Description
This 30-Minute Mediterranean Chicken Bowl is a vibrant, protein-packed meal featuring spiced ground chicken cooked with fragrant herbs and spices, served over fluffy rice with roasted chickpeas, cucumbers, pickled red onions, and a generous dollop of spicy roasted red pepper feta dip. Garnished with fresh mint, parsley, crumbled feta, and a drizzle of olive oil, these bowls are perfect for quick dinners or meal prep with warm pita for scooping every delicious bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Feta Dip
- ½ batch Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Feta Dip
Spiced Ground Chicken
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound ground chicken (or turkey, beef, or lamb)
- ½ medium to large yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For Serving
- 2 cups cooked rice (jasmine or brown rice preferred)
- 1 cup roasted chickpeas (Biena brand preferred) or rinsed and drained regular chickpeas
- 4 Persian cucumbers, halved lengthwise and sliced
- Pickled red onion, quantity as desired
- Warm torn pita bread, for scooping
To Garnish
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- Extra crumbled feta cheese
- Fresh mint leaves
- Fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Prepare the Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Feta Sauce: Make the sauce according to its recipe. Use only half of the batch for the bowls and reserve the remaining half for snacking.
- Cook the chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the finely diced onions and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes until softened. Push the onions to the edges of the pan. Add the ground chicken and break it apart using a wooden spoon or meat masher, mixing it with the onions as you go. Sprinkle in the kosher salt, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, turmeric, dried thyme, and freshly ground black pepper. Continue cooking for 5 to 7 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and no longer pink.
- Assemble the bowls: On one side of a shallow bowl, add a generous scoop of the spicy roasted red pepper feta sauce and spread it slightly. On the other side, place about ½ cup of cooked rice. Top part of the feta sauce side with ¼ cup roasted chickpeas. Add a scoop of the spiced ground chicken in the center over the rice. Arrange sliced cucumbers and pickled red onions on top. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with crumbled feta, fresh mint leaves, and chopped parsley.
- Serve: Accompany the bowl with warm torn pita bread for scooping up the delicious mix of flavors and enjoy immediately.
Notes
- These bowls make a fantastic meal prep option as they pack well and hold flavors overnight.
- Feel free to substitute ground chicken with ground turkey, beef, or lamb according to preference.
- Adjust spices to your heat and flavor preference, especially the black pepper and paprika.
- Use jasmine rice for a lighter texture or brown rice for more fiber and a nuttier flavor.
- Pickled red onions add an excellent tang to balance the richness of the feta sauce and spiced chicken.
- Serving with warm pita bread makes for a more immersive Mediterranean experience by allowing you to scoop and enjoy every component together.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (without pita)
- Calories: 637 kcal
- Sugar: 7.6 g
- Sodium: 560 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 59.1 g
- Fiber: 10.8 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
