep Rice Bowls

In essence, these rice bowls are designed for meal preparation! They are ideal for preparing nutritious meals ahead of time and having them available all week long, but they also work great as a kind of build-your-own-style family supper.

In roughly half an hour, you will have four portions of a healthy lunch or dinner prepared. In addition to the time required for the chicken to marinade! However, I just advise you to begin that the evening or early the next day.

Cooking the chicken, cooking the rice, and preparing the remaining ingredients are the first three steps in meal prep for these bowls. Chop the fresh vegetables and rinse and drain the chickpeas.

After then, you have two storage choices.

Store Separately

As you go along, you can assemble the bowls after preparing and storing each ingredient individually. This is how I like to do it! I may then make the necessary adjustments. For instance, I could add extra chicken or hummus to my meal if I'm very hungry one evening. Additionally, I believe that approach preserves the foods' freshness.

The rice will be kept in one container, the cooked chicken in another, and the remaining prepared ingredients—chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, and red onion—in the last one. I simply combine them all, sort of like a Greek salad! You may then add store-bought feta cheese, tzatziki, and hummus to your meals as you prepare them.

Assemble Bowls

Alternatively, the bowls can be assembled immediately. If you know you'll be taking all the portions to work for lunch, this is a terrific way to prepare them!

Four sealed containers are required. There are several excellent solutions available that are specifically made for meal preparation! similar to this. The prepared materials (cooked rice, cooked chicken, fresh vegetables, cheese, and dips/spreads) should then be evenly distributed among the four containers.

Storing Suggestions

Simply transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator if you are not meal prepping these bowls as described above. The optimal shelf life is three to five days!

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Mediterranean rice bowls healthy?

Although I am neither a nutritionist or dietitian, I do believe that these bowls of rice and chicken are healthful.
They offer a filling, well-balanced meal that is rich in healthy fats, protein, carbs, and vitamins from the fresh vegetables.
A great source of lean protein is chicken breasts. Additionally, the garbanzo beans offer fiber, complex carbs, and additional plant-based protein! The delicious feta cheese and hummus provide fats. Not to mention the vitamins and minerals found in the vibrant cucumbers and tomatoes.
This meal, in my opinion, is the ideal combination of tasty and nutritious!

Can I use chicken thighs?

Of course! Here, you may easily replace the chicken breasts with chicken thighs.
I continue to suggest air-frying them. They ought to take roughly the same amount of time!

Can I prepare the chicken in advance?

Yes! You may keep this cooked chicken in the fridge for three to four days. For additional details, see my post on how to store cooked chicken properly!

If you tried this Mediterranean Chicken & Rice Bowls (SUPER Easy!) or any other recipe on my website, please feel free to leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. And remember to tag me on Instagram!