November 01, 2021
Mediterranean Chicken Bowls
Mediterranean Chicken Bowls are loaded with orzo pasta, canned chickpeas, grilled chicken, tomatoes, feta cheese, onion, kalamata olives and more, topped with hummus and fattoush dressing!
I'm in a phase where any food loaded in a bowl and called "a bowl" is my favorite kind of meal to eat. These Mediterranean Chicken Bowls are loaded with the tastiest ingredients and are perfect for dinner or for meal prep. I like prepping most of the ingredients for these Mediterranean Bowls over the weekend and then throwing everything together for an easy lunch during the week.
These bowls are loaded with my favorite kinds of canned beans: chickpeas! I am going to tell you all about why they are a staple in our pantry and kitchen.
Why Cook with Canned Beans
Canned beans are a staple in my kitchen. We have our pantry stocked with at least 5 varieties of beans at any given time. Some favorites are chickpeas, kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans and cannellini beans. They are affordable, full of protein, iron and fiber and help to contribute to some very quick meals which is necessary at times.
Recently, I was out with the kids and wasn't going to be home until right around dinner time. I texted Troy asking him to make dinner. He asked me if I had anything in mind and I told him I didn't. He was happy to help out and figure it out himself. When I got home that evening, he had black bean tacos made with fajita peppers, onions and zucchini. They were delicious and all 5 of us gobbled them all up with zero leftovers. Canned beans make for our favorite meals in our house.
Beans are something that I know without a doubt that all 3 of my kids will eat which is super important because mom and dad do not enjoy begging the kids to sit down and eat their food! I love that there are so many varieties of canned beans which makes them a versatile food to stock up on. They are so easy to use, just open the can, drain and rinse. I watch the amount of sodium that I eat because too much salt doesn't leave me feeling my best. I choose low-sodium varieties of canned beans and by rinsing your canned beans, you can lower the amount of sodium by about 40%.
We are obviously not vegetarians but love adding in canned beans to our meals for an easy protein either in addition to meat or often, instead of meat. Visit CannedBeans.org for more information about canned beans.
Mediterranean Chicken Bowls Ingredients:
-Choice of grain- brown rice, quinoa, pasta or if you don't want grains, you can use lettuce or spinach. Orzo pasta is super delicious for these bowls.
-Chickpeas- My favorite! You can't go wrong with using canned beans in a recipe. They're convenient, affordable, tasty and high in protein and fiber.
-Grilled chicken- The grilled chicken is super easy to cook ahead of time and enjoy throughout the week. I often double the portion of the chicken to use for various meals. I marinated the chicken in my Best Greek Chicken Marinade.
-Parsley- I love throwing fresh parsley on my food because it gives so much flavor. My little tip is after you get home from the grocery store, throw your parsley in a mason jar of water to make it last so much longer.
-Tomatoes
-Kalamata olives- Healthy fats and lots of flavor!
-Condiments- There are so many great options here! I recommend any of these: tzatziki sauce, hummus, fattoush dressing or Greek dressing. I love them all and switch up what I use on my bowls.
-Chopped onions
-Feta cheese
-Lemon
If you don't have some of the ingredients or don't like some of the ingredients, swap for what you have on hand. I want for this to be an easy meal that the whole family loves. We serve everything in little bowls on our table so that my kids can choose what they want. Let's just say that the chickpeas and the feta will be gone first. My kids are crazy for these ingredients!!
Mediterranean Chicken Bowls
Mediterranean Chicken Bowls
INGREDIENTS
- Lemon Grilled Chicken
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 lemon- zest and juice
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon Italian blend spices
- Mediterranean Bowls
- 1 pound orzo pasta
- 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
- 1 cup feta cheese
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives
- 1/2 cup hummus
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- Fattoush Dressing (optional)
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Toss together all of the ingredients for the chicken marinade. If time allows, marinate for 30 minutes. If not, it will still taste delicious. Grill chicken until chicken is cooked through about 5 minutes on each side. Once chicken slightly cools, slice into strips. **Alternatively, you can pan fry the chicken for about 4 minutes on each side until cooked through on high in a pan with a tablespoon of olive oil.
Meanwhile, boil a large pot of water and cook orzo according to directions. Drain pasta when it is fully cooked.
If desired, whisk together the ingredients for the fattoush dressing. Alternatively, you can use a bottled Greek or fattoush dressing.
Once orzo is cooked, divide orzo into bowls and top with chicken, tomatoes, onion, garbanzo beans, feta, olives, a dollop of hummus, a slice of lemon, and parsley.
Like this recipe? Check out more Mediterranean-style recipes:
Mediterranean Lemon Chicken and Potatoes
Spiralized Greek Pasta Salad
Greek Stuffed Chicken
Greek Chicken Salad
Greek Roasted Vegetable and Chickpea Pasta Salad
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This post is sponsored by Bush's Best. All opinions are my own.
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