Easy Greek Chicken Rice Bowl

I make this Greek chicken rice bowl on repeat because it’s basically one pan, one pot of rice, and dinner is done. Juicy seasoned chicken thighs cook right on top of lemony rice, so you get all that flavor without babysitting two separate dishes. It sits alongside my honey-garlic take on this chicken-and-rice combo as one of my go-to weeknight dinners, though this one leans lighter and brighter thanks to all that lemon.

The first time I made this, my son asked if we could “have the lemon chicken thing” again before he’d even finished his plate. That’s usually my sign a recipe is a keeper. I started making a double batch of the tzatziki after that, since it disappears fast in my house, and now it’s one of those meals I can throw together on a Tuesday without much thinking. The chicken browns while I chop the salad, the rice does its thing under the lid, and twenty minutes later everyone’s eating. If you’re looking for a Greek chicken rice bowl that doesn’t need a grocery list of specialty ingredients, this is it.

Ingredients for Easy Greek Chicken Rice Bowl

Here’s what I use for this one, plus a few swaps if you’re missing something. My go-to move is buying chicken thighs in bulk and freezing what I don’t need, so I always have some on hand.

For the chicken and rice

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano (divided, 1 for the chicken and 1 for the rice)
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• ¾ teaspoon pepper
• 4 tablespoons olive oil (divided, 3 for the chicken and 1 for the onion)
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 1 cup long grain rice, uncooked (basmati or jasmine work too)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 medium lemon, zested and juiced

Chopped Greek salad

• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• ½ cucumber, diced
• ½ red onion, diced (start with a quarter if you’re not a big raw onion person)
• 3½ ounces feta cheese, cubed

Quick tzatziki (store-bought works fine too)

• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• ½ cucumber, cubed
• ½ clove garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
• A squeeze or two of lemon juice (optional)

To serve (optional)

• ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 pita bread
• Extra lemon segments

In my experience, thigh meat holds up much better here than chicken breast since it stays juicy while the rice simmers underneath it, which is also why I lean on thighs for my garlic butter chicken rice bowl too.

Step-by-Step Instructions

I usually get the chicken seasoned first so it can sit while I prep everything else. That little bit of extra time helps the spices actually stick instead of just sitting on the surface.

1. Put the chicken thighs in a wide bowl. Mix half the oregano (1 tablespoon) with the paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle half the mixture over the chicken, flip it, then coat the other side.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, wide non-stick pan with a lid over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken for a few minutes per side, until it’s golden but not cooked through. Move it to a bowl and set aside.
3. Stir together the chicken broth, remaining oregano, and lemon zest and juice in a jug.
4. Add the last tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and cook the onion for a couple of minutes until it softens. Stir in the uncooked rice until it’s coated in the oil.
5. Pour the broth mixture over the rice and stir. Lay the chicken back on top, cover the pan, bring it to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium. Cook for 20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed, the rice is tender, and the chicken is cooked through.
   Don’t lift the lid while this cooks. The trapped steam is what keeps the chicken moist and cooks the rice evenly, and letting it escape can leave you with dry chicken and undercooked rice.
6. While the rice cooks, make the salad and tzatziki. Dice the tomatoes, cucumber, and feta for the salad and mix with the red onion. For the tzatziki, stir together the yogurt, cucumber, garlic, dill, and lemon juice.
7. Once the rice is done, fluff it gently around the chicken with a fork and scatter parsley over the top if using.
8. Build your bowls. Rice and chicken first, then a generous scoop of salad and tzatziki. My family loves this with warm pita on the side. I usually toast mine in a dry hot pan until it puffs up, then slice it into triangles for scooping.

