Greek Chicken Tzatziki Bowls
These Greek chicken tzatziki bowls have lemon-oregano chicken, warm rice, fresh cucumber, tomatoes, feta, and a creamy homemade tzatziki sauce.
The chicken cooks in a skillet, and the tzatziki comes together while the rice is cooking. Everything goes into one bowl for a simple dinner with a nice mix of warm and cool ingredients.
What's in These Greek Chicken Bowls?
Rice makes the warm base for seasoned chicken, while cucumber, tomatoes, and red onion add a fresh crunch. Crumbled feta brings a salty finish, and the homemade tzatziki ties everything together.
Ingredients You'll Need
The recipe card below has the full quantities. Here is how the main ingredients work together.
Chicken
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are cut into approximately 1-inch pieces so they cook evenly in the skillet.
White Rice
Use dry long-grain white rice. Follow its package directions for the water amount; the cooked rice makes the base of each bowl.
Greek Yogurt and Cucumber
Plain nonfat Greek yogurt forms the sauce. Grated cucumber goes into the tzatziki, while diced cucumber adds crunch to the bowls.
Tomatoes, Red Onion, and Feta
Halved cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, and crumbled feta finish the bowls with fresh texture and salty flavor.
Lemon, Garlic, and Dill
Lemon juice seasons both the chicken and sauce. Garlic powder goes on the chicken; finely grated fresh garlic and chopped dill go into the tzatziki.
How to Make Greek Chicken Tzatziki Bowls
Start the rice first so you can prepare the chicken and sauce while it cooks. Keep the cool toppings separate until you build the bowls.
Start the Rice
Use the water amount on your rice package. Let the rice rest covered after simmering, then fluff it before dividing it among the bowls.
Season the Chicken
Toss the evenly cut chicken with the seasoning portion of olive oil, lemon juice, and the dried seasonings. Save the remaining oil for the skillet.
Make the Tzatziki
Squeeze the grated cucumber, then stir it into the yogurt with lemon juice, grated garlic, dill, and salt. Keep the sauce refrigerated while you finish cooking.
Cook the Chicken
Give the chicken room in the hot skillet, using batches if needed. Turn the pieces as they cook and check the thickest pieces with a thermometer for 165°F (74°C).
Prepare the Toppings
Dice the cucumber, halve the tomatoes, slice the red onion thinly, and have the crumbled feta ready.
Build the Bowls
Divide the rice between four bowls, then add chicken and toppings. Spoon the cool tzatziki over each bowl just before serving.
How to Keep Tzatziki Thick and Creamy
Grated cucumber holds water. Squeeze out the liquid before stirring it into the yogurt so it does not thin the sauce. Keep the finished tzatziki refrigerated until the bowls are ready.
A Few Tips for Better Chicken and Rice
Keep the chicken pieces close to the same size and avoid overcrowding the skillet. Work in batches if needed, and use a thermometer to check that the thickest pieces reach 165°F (74°C).
Leave the rice covered for five minutes after cooking. Then fluff it before portioning it into the bowls.
Estimated Nutrition per Serving
Per bowl (one-fourth of the recipe): approximately 425 calories, 41 g protein, 32 g carbohydrates, 14 g fat, and 1.5 g fiber. Estimated sodium is 620 mg when the chicken seasoning uses Morton Coarse Kosher Salt and the sauce uses table salt.
These estimates use USDA food-composition data and documented ingredient-weight assumptions, counting all of the oil and sauce. Brands, salt crystal size, portion sizes, cucumber draining, and what remains in the pan can change the amounts. This is an estimate, not a laboratory analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
What goes in a Greek chicken tzatziki bowl?
This recipe combines lemon-oregano chicken, long-grain white rice, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, feta, and homemade yogurt tzatziki.
What kind of rice should I use?
Use dry long-grain white rice and follow the package directions for the water amount.
How do you keep homemade tzatziki from getting watery?
Squeeze the liquid from the grated cucumber before mixing it into the Greek yogurt.
How do I know when the chicken is done?
Use a food thermometer. The thickest chicken pieces should reach 165°F (74°C).
Greek Chicken Tzatziki Bowls
Greek chicken tzatziki bowls with seasoned chicken, fluffy rice, cucumber, tomatoes, feta, and a simple homemade yogurt sauce.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into approximately 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided: 1 tablespoon for seasoning and 1 tablespoon for the skillet
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Tzatziki
- 3/4 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup grated English cucumber, squeezed dry
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 small clove garlic, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Rice and Toppings
- 2/3 cup dry long-grain white rice, approximately 123 g
- 1 1/3 cups water, approximately, or use the rice package directions
- 1 cup English cucumber, diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese, approximately 54 g
Instructions
Cook the rice with the package-appropriate water amount. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer over low heat, commonly 15–18 minutes. Rest covered for 5 minutes, then fluff. The expected yield is approximately 2 cups cooked rice.
While the rice cooks, toss the cut chicken with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, oregano, garlic powder, smoked paprika, the chicken salt, and black pepper.
Squeeze the liquid from the grated cucumber. Mix with the Greek yogurt, remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice, grated garlic, dill, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Refrigerate until needed.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Cook the chicken in an even layer, working in batches if needed, for approximately 8–12 minutes total, turning as needed, until the thickest pieces reach 165°F (74°C).
Dice the cucumber, halve the tomatoes, slice the red onion, and prepare the feta.
Divide approximately 2 cups cooked rice between four bowls.
Add the cooked chicken, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, and feta.
Spoon the tzatziki over the bowls and serve.
Recipe Tip
Squeeze the grated cucumber before mixing it into the yogurt. This helps keep the tzatziki thick and creamy.
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