These Feta Brined Grilled Chicken Bowls feature juicy, flavorful chicken breasts marinated in feta brine and served over rice with fresh Shirazi salad for an easy, protein-packed summer dinner.
Feta Brined Chicken
If you’ve ever bought a block of feta, don’t throw away the brine. It makes one of the easiest brine for chicken breasts, adding moisture, tangy flavor, and a subtle creaminess that transforms lean chicken from boring to delicious. I build on those Mediterranean flavors by serving the grilled chicken over rice with a crisp salad Shirazi, a tomato, cucumber, and onion salad that keeps the bowls light and refreshing. It’s an easy, high-protein summer dinner that’s just as good for meal prep as it is for any night of the week.
Why You’ll Love These Grilled Chicken Bowls
This healthy grilled chicken bowl recipe screams summer! I enjoy grilling outside during the warmer months, which is also when cucumbers and tomatoes are in season. It’s easy to scale up for larger groups, making it great for backyard parties.
- Well balanced: The refreshing, lemony Shirazi salad complements the richness of the feta-brined chicken.
- High-protein: Chicken breasts are a fantastic source of lean protein.
- Perfect for meal prep: Easy to take with you on the go and reheat.
Why Marinate Chicken in Feta Brine?
If you have my Skinnytaste Air Fryer Dinners cookbook, you may remember the feta brine I used in my Feta-Brined Stuffed Chicken Breasts. Feta brine is packed with flavor. It’s salty and tangy from the cheese, which helps season the chicken while keeping it moist and tender. Marinating chicken in the brine is also a great way to use an ingredient that would otherwise be thrown away.
If you enjoy experimenting more with brine marinades, try my juicy Air Fryer Chicken Breast recipe or my Pickle-brined Baked Chicken Tender, which uses pickle juice.
What Is Salad Shirazi?
Salad Shirazi is a popular Persian salad made with finely diced cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, and fresh herbs. It uses a simple dressing of salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil to add flavor.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The first group of ingredients is for the feta-marinated chicken breasts, followed by everything you’ll need to make the simple salad Shirazi recipe. Check the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Chicken breasts: You can buy chicken cutlets, also called “thin-sliced chicken breasts,” at the grocery store, or you can cut your own by using sharp kitchen shears to cut a chicken breast in half vertically. You will end up with 2 thin, long cutlets.
- Feta cheese brine is the liquid in the container of a block of feta. Don’t buy crumbled feta for this recipe.
- Extra virgin olive oil for moisture
- Spices: Cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, turmeric, dried oregano
- Lemon zest for brightness
- Basmati rice is the base of these grilled chicken bowls.
Salad Shirazi Ingredients
- Persian cucumbers are small, seedless cucumbers with thin skin.
- Roma tomatoes are sweet and juicy during the summer.
- Red onion for crunch
- Fresh herbs: I love it with basil, mint, and parsley.
- Kosher salt for seasoning
- Salad Shirazi dressing: Extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice create a simple vinaigrette.
How to Make Feta-Marinated Grilled Chicken Bowls
I like to use this food chopper to get perfectly diced vegetables for the salad Shirazi. It saves a lot of time, too. If you don’t have one, just make sure to use a sharp knife for the finest dice. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions.
- Marinate the chicken: Mix all the marinade ingredients and toss with the cutlets. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
- Grill the chicken over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. When the center reaches 165°F, remove the cutlets from the grill and let them rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
- Prepare the Shirazi salad: Combine all the vegetables and other salad ingredients.
- How to serve: Divide the rice among 4 bowls, then top each with a quarter of the chicken and salad. Serve it with tzatziki sauce or white sauce, if desired.
Tips for Juicy Grilled Chicken Breasts
- Cook it at room temp. Let the chicken sit out for 30 minutes before grilling so it cooks more evenly.
- Don’t overcook the chicken. Since these cutlets are so thin, they cook fast. Keep an eye on them!
- Check for doneness with an instant-read thermometer. Remove the chicken from the grill once it hits 165°F.
- Let them rest. Don’t cut into them for at least 5 minutes to prevent the juices from running out.
Variations
- Keep it low-carb: Swap rice with mixed greens for a grilled chicken salad.
- No feta brine? Blend 1 cup of water with 1 ounce (1/4 cup) of crumbled feta in a blender or mini food processor.
- Dairy-free chicken marinade: Omit the brine and use the juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange instead. Since the marinade will contain acid, don’t marinate the cutlets for more than 5 hours to avoid it from breaking down the chicken.
- Chicken: Swap breasts for boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- Cucumbers: Substitute an English cucumber. If you only have a regular one, peel it, slice it in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds with a spoon before dicing.
- Tomatoes: Use Campari, grape, or cherry tomatoes. If using grape or cherry tomatoes, quarter them.
- Rice: Replace basmati rice with any kind of white or brown rice, quinoa, farro, or couscous.
Yield: servings
Serving Size: 1 bowl
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In a large bowl, combine the feta brine, olive oil, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, turmeric, oregano and lemon zest. Whisk until well combined.
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Add the sliced chicken and toss thoroughly to coat each piece evenly in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours for deeper flavor.
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Heat a grill, large skillet, grill pan, or flat-top griddle over medium-high heat.
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Add the marinated chicken in a single layer, working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) and develops light golden-brown color. Allow to rest for minimum 5 minutes before slicing to retain moisture.
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Make the salad in a bowl by combining cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, fresh herbs, lemon, salt and olive oil.
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Serve chicken over rice with salad.
Last Step:
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- If you don’t have any (or enough) feta brine ready to go, make your own by blending a ratio of 1 cup water to 1 oz (¼ cup) crumbled feta.
- If you don’t have the brine, or want to create a dairy free version– use the juice from the lemon & orange.
- Thinly sliced chicken cooks quickly; avoid overcooking to maintain tenderness.
Serving: 1 bowl, Calories: 411 kcal, Carbohydrates: 40.5 g, Protein: 30.5 g, Fat: 14 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Cholesterol: 83 mg, Sodium: 619 mg, Fiber: 2.5 g, Sugar: 3 g, Vitamin A: -1 IU
Meal Prep Tips
- How to store: Pack the chicken and rice in an airtight glass container, leaving some space for the salad. Store the salad in a separate container. Note: It will release water the longer it sits, and the vegetables will soften, but it’s still good to eat.
- How to reheat: Place an ice cube on top of the rice and microwave for about a minute until warm. Then, top with the salad.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerate the chicken and rice for up to 4 days and the salad for up to 2 days.
- Freeze the grilled chicken for up to 3 months. Then, thaw in the fridge.
- Reheat the chicken in the microwave or air fryer at 350°F until heated through.
FAQs
I recommend marinating the chicken in the feta brine for at least 30 minutes but no more than 24 hours. The longer you marinate, the more flavor the chicken will have.
If you don’t have a grill, cook the chicken breasts in a large skillet, grill pan, or flat-top griddle over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side. If all the cutlets won’t fit in a single layer, cook them in batches.
