Healthy chicken bowls filled with cucumber, tomatoes, kalamata olives, and feta cheese! This is a great recipe for a meal prep lunch or an easy dinner on busy weeknights. Serve the Easy Greek Chicken Bowls with brown or white rice (or cauliflower rice to keep it low-carb) for a healthy dinner idea or prep the bowls in advance for a grab-and-go lunch.
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Between raising two kids and running a business, I know how important it is to fuel my body with healthy, real-foods.
Meal prep makes this happen! Each week, I focus on prepping a couple of foods that make healthy eating easier for myself and the family.
For me, this looks like prepping at least one breakfast and lunch option. Breakfast meal prep may be muffins and pancakes for the kiddos, omelet cups, smoothie packs, cooking up bacon to serve with easy egg meals, or chocolate peanut butter overnight oats.
For lunch, preparing a protein is always the focus: grill chicken breasts, cook crispy chicken thighs or a whole chicken. Proteins are versatile and last for days in the fridge. Chicken meat, for example, easily turns into chicken salad, a topping on a salad, or a delicious wrap when added to a tortilla.
Other times, I’ll assemble a ready-to-eat bowl, like today’s Greek chicken bowls.
A bowl is the perfect make-ahead complete meal with protein, fresh veggies, healthy fat, and complex carbs. Everything the body needs to be satisfied and fueled up.
An Easy Lunch or Dinner Meal
This particular healthy Greek chicken recipe is one of those easy meals to keep on repeat.
It’s made with fresh ingredients so it feels light and filling. It tastes amazing whether you enjoy it right after preparing or 4 days later.
- For lunch, prep the bowls in individual meal prep containers and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Enjoy this healthy meal cold or at room temperature.
- For dinner, prepare all the ingredients and assemble each Mediterranean bowl in separate serving bowls or plates for each person. Add cooked rice (make rice in the Instant Pot) or cauliflower rice for a low-carb option. And add a spoonful of homemade tzatziki on top. Maybe even some fresh herbs, like mint or parsley.
That’s the best part: this recipe is easy, healthy, and versatile!
Ingredient List
This meal isn’t authentic Greek cuisine. It reminds me of my favorite Mediterranean and Greek flavors, from the chicken marinade to the salty feta, cherry tomatoes, and olives. Such fresh and yummy flavors!
How to Make
Step 1: Marinate & Grill Chicken
Marinate the chicken breasts in an olive oil, fresh lemon juice, cloves garlic, and red wine vinegar dressing. Essentially, you’re making a variation of a Greek dressing for the chicken marinade.
Marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day in advance. Keep the chicken in the fridge while it’s marinating in the dressing, either in a Ziploc bag or shallow bowl.
After marinating, heat a grill to about 450F. Add the chicken to the hot grill and cook on both sides for about 18-20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Alternatively, cook the chicken over medium-high heat in a large skillet on the stove-top.
Chicken Tip: Instead of chicken breasts, use 1.5-2lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Cook the chicken thighs on the grill and marinate in the same way. If you’re short on time, shred chicken from a rotisserie chicken.
This is a great option for grilling chicken in general and my go-to chicken marinade recipe. It’s also the marinade to make my Marinated Chicken Gyros.
Step 2: Make a Greek Salad
While the chicken cools, make a Greek salad by combining the chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, salt, garlic cloves, and olive oil.
For the chickpeas, use either canned or home-cooked. Make dried chickpeas in the Instant Pot, using some for this recipe and the rest for homemade hummus. If you’re using canned beans, drain the juice from the can and rinse the chickpeas under fresh water.
Step 3: Assemble Bowls
To assemble the bowls for dinner, or for a meal prep lunch, you’ll need 3-4 bowls or 3-4 meal prep containers.
Slice the chicken, placing the chicken pieces in each bowl (1 breast per bowl is my preference). Divide the tomato salad evenly among the bowls and top with crumbled feta cheese (1 ounce per bowl) and olives (5-6 olives per bowl).
Variations
- Greek Chicken Rice Bowl: Add quinoa, white or brown rice, or cauliflower rice to each bowl, then add chicken, salad, cheese, and olives. The easiest way to make rice for this meal is in the Instant Pot.
- Tzatziki: Add homemade tzatziki sauce on top of each bowl for a yogurt dressing.
- Fresh Herbs: Top the bowls with fresh herbs, like chopped mint leaves or parsley. (Store fresh herbs properly so they keep for weeks in the fridge.)
- Leafy Greens: Add crisp romaine lettuce to the bottom of each bowl and then add chicken, the tomato and cucumber salad, olives, and feta cheese on top. (Store lettuce properly to keep it fresh all week for this meal and others.)
Meal Prep Tips
The best part about healthy Greek chicken bowls is that you can make the bowls in advance and keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Meal Prep Containers: Use meal prep containers with airtight lids to perfectly portion out 3-4 ready-made meals.
