Meal Prep Chicken Souvlaki Bowls: A Healthy, Easy & Delicious Lunch Idea
These Meal Prep Chicken Souvlaki Bowls offer a fantastic blend of vibrant Mediterranean flavors and ultimate convenience. Featuring succulent marinated chicken, fluffy quinoa, and perfectly grilled vegetables, these bowls are a healthy, satisfying, and incredibly easy lunch option that you’ll look forward to enjoying throughout your busy week! Prepare them once and savor delicious, wholesome meals all week long.
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Why Meal Prep These Chicken Souvlaki Bowls?
Meal prepping is a game-changer for anyone with a busy schedule, and these Chicken Souvlaki Bowls are a prime example of its benefits. By dedicating a little time on one day, you can enjoy healthy, homemade meals throughout the week without the daily stress of cooking. These bowls are not only incredibly flavorful and satisfying but also perfectly portioned, helping you stay on track with your nutritional goals. They prevent impulse buys or unhealthy takeout choices, saving both time and money. Plus, the fresh, vibrant ingredients hold up beautifully, ensuring each meal tastes just as good as the first.
Ingredients and Smart Substitutions for Your Souvlaki Bowls
Creating delicious and versatile meal prep bowls starts with understanding your ingredients. Here’s a detailed look at what you’ll need for your Chicken Souvlaki Bowls and how you can easily swap items based on what you have or prefer.
- Quinoa – This nutritional powerhouse serves as an excellent base, offering complete protein and fiber. While delicious and healthy, you can easily swap it for other grains like fluffy brown rice, light couscous, or hearty options such as barley or farro to vary the texture and nutritional profile of your bowls.
- Grape Tomatoes – Sweet and juicy grape tomatoes burst with flavor, adding a fresh, acidic counterpoint to the rich chicken. If unavailable, cherry tomatoes offer a similar sweetness and size, or finely diced Roma tomatoes can provide a fresh, slightly firmer bite.
- Cucumber – Crisp cucumber adds a refreshing crunch and cooling element to the bowls. For a similar hydrating texture, opt for zucchini, or if you prefer a different kind of crunch, finely diced celery makes a good alternative.
- Kalamata Olives – Briny Kalamata olives are a staple of Greek cuisine, contributing a salty, tangy depth. Ensure you use pitted black olives for convenience. Green olives can also work if you prefer their flavor, or you can omit them entirely if olives aren’t to your taste or dietary preference.
- Tzatziki – Cool and creamy tzatziki is essential for authentic Greek flavor, providing a fresh, garlicky, and herbaceous note. For a quick substitute, a dollop of sour cream or plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt provides a similar tang and richness, though they lack the fresh garlic and cucumber notes of traditional tzatziki.
For the Flavorful Chicken Marinade:
- Chicken Breasts – Lean chicken breasts are ideal for souvlaki due to their quick cooking time and ability to absorb marinade flavors beautifully. However, chicken thighs are an excellent alternative, often resulting in a juicier, more tender result due to their higher fat content. Dicing the chicken into uniform pieces ensures even cooking and perfect bite-sized morsels.
- Olive Oil – Extra virgin olive oil forms the base of the marinade, infusing the chicken with Mediterranean essence and helping it tenderize. If you need a substitute, opt for neutral-flavored oils like sunflower seed oil, grapeseed oil, or canola oil.
- Lemon Juice – Freshly squeezed lemon juice is paramount for brightness, acidity, and tenderizing the chicken, bringing out those classic Greek flavors. Bottled lemon juice works in a pinch, or for a slightly different citrusy note, fresh lime juice can be used.
- Garlic – Minced fresh garlic provides a robust, aromatic flavor. Jarred minced garlic is a convenient alternative. If using garlic powder or garlic salt, remember that approximately 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder equals about 1 clove of fresh garlic, and adjust any additional salt in the recipe accordingly to avoid over-seasoning.
- Oregano – Dried oregano is a cornerstone of Greek seasoning, offering an earthy, slightly peppery aroma. Italian seasoning is a suitable blend that often includes oregano, or you can use dried basil for a slightly different herbaceous flavor profile.
For the Vibrant Vegetable Skewers:
- Olive Oil – As with the chicken, a good quality olive oil helps the vegetables char beautifully on the grill and enhances their natural flavors. See the substitution notes above for suitable alternatives.
- Salt & Pepper – Seasoning to taste is crucial for bringing out the best in your grilled vegetables. Don’t be shy – these simple seasonings elevate the natural sweetness and earthiness of the produce!
- Zucchini, Red and Yellow Pepper – These vegetables provide vibrant color, varied texture, and a pleasant sweetness when grilled. Feel free to customize your skewers with other grill-friendly vegetables such as mushrooms for an earthy depth, yellow squash for a milder flavor, shallots for a delicate oniony taste, or even firm broccoli florets for a touch of green and slight bitterness.
