Mediterranean Bowls

These Mediterranean Bowls made with the tastiest lemon chicken, fluffy quinoa, tons of veggies, fresh herbs, and the most delicious creamy tahini dressing are exactly what I want when I am craving a healthy grain bowl. 

When it comes to bowl recipes, we are here for them. Whether it is these Asian Rice Bowls, Chicken Taco Bowls, or Kofta Bowls, bowls are one of the best ways to pack tons of healthy ingredients in one meal.

And for those who love Mediterranean flavors, I have the perfect bowl recipe for you today. It starts with a base of protein-packed quinoa. Then there is marinated lemon herb chicken, crunchy cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, parsley, feta cheese, and a herby tahini dressing. Yum.

But the best thing about this recipe is how easy it is to customize. Try it with different proteins. Add hummus or tzatziki. Pile it with Kalamata olives and roasted ped peppers. Make it spicy with a dollop of harissa. This Mediterranean Chicken Bowl is the ultimate build-your-own recipe.

Before You Get Started

• Shortcuts: If you are short on time, swap in rotisserie chicken and toss it with lemon juice, olive oil, and all the spices. Use packaged or frozen quinoa instead of making it fresh. Lastly, top the bowls with store-bought tzatziki, hummus, or vinaigrette instead of making tahini dressing.  Sometimes, I even grab all my veggies at the salad bar to save time. 
• Make it vegetarian: If you prefer a vegetarian version, swap in marinated chickpeas for the chicken. Use the same marinade and let the chickpeas hang out in the marinade for 60 minutes in the fridge. Or marinate some tofu and then crisp it up in the air fryer or a hot skillet.
• Picky eaters: Instead of serving the assembled bowls, set up everything on the table and let everyone build their perfect bowls. My kids make theirs with rice, chicken, hummus, cucumbers, and shredded carrots. 

Ingredients to Make Mediterranean Bowls (+ Ea

Here's everything you need to make these tasty bowls.

• Chicken: Boneless chicken breast or chicken thighs are best for this recipe. Swap in rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken if you prefer. Cut the chicken thinly so it soaks up lots of the marinade and cooks quickly. Feel free to swap in salmon, steak, tofu, ground beef, ground lamb, or chickpeas. 
• Mediterranean marinade: The chicken marinade has lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, dill, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, thyme, and coriander. Switch up the spices if you like different herbs. Swap in Greek seasoning or your favorite poultry seasoning. 
• Quinoa: This bowl recipe uses cooked quinoa as the base, but you could swap in rice, greens, cauliflower rice, barley, farro, lentils, or chickpeas.
• Vegetables: Any raw or roasted vegetables work in this bowl. Classic options (inspired by Mediterranean and Greek recipes) include lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, parsley, and dill. We also love this with roasted sweet potatoes, green beans, and cabbage.
• Tahini dressing: To drizzle on top, make a quick tahini dressing with tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, fresh dill, and garlic. Find more dressing ideas below.

Assembling the Perfect Bowl

Any good grain bowl or buddha bowl is built around 4 key components. It starts with a base to which you add protein, veggies, and dressing.

• Protein: Although this recipe is made with chicken, you could swap in salmon, shrimp, canned tuna, ground turkey, or meatballs for a lean protein source. You could also use falafel, tofu, lentils, chickpeas, or vegetarian meat.
• Vegetables: Any good rice bowl has lots of vegetables. Choose a variety of fresh vegetables and cooked vegetables for different textures. Tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach, red onions, bell peppers, and fresh herbs are all great options.
• Base: Start with a base of cooked white rice, brown rice, quinoa, farro, barley, cauliflower rice, or greens.
• Make it special: Get creative with additional toppings like kalamata olives, feta cheese, hummus, capers, roasted red peppers, pepperoncini, or pita chips.
• Dressing: Use the tahini dressing in the recipe or swap in hummus, tzatziki, green goddess dressing, or Greek salad dressing. Or simply add a big dollop of Greek yogurt. 

Tips for Making Mediterranean Bowls

Follow these tips to speed up the preparation when making these tasty bowls. 

• Shortcuts: Save time and use rotisserie chicken. Toss with some lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, and dill to add flavor.
• Fewer spices: Speed up the prep work with a store-bought Mediterranean or Greek spice rub for the chicken.
• Use precooked rice or grains: To save time, swap in frozen or precooked grains so you aren't making the quinoa or rice from scratch.
• Be creative: This recipe should be treated like a blueprint! Bowls are meant to be customized. Add all your favorite ingredients.

Variations and Recipe Ideas

There are so many ways to customize these bowls. Here are some favorites. 

• Vegetarian: This recipe easily becomes vegetarian; just make sure to include a protein source like roasted chickpeas, creamy hummus, canned lentils, or crispy tofu.
• Gluten-free: This recipe is naturally gluten-free, just make sure any store-bought dressings are GF.
• Hummus bowls: Instead of making the tahini dressing, just add a few spoonfuls of your favorite hummus as the dressing, like in these Hummus Bowls. Thin the hummus out with olive oil and vinegar to make a hummus vinaigrette. 
• Spicy: Add red pepper flakes to the chicken marinade or add pepperoncini to the bowls. 
• Low carb: Leave out the quinoa and use a base of greens or cauliflower rice.

Meal Prep and Storing Leftovers

These bowls are great for meal prep and keep well in the fridge. For best results, do not add the dressing to the bowls until it is ready to serve. Keep the cherry tomatoes whole if prepping in advance so they don't get soggy.

Store leftovers in an airtight container once they are fully cooled. If you are planning on heating up the chicken and quinoa, store the raw vegetables separately.

What else can you add to Mediterranean bowls?

Almost anything can be added to these Mediterranean bowls, including different proteins, vegetables, and other additions. Consider trying them with zucchini, avocado, bell peppers, tabouleh, or a spicy sauce like zhoug or harissa.