Greek Chicken Bowl
Published Sep 07, 2026
Easy Greek chicken bowl with lemon garlic chicken, fresh veggies, tzatziki, and feta over rice. Build-your-own bowls that are great for lunch or dinner.
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I may be biased, but I think Greek-style bowls are the best. I never get sick of the flavors or the textures (creamy, crunchy, tart, sweet, salty etc.) I really don’t know what else I could ask for in a meal. I make my Greek chicken bowl with marinated chicken, an easy tomato and cucumber salad, tzatziki, and feta, and it all just goes together. Plus, it’s fresh and filling at the same time, which is a hard balance to get right, and this bowl nails it for me every time.
The other reason I make this Greek chicken bowl recipe so much is bc everything holds up really well in the fridge, so it’s my kind of meal prep. I do keep the components separate for storage (not a fan of runny tzatziki from the salad) so I just put a bowl together when I’m ready to eat. Plus my kids and my husband can build their own and go heavy on the tzatziki and feta or skip whatever they want. Seriously, soo good!
Recipe Testing Notes
For the past 10 years, I’ve tested every recipe before sharing it with you! These notes give you a peek into the process of developing this Greek Chicken Bowl recipe.
Don’t skip marinating the chicken, even if you only have 15 minutes. I tried it both ways, and the plain chicken was boring next to the marinated one. Even a quick soak in the lemon, garlic, and oregano, and you can actually taste it all the way through. If you’ve got more time, great, but I wouldn’t leave it much longer than a few hours because the lemon starts to mess with the texture.
Give the chicken room in the pan. This is the one I always tell people. When I crowded all the cubes in at once, they steamed and turned beige instead of browning, so use a large enough skillet to spread them out in a single layer. That’s what gets you those golden, seared edges.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
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Greek Chicken Bowl Ingredients
- Chicken: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into similar-sized cubes so they cook evenly in the skillet. Chicken thighs also work.
- Greek chicken marinade: Olive oil, fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, oregano, paprika, salt, and black pepper make up the marinade for this Greek chicken bowl. If you don’t have fresh garlic, substitute ¾ teaspoon garlic powder for the 3 cloves.
- Tomato cucumber salad: Combine halved cherry tomatoes, chopped Persian cucumbers, roughly chopped olives, and chopped red onion with olive oil, salt, and black pepper. I like Persian cucumbers because you don’t need to peel or seed them. If your tomatoes and cucumbers are really juicy, lightly salt them and let them sit in a strainer for a few minutes after you cut them, or the salad will water down the bottom of the bowl and make the rice mushy.
- For serving: I build these Greek chicken bowls with cooked rice, tzatziki, and crumbled feta. Here’s a tutorial on how to cook white rice, but these bowls are also delicious with my lemon rice! Store-bought tzatziki is fine, or try my recipe for homemade tzatziki sauce.
How to Make Greek Chicken Bowls
These step-by-step photos walk you through how to make a Greek Chicken Bowl. For the full ingredient list and detailed instructions, head to the recipe card below, or skip straight to the → Greek Chicken Bowl Recipe
1. Mix the Greek marinade
Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, paprika, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl.
2. Marinate the chicken breast
Add the cubed chicken and toss until every piece is coated in the marinade. If I have time, I let it sit before cooking so the seasoning has a chance to settle into the chicken.
3. Sear the chicken
Arrange the chicken in a single layer in a large non-stick skillet and leave it undisturbed at first so the pieces can brown.
4. Finish cooking the chicken
Flip the pieces and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is golden on the outside and cooked through.
5. Mix the salad Ingredients
Add the tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and red onion to a large bowl with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir everything together until the vegetables are evenly coated.
6. Make Greek Chicken Bowl
Divide the rice and salad among the bowls and add the chicken, tzatziki, and feta.
Full Greek Chicken Bowl Recipe
Greek Chicken Bowl Recipe
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lemon juiced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes
For the bowls
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 4 Persian cucumbers chopped
- ½ cup pitted olives roughly chopped
- ½ cup chopped red onions
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Cooked rice for serving
- 1 cup tzatziki
- ½ cup crumbled feta
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Add the cubed chicken and toss well to coat. Let it marinate for at least 15 minutes if you have time.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for 5 minutes undisturbed. Flip and continue cooking for 3 to 4 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is golden and cooked through.
- In another large bowl, add the tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, onions, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine.
- Divide rice and the tomato salad among 4 bowls. Top each bowl with the cooked chicken, tzatziki, and crumbled feta cheese. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Add chickpeas: Add 1 cup of drained and rinsed chickpeas to the tomato cucumber salad for more protein and fiber.
- Add greens: Chop about 2 cups romaine and divide it among the four bowls before adding the rice and toppings.
- Add hummus: Add about 2 tablespoons of hummus to each bowl along with the tzatziki.
- Add pickled onions: For extra tang, top each bowl with 1 to 2 tablespoons of pickled red onions.
Recipe Tips
- Leave the chicken alone when it first hits the pan. I know it’s tempting to start stirring right away, but cooking the pieces undisturbed at first gives them a chance to brown.
- Let the chicken cool for a few minutes before it goes in the bowl. If it’s screaming hot when it hits the tzatziki and feta, it’ll melt the tzatziki into a runny mess and soften the feta.
- Let the excess marinade drip off the chicken before it goes in the pan. If you dump it in, all that liquid pools in the skillet, and the chicken steams instead of browning. I lift the pieces out and let them drip for a second first.
Serving Ideas
- Add another Greek side: If I’m serving these bowls for a bigger dinner, I like to add my Greek lemon potatoes, spanakopita triangles, and vegetarian stuffed grape leaves.
- Serve with pita: I like having something on the side to scoop up the extra tzatziki and tomato juices. My homemade pita bread and homemade pita chips are so good!
- Add a roasted vegetable: Sometimes I serve these bowls with a simple roasted vegetable and simple seasoning. Try my roasted cauliflower, roasted zucchini, or roasted broccolini.
Troubleshooting
If your chicken releases a lot of liquid and stays pale, the pan is usually overcrowded or wasn’t hot enough before you added it. Cook it in batches if necessary and make sure the pieces have some room between them.
Chicken breast can dry out quickly once it’s cooked through, especially when cut into small cubes. Keep the pieces similar in size and pull the chicken from the heat once the center reaches 165°F.
Tomatoes and cucumbers naturally release water after they’re salted. Toss the salad shortly before serving rather than letting it sit for too long, especially if you’re making the other components ahead of time.
Comments
This looks so good and will be on my list to make this week!