- Red Onion – Red onion offers a sharp, sweet flavor that mellows beautifully when grilled and becomes wonderfully caramelized. White or yellow onions can be used as alternatives, providing slightly different flavor profiles. If onions aren’t a favorite, they can be omitted entirely.
How to Prepare Your Delicious Chicken Souvlaki Bowls
Assembling these healthy and flavorful meal prep bowls is simpler than you might think. Follow these straightforward steps for a perfectly cooked and balanced meal.
- Marinate the Chicken: Begin by preparing your chicken marinade. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add your diced chicken breasts to this mixture, ensuring each piece is thoroughly coated. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 15 minutes at room temperature to absorb all those wonderful Greek flavors. For a deeper, more intense flavor, you can marinate it in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours.
- Grill the Chicken to Perfection: Preheat your BBQ to medium-high heat. Once hot, carefully place the marinated chicken pieces directly on the grates. Grill for approximately 20 minutes in total, turning them halfway through to ensure even cooking and beautiful char marks on all sides. Cook until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) – a meat thermometer is highly recommended for accuracy.
- Craft and Grill the Vegetable Skewers: While the chicken is grilling, prepare your vibrant vegetable skewers. In a large bowl, toss the sliced zucchini, red pepper, yellow pepper, and red onion with a tablespoon of olive oil, and season generously with salt and pepper. Thread the seasoned vegetables onto skewers, alternating for color and texture. Add these vegetable skewers to the grill during the last 10 minutes of the chicken’s cooking time, allowing them to grill until tender-crisp and slightly caramelized.
- Cook the Fluffy Quinoa: Simultaneously, cook your quinoa according to package instructions. Typically, this involves combining 1 cup of dry quinoa with 2 cups of water in a pot and simmering until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is light and fluffy. A rice cooker can also make this step effortless.
- Assemble Your Satisfying Bowls: Once the grilled chicken and vegetables are slightly cooled and the quinoa is ready, it’s time to assemble your delicious meal prep bowls. Divide the cooked quinoa evenly among your chosen airtight containers. Add generous portions of the grilled chicken and vegetable skewers. Finally, incorporate the fresh components: sliced grape tomatoes, crisp cucumber, and tangy Kalamata olives. Top each bowl with a dollop of creamy tzatziki just before serving for the best texture, or store it separately if prepping for later to avoid sogginess. Enjoy your flavorful and healthy Greek-inspired meal!
What to Serve with Your Chicken Souvlaki Bowls
These chicken souvlaki bowls are incredibly versatile, making them perfect for various meal combinations throughout the week. I particularly love serving them with additional vegetable skewers, which you can easily customize with whatever seasonal produce you’re craving or have on hand. Classic choices like bell peppers, zucchini, and red onion grill beautifully and complement the chicken’s flavors. To lean further into the delightful Mediterranean theme, consider pairing your bowls with a vibrant Greek side salad, complete with crisp lettuce, feta cheese, and a light lemon-herb dressing. For those who prefer a heartier meal, crispy roasted potatoes seasoned with oregano and garlic also make an excellent, satisfying accompaniment. For a lighter meal, simply enjoy the bowls as they are, letting the fresh ingredients and marinated chicken shine as the stars of your plate.
Frequently Asked Questions About Chicken Souvlaki Bowls
Chicken souvlaki is a traditional Greek dish featuring tender pieces of chicken, most commonly diced chicken breasts, that are generously marinated in a savory blend of Mediterranean spices (like oregano), olive oil, and fresh lemon juice. These flavorful chicken pieces are then typically skewered and grilled until perfectly cooked and slightly charred, offering a delightful combination of smoky and zesty flavors. It’s often accompanied by fresh or grilled vegetables, sometimes even on the same skewer, creating a wholesome and satisfying meal.
Each serving of these flavorful chicken souvlaki bowls contains approximately 550 calories. This makes for a perfectly balanced, protein-packed meal designed to keep you feeling full and energized throughout your day, without compromising on incredible Greek-inspired taste. The combination of lean protein, healthy grains, and fresh vegetables makes it an ideal choice for a nutritious lunch.
While both chicken souvlaki and chicken shawarma are popular Mediterranean chicken dishes, they differ significantly in their preparation, spices, and serving methods. Souvlaki (from the Greek word for skewer) involves grilling marinated chicken pieces on skewers, emphasizing a fresh, bright flavor profile primarily with oregano, lemon, and garlic. Shawarma, on the other hand, is traditionally cooked on a vertical rotisserie, where layers of marinated meat are slowly roasted and then thinly sliced. Shawarma typically uses a broader, more intense spice blend, often featuring cumin, coriander, and turmeric, and is commonly served in a wrap with rich sauces like tahini or over rice, rather than with distinct grilled vegetable skewers.
Storing and Reheating Your Meal Prep Chicken Souvlaki Bowls
The excellent news about these chicken souvlaki bowls is their superb suitability for meal prepping! You can easily prepare a batch and refrigerate them in airtight containers for up to 5 days, making your weekday lunches a breeze. For optimal freshness and to maintain the best texture, I highly recommend storing the fresh vegetables (like cucumber and grape tomatoes) and the tzatziki separately from the cooked components (chicken, quinoa, and grilled vegetables). This crucial step prevents the fresh ingredients from becoming soggy or wilting when you reheat the dish. If you prefer to enjoy your bowls at room temperature, or if you don’t mind a slight mix of textures, you can store all ingredients together.
To reheat your bowls, simply sprinkle a tablespoon or two of water over the chicken and quinoa before microwaving for 1-2 minutes, or until thoroughly warmed through. The added water helps keep the chicken moist and prevents it from drying out, ensuring a tender and juicy result. If you choose not to warm the dish, you can store the ingredients combined and enjoy it chilled or at room temperature the next day for a refreshing meal.
Freezing This Chicken Souvlaki Recipe
If you find yourself with leftover chicken or want to get a head start on future meals, freezing your chicken souvlaki is a fantastic option to extend its life. You have two main approaches: freezing the chicken raw and marinated, or freezing it after it’s cooked. Cooked chicken will keep frozen for up to 4 months. To enjoy it, simply allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and then gently reheat in the microwave or bake it in the oven until warmed through, adding a splash of water if needed to maintain moisture.
If you are freezing raw chicken, marinating it first is a brilliant strategy for locking in flavor for the next time you create this dish! Place the marinated chicken in a freezer bag or an airtight container, ensuring it’s well-sealed to prevent freezer burn, and freeze for up to 4 months. When you’re ready to enjoy the chicken, move it from the freezer to the fridge overnight to thaw completely. Once thawed, follow the original grilling instructions on the recipe card for a fresh-tasting, perfectly cooked meal with minimal prep work on the day of cooking.
More Delicious Chicken Recipes to Try
- Baked BBQ Chicken – A classic, family-friendly meal prep option that’s bursting with tangy BBQ flavor.
- Rosemary Chicken – Simple yet elegant, this sheet pan recipe delivers tender chicken infused with aromatic rosemary and roasted vegetables.
- Perfect Chicken Thighs – Discover the secret to consistently juicy and flavorful baked chicken thighs, ideal for any meal.
- Chicken Thigh Marinades – Elevate your chicken thighs with five incredible marinade recipes that add zest and tenderness.
Essential Meal Prep Tools for This Recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this recipe into delicious and convenient leftovers for the week.
- I get all my high-quality, free-range chicken from Butcher Box, which is conveniently delivered to my door, perfectly frozen.
- Get a reliable meat thermometer to ensure your chicken is always cooked through to the perfect safe temperature, guaranteeing juicy and tender results every time.
Meal Prep Chicken Souvlaki Bowls {+ Video!}
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Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked quinoa (usually 1 cup dry quinoa and 2 cups of water cooked in a pot on the stove or in a rice cooker)
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1/2 cup cucumber, sliced
- 1/2 cup sliced kalamata olives
- 1/2 cup tzatziki
Chicken
- 1 lb chicken breasts, diced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Vegetable Skewers
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 zucchini, sliced
- 1 small red onion, sliced
- 1/2 red pepper, chopped
- 1/2 yellow pepper, chopped
Instructions
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Preheat your BBQ grill to medium-high heat. In a small bowl, thoroughly mix together all the ingredients designated for the chicken marinade (olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper). Add the diced chicken breasts to this mixture, ensuring every piece is well-coated. Let the chicken marinate in the bowl for at least 15 minutes. Once marinated, place the chicken directly on the hot grill and cook for approximately 20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until it’s cooked through and lightly charred.
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Meanwhile, as the chicken cooks, prepare your vegetable skewers. In a large bowl, toss the sliced zucchini, red pepper, yellow pepper, and red onion with a tablespoon of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Thread these colorful veggies onto skewers. Add the vegetable skewers to the grill during the last 10 minutes of the chicken’s grilling time. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender-crisp and have nice grill marks. Remove both chicken and veggies from the grill and let them cool slightly.
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While your grilled components are cooling, cook the quinoa according to its package instructions to ensure it’s light and fluffy, and prepare any other fresh vegetables like slicing the cucumber and halving the cherry tomatoes. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, dice it into bite-sized pieces. To assemble your meal prep bowls, divide the cooked quinoa among your containers, then add generous portions of the diced chicken and grilled vegetables. Finally, top each bowl with the fresh cherry tomatoes, cucumber, Kalamata olives, and a dollop of creamy tzatziki. Enjoy your wholesome and delicious meal!
Video
Notes
Don’t hesitate to swap out any of the listed vegetables for whatever fresh produce you have on hand or prefer.
Store any leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days. When reheating in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, sprinkle some water over the chicken and quinoa to prevent them from drying out.
You can freeze the marinated chicken, either cooked or raw, for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then cook or reheat as normal to enjoy later.
Nutrition
