Greek Turkey Rice Bowls are a healthy and filling rice bowl inspired by Greek flavors! This greek bowl recipe is great for meal prepping and eating clean all week long, and full of fresh and clean ingredients.
It's been awhile since I've cooked with Greek flavors and I have missed them so much! Usually I make my Falafel Quinoa Bowls, but I was craving something a bit more meaty, which is how these Greek Turkey Rice Bowls were born! I love rice bowls and adding ground turkey adds lean protein. These healthy bowls are full of Greek and Mediterranean flavors and is an easy dinner recipe that will be a regular on your meal rotation!
So Many Reasons to Love Greek Turkey Rice Bowls
I love Greek rice bowls for so many reasons. For one, they are easy meals that can be customized for every palate. People just add the ingredients that they want, and everyone has their own bowl.
Second, they're great for kids! My kids LOVE rice and I usually make sure there's at least one other component they'll definitely eat, and then it's a great opportunity to introduce new foods to them.
Last, rice bowls are perfect for meal prep. I tend to make extras of all of the ingredients so, in addition to being one dinner for all of us, it can be a couple of lunches, too!
Components of Greek Turkey Rice Bowls
First in this turkey rice bowl recipe, there's the Greek ground turkey. It's a combination of ground turkey, onion, oregano, basil, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes and it has SO much flavor!
Next, there's a tomato salad. The tomato salad is made with cherry tomatoes, red onion, red wine vinegar, olive oil, fresh garlic, and fresh parsley. This combination is so fresh and full of flavor!
Of course the bowls need a rice base. I came up with lemon parsley rice, which is kind of like cilantro lime rice in a burrito bowl, just with Greek flavors. You can use white rice or brown rice for the lemon rice, or really whatever your favorite grain is, depending on your preference. Other grain ideas would be quinoa, couscous, barley, farro, and wheat berries!
Last, every rice bowl needs sauce! It's all about the sauce in my book, and this Greek rice bowl is topped with a homemade tzatziki sauce. This tzatziki is made with plain Greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, dill, cucumber, and garlic. SO good!
Other toppings are kalamata olives and sliced cucumbers (I love using English cucumber!) which add flavor and some crunch!
Greek Bowl Recipe Variations
This great recipe is delicious as written, but it is also very flexible!
Add cheese. A sprinkle of feta cheese on top would add some creaminess and tang to the Greek bowl.
Add lettuce. Some chopped romaine lettuce in place of or in addition to the rice would add some nutrients and more crunch to this rice bowl recipe.
Add more vegetables. Chopped bell peppers in the tomato salad would add some great flavor and crunch!
Greek Bowl Recipe Meal Prep
This rice bowl recipe is perfect for meal prepping. This recipe will last in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. I like to prepare all of the fresh ingredients at the start of the week so I have them in the refrigerator and ready for easy lunch and dinners.
Prepare the Greek ground turkey and the rice and store in the refrigerator. I like to put individual servings of the turkey and rice together in medium glass Tupperware containers, so I can microwave them together easily. Make the tomato cucumber salad and tzatziki and store those in separate containers so you can add them after the turkey and rice have been warmed up.
Greek Turkey Rice Bowls FAQ's
Can I substitute a different meat? Yes. I think ground chicken, chicken breasts, and chicken thighs would work really well in this recipe. To use chicken breasts or thighs, simply dice them and cook them over medium high heat with some olive oil and the onion until cooked through, about 7-10 minutes, and then add the spices as noted in the instructions. This is also a great idea for leftover grilled chicken!
Can I use store-bought tzatziki? Definitely. If you want to save yourself a step, use a refrigerated tzatziki from the store.
Can I prep the components ahead of time? Yes. You can make pretty much all of it ahead of time! Simply store the rice, tomato salad, tzatziki, and turkey in different containers so you can reheat the rice and turkey and then assemble with the rest of the components.
Would hummus be good on these bowls? Absolutely! Hummus would be a delicious addition to these Greek rice bowls instead of or in addition to the tzatziki. Pita chips would also be a delicious addition.
Can cauliflower rice be used? I haven't done this but I think it would work really well. Simply cook your cauliflower rice as you typically would or according to package directions, and then add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and parsley!
Helpful Tools for Making Greek Turkey Rice Bowls
Meat Chopper - I love using a meat chopper when cooking any ground meat. It makes it a lot easier!
Olive Pitter - if you buy olives with pits, this tool is essential!
Rice Cooker or Instant Pot - I have both of these and always make my rice in either one. Having a rice cooker is nice because if the Instant Pot is already in use, I have it as a backup.
Greek rice bowls are a meal in itself, however there are a few fun serving ideas that you could add!
Pita chips would be delicious to serve with this rice bowl recipe. You could either crush them up and sprinkle them on top, or serve them whole and use them as a dipper.
