Description
This 30-Minute Mediterranean Chicken Bowl is a vibrant and flavorful dish featuring spiced ground chicken cooked with Middle Eastern spices, served alongside rice, roasted chickpeas, fresh cucumber, pickled red onion, and a creamy spicy roasted red pepper feta sauce. Garnished with fresh herbs and crumbled feta, and accompanied by warm pita bread, this recipe offers a quick and satisfying meal inspired by Mediterranean flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Feta Dip (½ batch)
- ½ batch Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Feta Dip (prepared separately)
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 ground 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 recommended)
- 1 cup roasted chickpeas (e.g., Biena) or rinsed and drained regular chickpeas
- 4 Persian cucumbers, halved lengthwise and sliced
- Pickled red onion, to taste
- 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 Dip: Follow the recipe for the dip separately to make a full batch, then set aside half of it to be used in this dish, reserving the rest for snacking or other uses.
- Cook the Onions: Heat 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the finely diced yellow onions and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes until softened and translucent.
- Add and Brown the Chicken: Push the onions to the sides of the pan and add the ground chicken. Break apart the meat with a wooden spoon or meat masher, mixing it together with the onions.
- Season the Chicken: Sprinkle in 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, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Stir to evenly distribute the spices.
- Cook Until Done: Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is fully cooked through and no longer pink, approximately 5 to 7 minutes in total.
- Assemble the Bowls: Spoon a generous portion of the spicy roasted red pepper feta dip on one side of a shallow bowl. Add ½ cup cooked rice on the other side. Top the rice with ¼ cup roasted chickpeas partially over the feta dip, then add a scoop of the spiced ground chicken on top of the rice.
- Add Fresh Toppings: Garnish the bowl with sliced Persian cucumbers and pickled red onion. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkle additional crumbled feta, fresh mint leaves, and chopped parsley.
- Serve: Serve the bowls warm with torn warm pita bread for scooping and enjoy immediately.
Notes
- You can substitute ground chicken with ground turkey, beef, or lamb based on preference.
- If you don’t have roasted chickpeas, rinsed and drained canned chickpeas work well.
- Jasmine rice lends a fragrant aroma, but brown rice is a nutritious alternative.
- The spicy roasted red pepper feta dip can be prepared in advance to save time.
- Serve with extra pita bread for a more filling meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (including rice, chicken, chickpeas, and toppings)
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
