These Mediterranean Grain Bowls are an easy, flavor-packed lunch or dinner made with lemony chicken, roasted vegetables, hearty grains, and a creamy tahini dressing. They make for a satisfying, protein-filled meal that's also great for meal prepping.
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Trying to eat healthy-ish can certainly be a bummer... But it doesn't have to be!
While I love cookies and ice cream, fun drinks, dips, and sweet breakfasts, I'm also constantly challenging myself to come up with nutritious meals that actually taste good. That I actually get excited about eating.
These Mediterranean grain bowls are one of my new favorite go-to recipes! They're packed with whole grains, veggies, and protein. But also involve cheese, olives, flavorful spices, and a creamy dressing.
❤️ Why this recipe works
Packed with Mediterranean-inspired flavors: with whole grains, roasted veggies, lemon, oregano, kalamata olives, feta, tahini, and fresh herbs these bowls are packed with fresh Mediterranean flavors that all complement each other.
Lots of protein in each serving: if you're looking for a protein packed lunch or dinner, this is a great option! The chicken breast, chickpeas, farro, and couscous (plus cheese and tahini) all offer a decent amount.
Incredibly versatile: you can make these Mediterranean grain bowls with so many different ingredients, depending on your tastes. I use farro and couscous as my grains, but you can use your favorites. I'll offer lots of recommendations for you in this post!
Can be served warm or cold: you can serve the bowls with warm grains, chicken, and veggies, but if you want to prep ahead, you can just assemble and eat as is.
Components can be prepped ahead: this is a great meal prep option as you can prepare all the components in advance and put them all in a bowl when you're ready to eat. Great for a make-ahead dinner or bring-to-work lunch.
🗒 Ingredients
Here's are the main components I included in my Mediterranean grain bowls, but remember you have the freedom to use whatever ingredients you want!
If you want to make them just like I did, be sure to view the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the ingredient amounts I used and recipe instructions:
- Farro
- Pearled couscous
- Lemon oregano chicken
- Roasted vegetables: zucchini, tomatoes, and red onion
- Crispy chickpeas
- Cucumber
- Kalamata olives
- Feta cheese
- Lemon tahini dressing
- Fresh herbs: parsley and mint
🥗 Recipe tips
- If you're making the lemon oregano chicken, I recommend marinating it for at least 30 minutes, but you can marinate it overnight for even better flavor.
- I cook my chicken in a skillet, but if you prefer to grill it or bake it in the oven, you can certainly do that, too. You could also make my recipe for cast iron skillet chicken or panko crusted chicken.
- Let chicken rest for about 5 minutes before slicing.
- You can also roast the vegetables in advance.
- Use the veggie combo that you want. I think sliced zucchini, tomatoes, and red onion are so pretty together!
- I roast the chickpeas at the same time as I roast the veggies since they roast at the same temperature and take about the same amount of time.
- After draining the chickpeas, be sure to pat them as dry as possible. Any moisture left on them will prevent them from crisping up.
- Stir both the veggies and the chickpeas about halfway through baking time.
- You can include as many grains as you want. I use farro and pearled couscous and cook them separately (since they require different cooking methods), but you can use just one grain or cook multiple of your choice.
- Be sure to generously salt the water you're using to cook your grains in.
- I love making dressings in mason jars because you just add all the ingredients, close the jar, and shake well. And then you can easily store the dressing in the fridge until you're ready to use it.
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- After dressing chills, it may thicken a bit. Adding a splash of warm water will help thin it out.
- You can serve the grains warm and top with warm grains, chicken, and veggies and then add on the kalamata olives, cucumbers, feta, parsley, mint, and dressing. Or if you prefer it all served at room temp, that's fine, too.
They say you should eat the rainbow and these Mediterranean Grain Bowls certainly fit that requirement!
Plus, they're packed with so many delicious flavors that all work so well together.
I could eat this for lunch and dinner every day!
⏲️ How to prep ahead
These bowls are perfect for meal prep because every component can be made in advance and assembled when ready to eat. Here are my recommendations:
- Marinate the chicken up to 12 hours in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Cook when ready and store sliced chicken in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Roast vegetables and chickpeas up to 3 days in advance. Let them cool completely and then refrigerate them in separate containers. If you prefer them warm, you can heat them briefly in the oven or microwave before serving.
- Cook the farro and couscous up to 4 days in advance. Let cool and then store in airtight containers in the fridge. Re-heat with a splash of water to loosen the grains when ready to serve.
