These Greek rooster bowls are a 30-minute weeknight dinner full of turmeric rice, seasoned rooster, crunchy veggies, and creamy tzatziki. Recent, wholesome, and completely satisfying!
As a cookbook writer who’s written a whole lot of simple dinner recipes, right here’s a brand new meal I really make on repeat: these Greek rooster bowls! I designed this recipe to be simple sufficient to make on a weeknight: no marinading time or superior prep wanted. It’s prepared in half-hour, so it’s nice for these busy evenings if you simply want a simple wholesome dinner concept.
Over the previous decade I’ve turn out to be well-versed in Mediterranean eating regimen recipes, so this one is correct up my alley. It’s acquired tender Greek-marinated rooster, vibrant yellow turmeric rice, crisp greens, and a creamy tzatziki sauce that may have you ever licking the bowl clear. Plus, there’s a simple vegetarian swap for the protein to maintain issues versatile!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
As a busy working dad or mum, I’m a sucker for quick recipes that don’t require a number of pondering upfront. Many Greek rooster bowl recipes require ready for a rooster marinade or preheating the oven. As a shortcut, I created this recipe utilizing a spin on my pan seared rooster breast. Right here’s why I feel you’ll adore it:
- Fast and simple: This dinner is on the desk in about half-hour, which is sweet for busy weeknights.
- Wholesome and flavorful: Full of lean protein and vibrant greens (nice for the Mediterranean eating regimen).
- Customizable: You’ll be able to simply swap out veggies, proteins, or add your favourite toppings.
- Meal prep pleasant: Put together the parts forward of time for simple lunches or dinners.
5 Star Reader Critiques
“This has turn out to be a household favourite in our home. There’s one thing magical in regards to the turmeric rice that brings all of it collectively. I like that I can have the onions and tzatziki prepared forward after which it’s extra doable on a weeknight. So yummy!” -Wendy
“Glorious glorious meal! Every thing got here collectively tremendous shortly. This was great and filling. The rice made for an ideal base, and the rooster with the veggies, feta and tzatziki added a lot of completely different textures and bursts of flavors.” -Tanvee
Ideas for Good Greek Hen Bowls
This Greek rooster bowls recipe is fast to place collectively. Right here are some things to notice for prep:
- A meals thermometer is useful for pan searing rooster. This makes certain it’s completely cooked.
- Use crimson onion for quickest choice. Or for those who’d like, make Pickled Purple Onions: we like to have them available within the fridge and so they add an ideal pop of tangy taste to the recipe. It’s also possible to whip them up and allow them to pickle whereas making the recipe, which doesn’t add rather more time.
- Watch out with turmeric. This spice makes for a phenomenal vibrant yellow shade within the rice, nevertheless it does stain garments! Take care when utilizing it.
- The tzatziki is a should. The home made tzatziki recipe is so scrumptious and provides a pop of taste to each chew. Should you’d like you need to use bought tzatziki. Every yogurt model has a special consistency, so in case your tzatziki comes out too thick, add a little bit water to skinny it out.
Variations to Strive
We all know many individuals are cooking for households with a number of diets, so we love creating dinner concepts that work for a lot of diets directly. Right here’s find out how to make some simple swaps to customise these Greek rice bowls:
- Chickpeas as a substitute of rooster: We’ve added a variation within the recipe beneath that makes use of the identical spices with chickpeas.
- Dairy free sauce: Do that vegan tzatziki recipe or make it with tahini sauce (simply as tasty!).
- Air fryer rooster: You probably have an air fryer, cook dinner the rooster within the air fryer as a substitute with the identical seasonings.
- Combine up the grain: For a heartier bowl, attempt serving with farro or quinoa.
Serving Ideas
This Greek rooster bowl is a whole meal by itself, nevertheless it additionally pairs nicely with a couple of easy additions:
- Heat pita bread or pita chips for scooping up additional tzatziki
- A scoop of traditional hummus alongside the bowl
- Sliced avocado for additional creaminess
- A sprinkle of quinoa tabbouleh stirred into the rice for an herby twist
- A drizzle of Greek salad dressing over the greens for additional brightness
Storing Leftovers & Meal Prep
Retailer leftovers of those Greek rooster bowls in separate containers for as much as 3 days. This recipe is simple to meal prep: put together the rooster and tzatziki as much as 3 days upfront. Slice the veggies and assemble the bowls straight earlier than serving.
Dietary Notes
This recipe is gluten-free and a Mediterranean eating regimen recipe. For vegetarian and vegan, see the notes above.
Steadily Requested Questions
In fact! Be happy to customise your bowls along with your favourite veggies. Another nice choices embrace roasted candy potatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, and even some leafy greens like spinach or lettuce.
Whereas Greek yogurt is the standard base for tzatziki, you might substitute with plain yogurt (common or low-fat), however the texture could be barely thinner. Be certain to pressure the yogurt if it’s not Greek yogurt to take away extra liquid.