- Add Tzatziki Sauce: If you want to add homemade tzatziki, spoon it into small dip containers. Add the sauce when you’re ready to enjoy the chicken bowl. Keeping the yogurt sauce, if desired, separate will keep the salad ingredients fresh and crisp for days.
- Skip Leafy Greens: I don’t recommend adding lettuce to the bowls if you plan to prep them in advance.
How to Store
Store the Mediterranean bowls in the fridge, in airtight meal prep containers, for up to 4 days. Here’s what this may look like: If you make 3-4 bowls for meal prep, enjoy one each day for lunch or a busy weeknight dinner.
If you’re making this for dinner and have leftovers, store all the ingredients in airtight containers for up to 4 days. The tomato and cucumber salad on its own makes a delicious side dish (like this easy marinated chickpea salad). And the chicken is great on its own for a main meal.
Other Meal Prep Recipes
Easy meals, that can be prepped in advance, make healthy eating easy! Greek chicken bowls are one of a few meal prep recipes on constant rotation in our home.
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats: Like a peanut butter cup, but healthy! Prep a few jars for a protein-packed breakfast or snack.
- Pesto Pasta Bowls: Cooked chicken, pesto, and fresh veggies come together with pasta for an easy make-ahead meal.
- Healthy Yogurt Bowls: Add yogurt to meal prep containers and fruit, then add granola before serving. And there are over 17 different ways to make yogurt bowls!
- Make-Ahead Chicken, Quinoa, Veggie Bowls: Cooked chicken, fresh veggies, quinoa, and a homemade vinaigrette make this meal prep lunch AMAZING.
- Harvest Fall Salad in a Jar: Roast fall veggies and combine with arugula, homemade dressing, and goat cheese for a vegetarian meal prep salad.
Greek Chicken Bowls (Meal Prep Option)
Equipment
- 1 grill or large skillet for cooking the chicken
- 1 medium bowl for making the tomato salad
- 3-4 meal prep containers if making this recipe for meal prep
Ingredients
Marinated Chicken:
- 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5-2 lbs), roughly 1 chicken breast per bowl
- 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 lemon juiced (about 2 tablespoons juice)
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Greek Salad:
- 1 1/2 cups halved or quartered cherry tomatoes depending on size
- 1 15-ounce canned chickpeas drained and rinsed (1.5 cups)
- 3/4 cup chopped cucumber (about 1 medium cucumber), no need to peel or remove seeds
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 garlic cloves minced (2-3 depending on garlic flavor preference)
- 1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt to taste
Toppings:
- 4 ounces feta cheese (about 1 ounce per bowl)
- 20 pitted kalamata olives or your favorite olives (5-6 olives per bowl)
Instructions
Marinate Chicken:
- Marinate the chicken in the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, oregano, minced garlic, salt, pepper. Combine the marinade in a Ziplock bag or shallow bowl, then add the raw chicken breasts. Toss the chicken in the marinade to evenly coat.
- Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes or up to1 day in advance. Keep the chicken in the fridge while it's marinating.
- After marinating, heat a grill to about 450F. Add the chicken to the hot grill and cook on both sides for about 18-20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Make the Salad:
- While the chicken cools, make a Greek salad. In a medium bowl, add chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, olive oil, salt, garlic cloves. Toss to combine.
- Assemble Bowls:
- To assemble a bowl for dinner, or for meal prep, you'll need 3-4 bowls or 3-4 meal prep containers.
- Slice the chicken, placing the chicken pieces in each bowl (1 breast per bowl is my preference). Divide the tomato salad evenly among the bowls or meal prep containers, then top with crumbled feta (1 ounce per bowl) and olives (5-6 olives per bowl).
- For meal prep, place the lid on each meal prep container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Enjoy cold or at room temperature.
- For a fresh meal, immeadiately enjoy the bowls. For variations, add cooked rice, quinoa, or romaine lettuce for a salad or rice bowl. Or, spoon tzatziki sauce over top (a cucumber-yogurt dip/dressing). Lots of options to change things up or enjoy as-is.
Notes
Nutrition
Substitutions
Chicken Thighs Instead of Breasts: Instead of chicken breasts, use 1.5-2lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Cook the chicken thighs on the grill and marinate the same way. If you’re short on time, use shredded chicken from a rotisserie chicken.
Stove-Top Instead of Grill: Cook the chicken over medium-high heat in a large skillet on the stove-top, flipping halfway through (about 18-20 minutes total cook time).
Chickpeas Canned or Home-Cooked? For the chickpeas, use either canned or home-cooked. I love to make a big batch of homemade chickpeas cooked in the Instant Pot, using some for this meal prep recipe (or dinner) and the rest for homemade hummus.
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We love this meal in our home. Let me know what you think in the comments!