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It is a dream of mine to visit Greece someday because Greek food is of my favorite cuisines. I am all for the Greek/Mediterranean food and Italian food, so the days I get to visit those countries will be the best! I love how nourishing the cuisines are with a heavy use of herbs, fresh veggies, and beautiful colors.
This meal features greek seasoned chicken, quinoa, colorful veggies, and my favorite toppings: Pickled onions and feta cheese! I homemade the pickled red onions because I didn’t want to spend $6 on a jar at the store when I could make it at home for what would cost under a dollar (and they’re ready to eat within just an hour of being in the vinegar!). All it takes is a small red onion, vinegar, water, and salt! Check out the recipe here so you can homemake your own if you want. I also love that it can be personalized to taste preference. Be sure to read the modifications section for ideas on flavors.
Ingredients
Chicken breast – boneless, skinless. You can also sub with chicken thigh.
Olive oil – for drizzling on the chicken before cooking.
Seasoning – Greek seasoning, salt, and pepper for flavor.
Quinoa – for the base of the bowl. You can also sub with rice or lentils or a combination of them.
Kale – or sub with arugula, spinach, spring mix, etc.
Lemon juice & zest – for the kale
Cherry tomatoes – or use regular tomatoes that are chopped.
English cucumber – I prefer English cucumbers because the skin isn’t as tough as regular cucumbers, but feel free to use regular ones if that’s what you have on hand.
Kalamata olives – Don’t worry, if you don’t like olives then simply omit them – the bowls are just as delicious without them! You can omit them or replace them with any other topping such as peperoncinis or roasted chickpeas.
Feta cheese – I used crumbled.
Pickled onions – check out my homemade recipe here.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Start the quinoa (or rice or lentils) according to package instructions to create 2 cups or more to your preference.
- In a large bowl or on a baking sheet with parchment paper, toss the chicken with olive oil, greek seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook on the baking sheet with parchment paper for 10-12 minutes.
- Prepare the other toppings. Very thinly slice the cucumber. Halve or quarter the cherry tomatoes. Take the pit out and slice the kalamata olives if needed (sometimes they come already prepped).
- For the kale: I like to massage kale for a couple minutes because it makes it easier to digest. First wash it, then tear the leaves into smaller, bite-sized pieces. Then put the kale in a bowl with a generous sprinkle of salt, the lemon juice, and a touch of lemon zest. To massage: Squeeze and rub the kale between your fingers repeatedly, tossing it in the salt, lemon juice/zest in the process.
- To plate: Over a bed of quinoa, add the chicken, kale, cucumber, tomatoes, pickled onion, olives, feta cheese, and any other desired toppings such as tzatziki sauce.
Make it your own
- Substitute the chicken breast for chicken thighs.
- Adjust the greek seasoning to your liking.
- Adjust the toppings to your liking. You can omit any that you don’t like, and add some that you love! For example, if you don’t like olives then simply omit them – the bowls are just as delicious without them!
- Other topping ideas: Peperoncinis, hummus, pita bread, roasted chickpeas, fresh dill, lemon zest, etc.
- Drizzle with a sauce of your choice, such as tzatziki, creamy lemon yogurt sauce, lemon tahini sauce, harissa sauce, etc.
- Make it dairy free by omitting the feta cheese, but in this case I would highly recommend adding a sauce on top for extra flavor!
Other recipes you’ll love:
I hope you love this Greek Chicken Nourish Bowls recipe! Please be sure to leave a comment and review if you try it. Your support means so much to me.
PrintGreek Chicken Nourish Bowls
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 35
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: lunch, dinner, entree
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients
Chicken
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-1.5 inch pieces
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp Greek seasoning see notes for individual spice subs
1 tsp salt, adjusted according to greek seasoning used and/or taste preference
Fresh cracked black pepper
Kale
3 cups of kale
1/2 small lemon, juiced and zested
Generous sprinkle of salt
To serve
2 cups cooked quinoa (or sub rice or lentils)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1/2 English cucumber, very thinly sliced
1/2 cup halved kalamata olives
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup pickled red onions
Optional: Tzatziki sauce, fresh squeezed lemon juice, fresh dill, sprinkle of red pepper flakes if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Start the quinoa (or rice or lentils) according to package instructions to create 2 cups or more to your preference.
- Place parchment paper on a baking sheet. Toss the chicken in the olive oil and put on the parchment paper. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the greek seasoning, salt, and pepper. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Prepare the other toppings. Very thinly slice the cucumber. Halve or quarter the cherry tomatoes. Take the pit out and slice the kalamata olives if needed (sometimes they come already prepped).
- For the kale: I like to massage kale for a couple minutes because it makes it easier to digest. First wash it, then tear the leaves into smaller, bite-sized pieces. Then put the kale in a bowl with a generous sprinkle of salt, the lemon juice, and a touch of lemon zest. To massage: Squeeze and rub the kale between your fingers repeatedly, tossing it in the salt, lemon juice/zest in the process.
- To plate: Over a bed of quinoa, add the chicken, kale, cucumber, tomatoes, pickled onion, olives, feta cheese, and any other desired toppings such as tzatziki sauce.
Notes
Greek seasoning is very robust and can be full of quite a few flavors. Here are a couple options if you don’t have greek seasoning on hand:
1) For a simple combination, you can use equal parts dried oregano, basil, dill, garlic, and onion powder (1/2 rounded tsp each)
2) You can use this much more robust combination:
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp dried rosemary (minced)
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Greek seasoning also typically has black pepper in it, but I add it separately in the ingredient list of the recipe because I like using fresh cracked black pepper.
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