Hummus is a natural addition to these bowls. Hummus is a traditional Greek food and would be delicious on top of these bowls.
Warm pita bread would be a tasty side dish to these turkey rice bowls. Pita bread goes very well with tzatziki and cucumber tomato salad.
Keyword: ground turkey, lemon, main dish, olives, parsley, rice bowl
Prep Time: 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 30 minutesminutes
0 minutesminutes
Total Time: 1 hourhour
Servings: 4- 6 servings
Calories: 605kcal
Author: Taylor Ellingson
Ingredients
Tzatziki:
1cupplain Greek yogurt
juice from 1 lemon
1tablespoonolive oil
2teaspoondried dill
2clovesgarlic, minced
½cupshredded cucumber
Tomato Salad
10ouncesgrape tomatoesquartered
¼cupfinely chopped red onion
¼cupchopped parsley
1tablespoonolive oil
1tablespoonred wine vinegar
2cloves garlic, minced
Lemon Parsley Rice:
1 ½cupswhite rice
3cupschicken broth
1tablespoonbutter
juice from 1 lemon
zest from 1 lemon
⅓cupchopped fresh parsley
Greek Turkey
2tablespoonolive oil
1lbground turkey
½white onion, diced
2teaspooncloves garlic, minced
2teaspoondried oregano
1teaspoondried basil
⅓cupchopped sun dried tomatoes (the ones in oil)
Other:
1cucumbersliced
kalamata olivesfor topping
Instructions
For the Tzatziki:
In a medium bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, dill, garlic, and cucumber. Season with salt. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
For the Tomato Salad:
Combine tomatoes, onion, parsley, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and garlic in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
For the Lemon Parsley Rice:
Place rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse with cold water.
Place broth in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
Add the rice, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until rice has absorbed the water.
Remove from heat, add the butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, and parsley, and toss well. Set aside.
For the Turkey:
While the rice is cooking, cook the turkey.
Add olive oil to a large skillet.
Add the turkey and onion, and cook until the turkey is browned and the onion is softened, breaking up the turkey into small pieces as it cooks.
Add the garlic, oregano, and basil, and stir well to combine.
Add the sun-dried tomatoes, and stir to combine, cooking for another 2-3 minutes.
Assembly:
To each bowl, add rice, turkey, tomato salad, chopped cucumbers, olives, and top with tzatziki. Enjoy!
Notes
You can use ground chicken instead of turkey.
Use store-bought tzatziki to save time.
This is great for lunches! Prep everything in advance and divide into glass containers or Tupperware and you'll be set for a few days!
Excellent recipe! Flavors were excellent, easy, prep ahead meal for busy days or make it and eat it. I tweaked it a bit for my family: ground my own chicken (we are not fans of ground turkey) and used tomato paste in replacement of sun-dried tomatoes which were expensive and I was not sure my kids would be a fan of them. If you choose to do that, replace 1 Tbls paste for every 3-4 tomatoes. I eyeballed it and added a little olive oil to the meat mixture to replace the fat lost from not using the tomatoes. We also added pepperoncini peppers and feta. I left the grated lemon out of the rice because my family isn't head over heels for overly lemony things (I love it!). Highly recommended - will definitely put this in my rotation and make it again.
Awesome recipe, quick and easy to make and still delicious. I do buy the Tzatziki from the store to make it even easier. My boyfriend loves this meal too!
I made it with rice for my family and cauliflower rice for me. Used apple cider vinegar instead of red wine vinegar. Delicious. Added some salt to the meat.
Hi! I am making this right now, but the ingredient list for the rice doesn’t list any butter or the amount. Thanks!
Hi Tania!
Sorry about that - it's 1 tbsp of butter 🙂 Adding it right now!
This recipe is delicious. I did end up using a high quality ready-made tatziki, though. Will definitely make this again. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks, Andrea!
Excellent recipe! Flavors were excellent, easy, prep ahead meal for busy days or make it and eat it. I tweaked it a bit for my family: ground my own chicken (we are not fans of ground turkey) and used tomato paste in replacement of sun-dried tomatoes which were expensive and I was not sure my kids would be a fan of them. If you choose to do that, replace 1 Tbls paste for every 3-4 tomatoes. I eyeballed it and added a little olive oil to the meat mixture to replace the fat lost from not using the tomatoes. We also added pepperoncini peppers and feta. I left the grated lemon out of the rice because my family isn't head over heels for overly lemony things (I love it!). Highly recommended - will definitely put this in my rotation and make it again.
Awesome recipe, quick and easy to make and still delicious. I do buy the Tzatziki from the store to make it even easier. My boyfriend loves this meal too!
I made it with rice for my family and cauliflower rice for me. Used apple cider vinegar instead of red wine vinegar. Delicious. Added some salt to the meat.