Greek Chicken Meatball Bowls
Greek Chicken Meatballs are a fun, healthy, and flavorful meal that everyone will love! This recipe has lemon parsley rice, tender chicken meatballs, a tomato cucumber salad, and a high protein cottage cheese tzatziki!
When I made my Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs, I knew exactly what I wanted to use them in...these Greek Chicken Meatball Bowls! Of course I also added them to marinara sauce for a classic spaghetti and meatballs meal, but this meatball bowl was definitely my favorite.
These meatball bowls are seriously so full of flavor. While there is a decent amount of prep work, a lot of it can be done ahead of time and I promise - it's worth it!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Healthy - this Greek chicken bowl is full of healthy fats, protein, and veggies!
- Full of Flavor - these bowls are definitely not lacking in flavor! From the juicy flavorful meatballs to the tangy cottage cheese tzatziki and olives, this bowl is a party for the tastebuds.
- Meal Prep - I love making this recipe ahead of time for a quick, easy, and healthy lunch option .
Ingredients
Rice - I use white Jasmine rice for the Lemon Parsley Rice.
Fresh Parsley - this shows up in almost every component of these bowls!
Lemon - another very common ingredient in Greek recipes, this is used in the rice, tzatziki, and the tomato cucumber salad.
Garlic and Garlic Powder - I use both fresh and powder in this recipe.
Grape Tomatoes - these are perfect to chop and use for a salad.
Cucumber - I typically use English cucumbers when making the tomato cucumber salad.
Olive Oil - this is used in the tomato cucumber salad to make a sort of "dressing" with the lemon juice and herbs.
Cottage Cheese - this is the basis of the tzatziki. Cottage cheese is deliciously creamy and perfect in tzatziki.
Milk - this thins out the tzatziki.
Dill - I used dried but you can use fresh dill, too.
Chicken Meatballs - These meatballs are super tender and full of flavor. I have included my recipe for Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs below. If you want more information on these meatballs, check out my post.
Kalamata Olives - for topping
Crumbled Feta Cheese - love this tangy salty sprinkle on top of the bowls.
Variations
Different Rice - you can use a different variety of white rice if you prefer. However, I would not recommend brown rice as it will have a different cooking time.
Store-Bough Tzatziki - if you want a shortcut you can use store-bought tzatziki.
Serve with Naan - if you want to add some extra bulk to these bowls, they would be delicious with some buttery naan or warm pita bread.
Different Meat - you could definitely use ground turkey or ground pork instead of ground chicken, if you prefer.
Fresh Herbs - I used dried dill in the tzatziki but you could definite use fresh dill instead! I think some fresh mint would also be delicious sprinkled on top.
Add Hummus - add a dollop of store-bought or homemade hummus to these bowls for even more flavor and texture.
Dairy Free - to make these bowls dairy free, omit the feta cheese and make the tzatziki with dairy-free plain yogurt and a milk alternative.
Step by Step Instructions
Photo 1. Add the rice, water, parsley, garlic, and salt to a greased 9x13" baking dish.
Photo 2. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes, until the rice is cooked and can be fluffed.
Photo 3. While the rice is cooking, you can make the chicken meatballs. There are instructions below or you can use my Air Fryer Chicken Meatball recipe, cut in half. Meanwhile, make the tomato cucumber salad.
Photo 4. Combine all of the tomato cucumber salad ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
Photo 5. To a food processor, add the cottage cheese, milk, lemon zest, dill, garlic, and salt. Pulse until creamy and no longer clumpy.
Photo 6. Transfer to a bowl and add the shredded cucumber.
Photo 7. Stir until well combined.
Photo 8. Assemble the bowls. Add desired amount of rice, tomato cucumber salad, and meatballs to a bowl. Top with olives, feta, and then drizzle with cottage cheese tzatziki. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
Storage - store leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. I like to store the components separately, since the cucumber tomato salad and Tzatziki don't need to be heated up, to make reheating easier.
Prep Ahead - this is a great meal to prep ahead. You can make the Tzatziki and Tomato Cucumber Salad in advance and store in the refrigerator. In addition, the meatball recipe is just half of my Air Fryer Chicken Meatball recipe and I like to make a big batch and store leftovers in the refrigerator. They are super easy to thaw and reheat in the microwave or the oven.
Make it Easier - you can use rice pouches from the grocery store to skip the step of the Parsley Lemon Rice, if you are short on time. In addition, store-bought tzatziki would work, however it would likely not be quite as high in protein.
Meatball Tips - when making the meatballs, use a cookie dough scoop to form into a ball and then roll with your hands. This will ensure the meatballs are the same size. Also, to ensure the meatballs are cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, I recommend using a meat thermometer, which you can find cheap on Amazon or Target.
Recipe FAQs
While tzatziki typically uses plain Greek yogurt, I use cottage cheese as another high-protein option. The two have similar protein content, so you can use plain Greek yogurt, if you prefer.
If you make a double batch of my Chicken Meatballs, you can freeze them in an airtight Ziploc/plastic freeze bag for up to 3-4 months.
Other Bowl Recipes to Consider
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #greensnchocolate
Greek Chicken Meatball Bowls
Ingredients
Lemon Parsley Rice
- 2 cups white rice
- ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
- 4 cups chicken broth or water
- juice from ½ lemon
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Chicken Meatballs
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 8 ounces whole milk ricotta
- ⅔ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 large egg
- 1 shallot diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
Cottage Cheese Tzatziki
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon dried dill or 1 tablespoon fresh
- Zest from 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup shredded cucumber
Tomato Cucumber Salad
- 10 ounces diced grape tomatoes about 1 ½ cups
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic minced
Toppings
- Crumbled feta cheese
- Kalamata olives
- Additional chopped parsley
Instructions
Lemon Parsley Rice
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a 9x13" baking dish.
- To the baking dish, add the rice, broth, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Give it a little stir.
- Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 50-55 minutes, until the broth is absorbed and the rice is fluffy.
Chicken Meatballs
- In a bowl, combine the ground chicken, ricotta, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg, parsley, shallot, garlic, and salt. Mix until combined.
- Using a cookie dough ball, form into ~2 tablespoon sized meatballs.
- To cook: bake at 400 degrees F on a greased parchment lined baking sheet for 25-30 minutes OR air fry at 400 degrees for 9-10 minutes.
Cottage Cheese Tzatziki
- In a food processor, add the cottage cheese, milk, dill, lemon zest, garlic, and salt. Process until pureed.
- Transfer to a separate bowl and stir in the shredded cucumber. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Tomato Cucumber Salad
- In a medium bowl, combine all salad ingredients and stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Assemble Bowls
- Add desired amount of rice, meatballs, and tomato salad to each bowl.
- Top with olives, feta cheese, cottage cheese tzatziki, and more chopped parsley.
- Serve and enjoy!
