Greek Chicken Meal Prep Bowls
Lemon-oregano chicken thighs over cilantro rice with cucumber, cherry tomatoes, feta, and store-bought tzatziki. ~45g protein per bowl. Meal preps in 35 minutes on Sunday, feeds you all week, and tastes like something you'd actually choose to eat on a Wednesday.
Ingredients
Meat & Protein
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1-inch pieces
Produce
- 1 lemon juiced — about 3 tbsp
- 1 cucumber halved lengthwise and sliced into half-moons
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley roughly chopped
Dairy
- ½ cup feta cheese crumbled
- ½ cup tzatziki store-bought
Pantry & Canned Goods
- 2 cups long grain white rice uncooked
- 2 tbsp olive oil divided
Seasonings & Spices
- 1.5 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¾ tsp kosher salt divided
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to package directions. Once done, fluff with a fork and stir in 1 tbsp olive oil, the lemon juice, fresh parsley, and a pinch of salt. This is your cilantro-style lemon rice — it makes a significant difference over plain white rice in meal prep bowls. Set aside.
- Season the chicken pieces with dried oregano, garlic powder, smoked paprika, ½ tsp kosher salt, and black pepper. Toss to coat evenly.
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer — work in batches if needed. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes without moving, then toss and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes until golden and cooked through to 165°F. Remove from heat.
- Divide the lemon rice evenly among 4 meal prep containers. Top each with an equal portion of chicken. Arrange the sliced cucumber and halved cherry tomatoes alongside the chicken. Add 2 tbsp crumbled feta to each bowl.
- Keep the tzatziki in a separate small container until serving — add it cold directly to the bowl at mealtime. This keeps the bowls from going soggy and the tzatziki fresh. Refrigerate assembled bowls for up to 4 days.
Notes
Estimated protein per bowl: ~45g. Chicken thighs provide roughly 35g per serving, with feta and tzatziki contributing the rest.
Store the tzatziki separately and add at serving time. Tzatziki added in advance makes the rice wet and softens the cucumber. 30 seconds of keeping it separate makes a real quality difference on day 3 or 4.
The lemon rice is worth the 2 extra minutes. Plain white rice in a meal prep bowl is fine. Lemon rice with parsley and olive oil is something you'll actually look forward to reheating.
Reheat the chicken and rice portions for 90 seconds in the microwave, then add cold cucumber, tomato, feta, and tzatziki. The contrast of warm rice and cold toppings is intentional and better than reheating everything.
Freeze the chicken and rice portions without the fresh toppings for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight and add fresh vegetables and tzatziki before serving.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!