- Make lemon tahini dressing up to 5 days in advance and store in airtight container in the fridge. When ready to serve, you may want to stir in a little warm water to thin it out a bit.
- Chop fresh toppings like cucumber, olives, feta, and herbs up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate separately.
When ready to serve, all you have to do is warm the chicken, grains, and roasted vegetables (if you prefer them warmed), assemble your bowls, and drizzle with dressing.
🎉 Variations on recipe
I'm sharing my favorite grain bowl combination with you, but there are so many different ingredients you could add to these bowls!
Some of these ingredients will take these bowls a bit farther away from the "Mediterranean" flavors, but they all work well together.
Grain ideas:
- Quinoa
- Brown rice
- Bulgur
- Orzo
- Freekeh
- Barley
- Wild rice
Protein ideas:
- Roasted salmon
- Grilled shrimp
- Grilled steak
- Pan-fried tofu
- Falafel
- Hardboiled eggs
Vegetable ideas:
- Roasted eggplant
- Roasted red peppers or bell peppers
- Grilled or steamed asparagus
- Sautéed spinach or kale
- Shaved brussels sprouts
Cheese ideas:
- Goat cheese
- Halloumi
- Parmesan
- Ricotta
- Cottage cheese
Additional ingredient ideas:
- Capers
- Pita chips
- Toasted pine nuts
- Slivered almonds
- Sliced avocado
- Pickled red onions
- Pomegranate arils
- Hummus
- Tabbouli
- Harrisa
- Tzatziki
You could meal prep these grain bowls every week for the rest of the year and never get bored of them with all the different flavor combinations you can use!
If you're looking for more fun "bowl" recipes, try my copycat Sweetgreen Harvest Bowl!
Comment below to let me know how you plan on making these Mediterranean grain bowls!
📖 Recipe
Mediterranean Grain Bowls
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Ingredients
Lemon Oregano Chicken
- 1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
Roasted Vegetables
- 1 medium zucchini sliced into ¼" rounds
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 small red onion cut into wedges
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
Crispy Chickpeas
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas drained, rinsed, and dried thoroughly
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Grain Base
- ¾ cup farro rinsed
- ¾ cup pearled couscous
- Salt
- 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil divided
Lemon Tahini Dressing
- ¼ cup tahini
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- 3 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove grated
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup warm water, plus more as needed
Optional Add-ins
- ½ cup diced cucumber
- ⅓ cup sliced kalamata olives
- ⅓ cup crumbled or cubed feta
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoon freshly chopped mint
Instructions
Marinate and Cook Chicken
- In a ziplock bag or bowl, combine lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, paprika, and red pepper flakes (if using). Add chicken breasts and coat well in mixture. Place in fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.
- When ready to cook, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade, letting excess liquid drip off, and place in skillet. Cook 4-5 minutes, until chicken is golden on the first side. Flip and cook another 4-5 minutes, until chicken is golden and cooked through, registering 165 degrees F on meat thermometer. Note: you can also feel free to grill chicken or cook in oven at 425 degrees F for 18-22 minutes.
- Move to a plate and let chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Roast Veggies and Chickpeas
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Toss zucchini, tomatoes, and red onion with olive oil, salt, pepper, and paprika. Spread on prepared baking sheet.
- Toss chickpeas with olive oil, cumin, coriander, and salt and spread on second baking sheet.
- Roast veggies and chickpeas for 20-25 minutes, stirring both once halfway through, until veggies are caramelized and chickpeas are getting crisp. Let cool slightly; chickpeas will crisp more as they cool.
Cook Grains
- For Farro: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine farro, water, salt, and 1 teaspoon olive oil. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer for for 20-25 minutes, until farro is tender and water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove cover and fluff with a fork.
- For Couscous: In a medium saucepan, bring 1 ¼ cup salted water and 1 tablespoon olive oil to a boil. Add couscous, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until couscous is tender and water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
Lemon Tahini Dressing
- In a medium bowl or in a small mason jar, combine tahini, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and ¼ cup warm water until smooth. Add more water if dressing needs to be thinned more.
Bowl Assembly
- Divide grains between bowls. Top with sliced chicken, roasted veggies, crispy chickpeas, cucumber, olives, and feta. Drizzle with dressing and finish with parsley and mint.
Notes
- Feel free to use the grains, protein, veggies, and add-ins of your choice. See blog post body for lots of ideas.
- All elements can be prepped in advanced and stored in fridge until ready to assemble bowls.
- If meal-prepping, you can either re-heat grains, chicken, and veggies for bowls or you can serve everything room temperature/chilled.
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