Rinsing the rice earlier than cooking helps take away extra starch, which might contribute to stickiness. Additionally, keep away from lifting the lid too typically whereas the rice is cooking, as this will launch steam and have an effect on the cooking course of.
Sure, you possibly can freeze the cooked rooster. Let it cool utterly earlier than putting it in a freezer-safe bag or container. It may be frozen for as much as 3 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than reheating. The opposite parts will not be really useful for freezing.
Greek Hen Bowls
These Greek rooster bowls are a 30-minute weeknight dinner full of turmeric rice, seasoned rooster, crunchy veggies, and creamy tzatziki. Recent, wholesome, and completely satisfying!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Prepare dinner Time: 10 minutes
- Complete Time: half-hour
- Yield: 4 1x
- Class: Foremost Dish
- Methodology: Stovetop
- Delicacies: Mediterranean Eating regimen
- Eating regimen: Gluten Free
Elements
For the rooster (see Notes for vegan)
- 2 boneless skinless rooster breasts or 4 cutlets (about 1 pound, natural if doable) OR 15-ounce can chickpeas
- 1 to 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon every garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon every cumin and dried dill
- Freshly floor black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the bowl
- 1 cup lengthy grain white rice
- ½ teaspoon floor turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 English cucumber
- 1 handful cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- Pickled Purple Onions (made upfront) or ½ small crimson onion, thinly sliced
- 1 handful olives, pitted and sliced
- 1 handful feta cheese
- 1 ½ cups full-fat Greek yogurt*
- 1 giant garlic clove, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- ½ tablespoon crimson wine vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Directions
- Make the rice: Utilizing a strainer, rinse the rice beneath chilly water, then drain it utterly. In a saucepan over excessive warmth, carry 1 ¾ cups water to a boil. Add the rice, turmeric, garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir as soon as, and simmer 10 to fifteen minutes. As soon as all of the liquid has cooked out and the rice is tender, take away the warmth. Cowl the pot and permit the rice to steam for five minutes. Uncover and fluff the rice with a fork. Style and add a little bit extra salt and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.
- Make the tzatziki: In the meantime, grate ½ the cucumber utilizing the small holes on a field grater (if utilizing an ordinary cucumber, peel and seed it first). Place the grated cucumber in a superb mesh strainer and squeeze out as a lot liquid as doable. Sprinkle it with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, then place over a liquid measuring cup and permit to face for no less than 10 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic, crimson wine vinegar, olive oil, remaining ½ teaspoon kosher salt, dill, and freshly floor black pepper. Squeeze out extra water from the cucumber earlier than including it to the dip. Stir within the grated cucumber. Relying in your yogurt consistency, you possibly can stir again within the cucumber water (or common water) till it involves the specified consistency (some Greek yogurts are very thick!). Shops as much as 1 week within the fridge.
- Prepare dinner the rooster*: Should you purchase the rooster as breasts that aren’t already butterflied or in cutlets, butterfly the rooster by putting your hand excessive of every rooster breast and utilizing a pointy knife to fastidiously slice the breast horizontally, leaving the sting intact so it may open up like a guide. Unfold the breast like a guide, then lower alongside the fold to separate the 2 halves. Pat the rooster dry with a paper towel and sprinkle on either side with the kosher salt (use 1 ¼ teaspoons if the rooster is nearer to 1 ½ kilos). In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cumin, dill, and some grinds of black pepper, then sprinkle over the rooster.
- Add the olive oil to a big stainless-steel or forged iron skillet and warmth over medium excessive warmth. Add the rooster and cook dinner for 3 to five minutes per aspect, till browned on either side. When the interior temperature is 165°F or the middle is now not pink, take away to a plate. Relaxation 5 minutes earlier than slicing.
- Assemble the bowls: Slice the remaining half of the cucumber and slice the tomatoes in half. If utilizing crimson onion as a substitute of pickled onions, slice the onion. Add the rice to a bowl and high with the greens and rooster (or chickpeas), then sprinkle with olives and feta crumbles and add a dollop of tzatziki. Leftovers last as long as 3 days refrigerated.
Notes
For the chickpeas variation (vegetarian and vegan): Drain and rinse the chickpeas. In a medium bowl, combine them with ½ teaspoon every garlic powder, onion powder, and dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon every cumin and dried dill, and ¾ teaspoon kosher salt. Warmth 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the chickpeas (fastidiously to keep away from spitting) and cook dinner for about 5 minutes, stirring typically, till warmed by.
For a dairy free sauce, use this Tahini Sauce as a substitute!
Meal prep suggestions: This recipe is simple to meal prep: put together the rooster and tzatziki as much as 3 days upfront. Slice the veggies and assemble the bowls straight earlier than serving.
Air fryer: You probably have an air fryer, you possibly can air fry the rooster as a substitute of pan searing.
Extra Mediterranean Bowl Recipes to Strive
If these Greek rooster bowls hit the spot, listed here are 5 extra recipes you’ll wish to make subsequent: