These Chicken Gyro bowls are the macro-friendly meal prep lunch you’ve been looking for! Complete with quinoa, marinated and seared chicken, romaine, fresh cucumber, olives, tzatziki, and feta, they’re well balanced nutritionally and big on flavor.
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Who doesn’t love juicy marinated and then seared-to-perfection chicken thighs? When done right, they may be the most delicious (but highly underrated) protein on the planet. The marinade used in these gyro bowls is olive oil based and has a bunch of spices and seasonings to really make the flavors pop, then the chicken is expertly seared (by you! You’re the expert!) and nestled alongside fresh protein-rich quinoa, crunchy veggies, tzatziki, and feta. It’s the bowl you’ve been dreaming of!
Looking for more macro-friendly meal prep lunch recipes? We’ve got a ton! Be sure to add these Southwest chicken caesar salads, Thai-inspired chicken salads, and Big Mac salads to your lunch rotation ASAP.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s ideal for meal prep – this recipe was designed to be meal prepped! That means that all of the ingredients store really well together and can be enjoyed straight from the fridge.
- It’s bold and delicious – take a peek at the marinade ingredients! With paprika, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, and turmeric on the list (among a few other ingredients, of course) you know the chicken is going to be nothing short of flavorful.
Chicken Gyro Bowl Ingredients
While you will need a handful of spices for this recipe, the rest of the list is pretty minimal. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.
- Chicken thighs – we chose chicken thighs for this recipe because, but if you’d like to cut some of the fat content, feel free to swap the thighs with chicken breasts or tenders.
- Quinoa – any quinoa variation will work here!
- Tzatziki – buy a container of already made tzatziki from the store or make your own homemade tzatziki.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
- Use a different protein – as mentioned above, feel free to use any cut of chicken here. Or, if you’d like, swap the chicken altogether for shrimp! That’d be delicious.
- Make it grain-free – while quinoa is not technically a grain, it has similar macros to other grains, so if you’re looking to be grain-free for low-carb purposes, feel free to nix the quinoa and add more romaine in its place.
- Make it dairy-free – grab vegan tzatziki from the store or make your own (swap the regular yogurt in our homemade tzatziki recipe for dairy-free yogurt) to make this recipe dairy-free.
- Make it gluten-free – as with all recipes on Fed and Fit, this one is completely gluten-free.
How to Make Chicken Gyro Bowls
You’ll start by marinating your chicken, searing it, preparing the quinoa, and then assembling bowls. Follow along below for the full, super easy how-to.
Step 1: Add the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, and turmeric to a large bowl. Stir to combine, then add the chicken thighs to the bowl, tossing to coat in the marinade. Let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
Step 2: Once the chicken is done marinating, heat a skillet on the stovetop over high heat. Sear the chicken (working in batches if needed) over high heat for 5 minutes, then flip and sear on the other side over medium heat for 10 minutes. Once finished, let the chicken rest for 10 minutes, then slice.
Step 3: While the chicken is cooking, make the quinoa according to package instructions.
Step 4: Assemble the bowls with the quinoa and romaine, followed by the sliced chicken thighs, sliced cucumbers, olives, and tzatziki. Top with a sprinkle of feta cheese and fresh oregano, and finish with a lemon wedge.
Recipe Tip
- Cook the quinoa in chicken broth for bonus protein and an added depth of flavor.
How to Serve
Serve these loaded chicken gyro bowls as is for lunch or dinner!
How to Store
Store any leftover chicken gyro bowl components in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
If you’re meal prepping these bowls for the week, you can go one of two routes when it comes to storing:
Assemble the day of – if you choose to go this route, simply prepare each component, store them separately in the fridge, and then build the bowls at lunchtime each day. This option is great if you work from home!
Assemble right away – alternatively, you can prep each component, then store the fully assembled bowls in food storage containers in the fridge. This allows you to QUICKLY grab a lunch and head out the door in the morning.
Frequently Asked Questions
As far as sauces go, tzatziki is definitely on the healthier side! Of course, your definition of healthy will depend on your nutrition goals, so be sure to check what’s in tzatziki sauce + the macros, and go from there!
Feta cheese is typically used on gyros! Its salty, tangy flavor profile pairs beautifully with the rest of the ingredients.
More Lunch Bowl Recipes
If you tried this Chicken Gyro Bowl or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Chicken Gyro Bowl Recipe
Ingredients
For the Chicken Marinade
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
For the Bowls
- 2 cups quinoa, dry
- 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
- 3 mini cucumbers, sliced
- ½ cup pitted kalamata olives
- 1 cup tzatziki, store-bought or homemade tzatziki
- ½ cup crumbled feta
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Instructions
- Add the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, and turmeric to a large bowl. Stir to combine, then add the chicken thighs to the bowl, tossing to coat in the marinade. Let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
- Once the chicken is done marinating, heat a skillet on the stovetop over high heat. Sear the chicken (working in batches if needed) over high heat for 5 minutes, then flip and sear on the other side over medium heat for 10 minutes. Once finished, let the chicken rest for 10 minutes, then slice.
- While the chicken is cooking, make the quinoa according to package instructions.
- Assemble the bowls with the quinoa and romaine, followed by the sliced chicken thighs, sliced cucumbers, olives, and tzatziki. Top with a sprinkle of feta cheese and fresh oregano, and finish with a lemon wedge.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
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