These Greek hen bowls are a 30-minute weeknight dinner filled with turmeric rice, seasoned hen, crunchy veggies, and creamy tzatziki. Contemporary, wholesome, and completely satisfying!

As a cookbook creator who’s written lots of of simple dinner recipes, right here’s a brand new meal I really make on repeat: these Greek hen 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 weight loss plan recipes, so this one is correct up my alley. It’s obtained tender Greek-marinated hen, vibrant yellow turmeric rice, crisp greens, and a creamy tzatziki sauce that can 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 guardian, I’m a sucker for quick recipes that don’t require quite a lot of considering prematurely. Many Greek hen bowl recipes require ready for a hen marinade or preheating the oven. As a shortcut, I created this recipe utilizing a spin on my pan seared hen breast. Right here’s why I believe you’ll find it irresistible:
- 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 weight loss plan).
- Customizable: You’ll be able to simply swap out veggies, proteins, or add your favourite toppings.
- Meal prep pleasant: Put together the elements forward of time for straightforward lunches or dinners.
5 Star Reader Evaluations




“This has turn out to be a household favourite in our home. There’s one thing magical concerning 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! All the things got here collectively tremendous shortly. This was fantastic and filling. The rice made for an excellent base, and the hen 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 hen bowls recipe is fast to place collectively. Right here are some things to notice for prep:
- A meals thermometer is useful for pan searing hen. This makes positive it’s completely cooked.
- Use pink onion for quickest choice. Or should you’d like, make Pickled Pink Onions: we like to have them available within the fridge they usually add an excellent 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 lovely vibrant yellow shade within the rice, but it surely does stain garments! Take care when utilizing it.
- The tzatziki is a should. The do-it-yourself tzatziki recipe is so scrumptious and provides a pop of taste to each chew. In the event you’d like you should 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 without delay. Right here’s learn how to make some simple swaps to customise these Greek rice bowls:
- Chickpeas as a substitute of hen: 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 hen: When you’ve got an air fryer, prepare dinner the hen 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 Recommendations
This Greek hen bowl is an entire meal by itself, but it surely additionally pairs nicely with a number of easy additions:
- Heat pita bread or pita chips for scooping up further tzatziki
- A scoop of basic hummus alongside the bowl
- Sliced avocado for further creaminess
- A sprinkle of quinoa tabbouleh stirred into the rice for an herby twist
- A drizzle of Greek salad dressing over the greens for further brightness
Storing Leftovers & Meal Prep
Retailer leftovers of those Greek hen bowls in separate containers for as much as 3 days. This recipe is straightforward to meal prep: put together the hen and tzatziki as much as 3 days prematurely. Slice the veggies and assemble the bowls instantly earlier than serving.
Dietary Notes
This recipe is gluten-free and a Mediterranean weight loss plan recipe. For vegetarian and vegan, see the notes above.
Steadily Requested Questions
In fact! Be at liberty to customise your bowls together 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 normal base for tzatziki, you possibly can substitute with plain yogurt (common or low-fat), however the texture is perhaps barely thinner. Make sure that 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 may contribute to stickiness. Additionally, keep away from lifting the lid too usually whereas the rice is cooking, as this could launch steam and have an effect on the cooking course of.
Sure, you’ll be able to freeze the cooked hen. Let it cool fully 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 elements aren’t beneficial for freezing.
Greek Hen Bowls
These Greek hen bowls are a 30-minute weeknight dinner filled with turmeric rice, seasoned hen, crunchy veggies, and creamy tzatziki. Contemporary, wholesome, and completely satisfying!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook dinner Time: 10 minutes
- Complete Time: half-hour
- Yield: 4 1x
- Class: Principal Dish
- Technique: Stovetop
- Delicacies: Mediterranean Weight loss plan
- Weight loss plan: Gluten Free
Elements
For the hen (see Notes for vegan)
- 2 boneless skinless hen breasts or 4 cutlets (about 1 pound, natural if potential) 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 Pink Onions (made prematurely) or ½ small pink 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 pink wine vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Directions
- Make the rice: Utilizing a strainer, rinse the rice below chilly water, then drain it fully. In a saucepan over excessive warmth, deliver 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 positive mesh strainer and squeeze out as a lot liquid as potential. Sprinkle it with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, then place over a liquid measuring cup and permit to face for at the least 10 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic, pink 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’ll be able to 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.
- Cook dinner the hen*: In the event you purchase the hen as breasts that aren’t already butterflied or in cutlets, butterfly the hen by putting your hand excessive of every hen breast and utilizing a pointy knife to rigorously slice the breast horizontally, leaving the sting intact so it might open up like a ebook. Unfold the breast like a ebook, then lower alongside the fold to separate the 2 halves. Pat the hen dry with a paper towel and sprinkle on each side with the kosher salt (use 1 ¼ teaspoons if the hen 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 hen.
- Add the olive oil to a big stainless-steel or forged iron skillet and warmth over medium excessive warmth. Add the hen and prepare dinner for 3 to five minutes per aspect, till browned on each side. When the inner 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 pink onion as a substitute of pickled onions, slice the onion. Add the rice to a bowl and high with the greens and hen (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 (rigorously to keep away from spitting) and prepare dinner for about 5 minutes, stirring usually, till warmed by way of.
For a dairy free sauce, use this Tahini Sauce as a substitute!
Meal prep suggestions: This recipe is straightforward to meal prep: put together the hen and tzatziki as much as 3 days prematurely. Slice the veggies and assemble the bowls instantly earlier than serving.
Air fryer: When you’ve got an air fryer, you’ll be able to air fry the hen as a substitute of pan searing.
Extra Mediterranean Bowl Recipes to Strive
If these Greek hen bowls hit the spot, listed below are 5 extra recipes you’ll wish to make subsequent:
