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golden chicken bowls

Golden Garlic Chicken Bowls

Golden Garlic Chicken Bowls with buttery turmeric rice, creamy garlic yogurt sauce, and fresh cucumber mint salad. An easy Mediterranean-inspired dinner recipe!
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Turmeric Rice
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 small white onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • Pinch of cinnamon
  • 2 cups jasmine or basmati rice rinsed and drained
  • 3 cups low-sodium chicken stock or vegetable stock
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley optional, for serving
Golden Garlic Chicken
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts about 1 pound total
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder depending on how robust you'd like the garlic flavor!
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • Fresh parsley for garnish
  • Lemon wedges for serving
Cucumber Salad
  • 5 Persian cucumbers diced
  • 4 Roma tomatoes diced
  • 3/4 cup Crumbled feta
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 2 tablespoons fresh mint chopped
  • Pickled onions optional for serving
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic Yogurt Sauce
  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves minced (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
  • 2 tablespoons dried dill more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • Juice of ½ lemon

Equipment

  • large pot for cooking rice
  • Large pan for cooking chicken
  • cutting board for chopping salad
  • mixing bowl for garlic yogurt sauce

Method
 

Golden Turmeric Rice
  1. Rinse rice in a fine mesh strainer. Drain well and set aside.
  2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 4–5 minutes, until softened and lightly golden.
  3. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add turmeric and cinnamon and stir to coat the onions and garlic.
  4. Add rinsed and drained rice and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently, to lightly toast the rice.
  5. Pour in stock and add salt. Bring to a gentle boil.
  6. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15–18 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
  7. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
  8. Fluff with a fork and stir in chopped parsley (optional!) Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice, if desired.
Cucumber Salad
  1. Dice cucumbers and tomatoes then add to a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Add in feta and mint then season with salt and pepper to taste and toss to combine.
  2. Refrigerate while preparing the remaining components.
Yogurt Garlic Sauce
  1. Add all ingredients to a small bowl. Stir until smooth and well combined.
  2. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Golden Garlic Chicken
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, turmeric, and cumin.
  3. Pat chicken dry with paper towels.
  4. Drizzle remaining olive oil over chicken and rub to coat evenly.
  5. Season both sides of the chicken with the seasoning mix.
  6. Add 2 chicken breasts to the skillet and cook undisturbed for 6 minutes.
  7. Flip the chicken and add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 garlic clove to the skillet. Spoon the melted butter over the chicken as it cooks. (this gives a great flavor, but is optional!)
  8. Continue cooking for about 6 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
  9. Transfer chicken to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes.
  10. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts, butter, and garlic.
  11. Slice and garnish with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon before serving.
Assemble Bowls
  1. Divide turmeric rice among serving bowls.
  2. Use a spoon to add a generous dollop of garlic yogurt sauce and top with sliced golden garlic chicken.
  3. Add cucumber salad on the side.
  4. Finish with extra parsley, feta, pickled onions, and fresh lemon wedges, if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

Storage & Meal Prep

Store the chicken, rice, cucumber salad, and garlic yogurt sauce separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat the chicken and rice before assembling your bowls, then finish with the chilled salad, sauce, and fresh toppings.
These bowls are excellent for meal prep because each component can be made ahead of time and assembled just before serving.