Light Greek Chicken Souvlaki Bowls (Printable version)

Healthy bowls featuring grilled chicken, crisp vegetables, fluffy rice, and creamy tzatziki.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken Marinade

01 - 1.1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
02 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
03 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
04 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
05 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
06 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
07 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Tzatziki Sauce

10 - 7 oz Greek yogurt, 2% or fat-free
11 - 1/2 medium cucumber, grated with excess liquid squeezed out
12 - 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
13 - 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
14 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
15 - 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
16 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
17 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Bowl Assembly

18 - 1 cup cooked brown rice or white rice
19 - 1 medium cucumber, diced
20 - 1 large tomato, diced
21 - 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
22 - 1 small red bell pepper, diced
23 - 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
24 - 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, optional

# How to Make It:

01 - In a mixing bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, oregano, cumin, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Add chicken cubes and toss thoroughly to coat. Cover and marinate for minimum 20 minutes or up to 2 hours refrigerated.
02 - While chicken marinates, combine Greek yogurt, grated cucumber, minced garlic, fresh dill, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Mix until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until serving time.
03 - Thread marinated chicken onto skewers for grilling, or prepare chicken pieces for stovetop grill pan cooking.
04 - Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Cook chicken 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning once, until golden and internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove from heat and set aside.
05 - Divide cooked rice equally among 4 serving bowls. Top each bowl with grilled chicken, diced cucumber, diced tomato, sliced red onion, diced bell pepper, halved Kalamata olives, and crumbled feta cheese.
06 - Spoon prepared tzatziki sauce over each bowl or serve alongside. Garnish with additional fresh dill if desired and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's genuinely quick: Even with marinating time, you're eating in under an hour, which means you can pull this together on a random Tuesday without stress.
  • The tzatziki tastes homemade in the best way: Once you make it yourself, you'll never go back to store-bought, and it's honestly easier than you'd think.
  • You control what goes in your bowl: Protein-heavy for some days, extra vegetables for others—it adapts to whatever you need.
02 -
  • Squeeze that cucumber dry: This was my biggest learning moment—I made tzatziki once without properly squeezing out the grated cucumber, and it separated into a watery mess by serving time; now I use my hands and press hard until my forearms hurt.
  • Don't skip the marinade time: I know 20 minutes feels arbitrary, but that's genuinely the minimum for the flavors to penetrate the chicken; anything less and you're just coating it, not seasoning it.
  • Grill pan is just as good as a grill: If you don't have outdoor grill access, a heavy-bottomed grill pan on your stovetop creates the same char and crust, and honestly, it's easier to control.
03 -
  • Room-temperature ingredients cook more evenly: Pull your chicken out of the fridge 10 minutes before grilling so the outside doesn't char before the inside cooks through.
  • Pat the chicken dry before grilling: Surface moisture steams the meat instead of searing it, so paper towels are your friend if you want that gorgeous golden crust.
  • Make extra tzatziki: It keeps for three days and becomes your secret condiment for everything from grilled vegetables to leftover roasted chicken.
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