Rachel Collins

Easy Greek Chicken Rice Bowl

Juicy seasoned chicken thighs cook with lemony rice in one pan, served with a tomato-cucumber-feta salad and tzatziki.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings: 5 portions

Course: Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean

Calories: 807

Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 tbsp dried oregano divided
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 0.75 tsp pepper
• 4 tbsp olive oil divided
• 1 white onion chopped
• 1 cup long grain rice uncooked, basmati or jasmine also work
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 lemon zested and juiced
• 2 tomatoes diced
• 0.5 cucumber diced, for salad
• 0.5 red onion diced, for salad
• 3.5 oz feta cheese cubed
• 1 cup Greek yogurt for tzatziki
• 0.5 cucumber cubed, for tzatziki
• 0.5 garlic clove crushed
• 2 tbsp fresh dill chopped
• 0.5 fresh parsley chopped, optional
• 2 pita bread optional

Equipment

• PLEASE CONFIRM: large wide non-stick pan with lid (JSON previously said cast iron casserole dish, which doesn’t match the instructions text)
• Kitchen tongs

Method

 

1. Season the chicken thighs with half the oregano, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, coating both sides.
2. Brown the chicken in 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat for a few minutes per side, then set aside.
3. Mix the chicken broth, remaining oregano, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a jug.
4. Cook the onion in the remaining olive oil until softened, then stir in the uncooked rice.
5. Pour the broth mixture over the rice, top with the chicken, cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.

   Don’t lift the lid while this cooks so the steam stays trapped and the chicken stays moist.
6. While the rice cooks, make the salad by combining tomatoes, cucumber, feta, and red onion, and make the tzatziki by mixing yogurt, cucumber, garlic, dill, and lemon juice.
7. Fluff the rice around the chicken and sprinkle with parsley if using.
8. Assemble bowls with rice, chicken, salad, and tzatziki. Serve with warm pita if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 807kcalCarbohydrates: 71gProtein: 62gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 242mgSodium: 1978mgPotassium: 1234mgFiber: 6gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 2297IUVitamin C: 39mgCalcium: 336mgIron: 6mg

Notes

Chicken thighs range from 4 to 9 pieces per 2 pounds depending on size; brown in batches if they don’t fit the pan at once. Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge and reheat well; store salad and tzatziki separately from the rice and chicken. Contains dairy (feta, Greek yogurt) and gluten if served with pita; use a dairy-free yogurt alternative and skip the pita to make this dairy-free and gluten-free.

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What to Serve With Easy Greek Chicken Rice Bowl

A few things round this bowl out nicely if you want to make it a bigger spread.

Warm pita or flatbread: Good for scooping up the extra tzatziki and rice at the bottom of the bowl.

Roasted vegetables: Zucchini or bell peppers roasted with a little olive oil and oregano echo the flavors already in the bowl.

Lemon rice soup: A light starter if you’re serving this for a bigger dinner and want something before the main course.

Kalamata olives: A small handful on the side adds a briny bite that plays well against the tzatziki.

Smoky street corn chicken bowl: If you’re setting up a bowl bar, a scoop of my smoky street corn chicken bowl adds a cheesy, charred contrast to all the lemon and tzatziki here.

Storage & Serving Tips

Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. I store the salad and tzatziki separately from the rice and chicken so nothing gets soggy.

To reheat, warm the rice and chicken in the microwave until piping hot, then add the cold salad and tzatziki fresh. This keeps the textures right instead of everything turning into one warm mush.

This one is easy to switch up too. Swap the rice for quinoa or cauliflower rice if you want something lighter, or wrap the whole thing in a pita for a portable lunch the next day.

My Favorite Sauces for Easy Greek Chicken Rice Bowl

Tzatziki is the classic here, but if you want to switch things up or need a dairy-light option, these all pair well with the lemony rice and warm spices in this bowl.

Tahini yogurt sauce: A blend of tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, and garlic. It has the same tang as tzatziki with a nuttier, slightly richer finish.

Green tahini sauce: Tahini blended with fresh herbs and lemon. The herby brightness works well against the smoky paprika and cumin in the chicken.

Whipped feta dip: Feta blended smooth with a little olive oil and lemon. It leans into the saltiness already in the bowl instead of cutting it.

Ladolemono: A simple Greek lemon and olive oil sauce, sometimes with a bit of oregano. It’s thinner than the others and drizzles nicely over the rice.

If you’d rather go sweet and sticky instead of tangy, the glaze from my teriyaki chicken rice bowl drizzles beautifully over this one too.

Skordalia: A garlicky Greek potato sauce. It’s heavier than the others, so I usually use it in smaller amounts alongside the salad rather than over the whole bowl.

Conclusion