Mediterranean Chicken Bowl (Print View)

A colorful, nutrient-packed bowl combining seasoned chicken, fluffy quinoa, chickpeas, fresh vegetables, and creamy feta with lemon-oregano dressing.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.1 lbs), cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1 tsp dried oregano
04 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
05 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
06 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
07 - 1/2 tsp salt
08 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
09 - Juice of 1/2 lemon

→ Grains

10 - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
11 - 2 cups water
12 - 1/4 tsp salt

→ Vegetables & Toppings

13 - 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
14 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
15 - 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
16 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
17 - 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
18 - 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
19 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

→ Dressing

20 - 2 tbsp olive oil
21 - Juice of 1 lemon
22 - 1 tsp dried oregano
23 - 1 clove garlic, minced
24 - 1/2 tsp salt
25 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

# How To Make It:

01 - In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water and 1/4 tsp salt to a boil. Stir in quinoa, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
02 - Toss chicken pieces with olive oil, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sauté 6–8 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and cooked through. Set aside.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper.
04 - Divide quinoa among 4 bowls. Top each with chicken, chickpeas, cucumber, olives, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and feta. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
05 - Serve immediately, or refrigerate for a refreshing cold bowl.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in under 40 minutes but tastes like you spent the afternoon in the kitchen.
  • The textures keep your fork interested, crisp cucumber against creamy feta and tender chicken.
  • Leftovers actually get better as the dressing soaks into the quinoa overnight.
  • You can prep the components ahead and assemble bowls all week without any sogginess.
02 -
  • If you cook the chicken on heat that's too low, it steams instead of browning and loses all that caramelized flavor.
  • Rinsing quinoa isn't optional, the natural coating called saponin makes it taste bitter and slightly soapy if you skip it.
  • Add the dressing right before serving if you're meal prepping, otherwise the quinoa absorbs it all and the vegetables get limp.
  • Let the cooked quinoa rest covered for those final 5 minutes or it will be gummy and clumpy instead of light and fluffy.
03 -
  • Pat the chicken dry with paper towels before tossing it in the marinade so the spices stick better and it browns faster.
  • If your quinoa tastes bland, you didn't salt the cooking water enough, it needs seasoning just like pasta.
  • Warm the bowls slightly in the oven before assembling if you're serving this in winter, cold quinoa on a cold plate is depressing.
  • Double the dressing recipe and keep extra in the fridge, it's good on salads and roasted vegetables all week.
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