Whole grains, grilled meat, fresh vegetables, and a punchy herb sauce come together in this Moroccan inspired chicken and rice bowl! Perfect for a summer dinner or packed up for lunches during the week.
Hello, all.
Today I have for you a new bowl recipe! There is just something about mixing up a variety of flavors and textures into one bowl that is SOOO satisfying. Also, easy to defend if you have as many curious pets I do. (3 cats and 1 dog!) š
So turn on the grill, pile everything in a bowl, and enjoy!
What’s to love?
Spice Rub. This recipe starts with an awesome spice rub which is amazing on the chicken. This is where my recipe started. Once I tasted it the first time I knew I needed to post it and develop more of dinner around it.
Complete Dinner. Then we have brown rice, tasty salad greens, blackened onions (flavor!), almonds, and salty green olives. This all gives you a complete dinner with balanced flavors and plenty of whole foods.
Herb Sauce. But it wasn’t quite there since I didn’t like the dressing I was using. Then I thought, ‘Of course, I need a chermoula sauce!!’ Once I mixed together the herbs and spices, lemon juice and olive oil I knew I had a post worthy recipe.
What do you need?
- Chicken – Either breast or thighs, boneless and skinless.
- Spice Mix – To give the chicken a Moroccan flavor. Great to make in quantity!
- Brown Rice – Switch this out for another whole grain if you wish.
- Onions – Two white onions which you are going to get all soft and browned.
- Salad Vegetables – Greens, olives, tomatoes.
- Chermoula – Parsley, cilantro, spices, and olive oil. This brings the recipe together!
How to make this
To make a Moroccan chicken and rice bowl, cover chicken with a spice rub and then grill until cooked through. Add to a bowl with rice and salad vegetables and top with a spicy herb sauce.
1. Do the Cooking
Chicken Prep – Start by mixing together the spice rub. Then take your breasts or thighs and get them well coated in the spices. Now let everything sit for about 40 minutes so the meat can dry brine from the salt in the rub. (More flavor! More juicy!)
Rice – This is when you are going to want to make the rice. Brown rice takes about 40 minutes to cook so get it going now.
Onions – Thinly slice the white onions and toss them with some olive oil. Now either put them in a grill basket or in a skillet and cook them (grill or stove) until they are well browned and a bit blackened.
Once you are ready – rice done, meat brined, heat up the grill and cook the meat until it is done – 155F for breasts and 165F for thighs. Take it off the grill and slice it up.
2. Make the Sauce
While you are waiting around for the meat, puree all the chermoula sauce ingredients together in a food processor. Done! (Or finely chop the herbs/garlic and mix everything together in a bowl.)
3. Prepare the Bowl
Fill the bottom of your bowl with some rice and then top with all the other ingredients – greens (spinach in the photos), olives, tomatoes, onions, nuts, and chicken.
Drizzle on some of the herb sauce and EAT!
If you try my recipe for Chicken and Rice Bowl, I would love to hear from you in the comments with your experience and rating! And Iām happy to answer any questions you might have.
– Stay Safe, Annemarie
Moroccan Chicken and Rice Bowl
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Chermoula Sauce
- 1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves
- 1/2 cup packed parsley leaves
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil
- kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Salad Bowl
- 1 cup long grain brown rice, such as basmati or jasmine
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided - for rice and onion
- 1 white onion, sliced
- 2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 1 cup pitted green olives
- 6-8 cups salad greens, such as spinach, kale, or lettuce mix
Instructions
Chicken
- If using breasts cut them in half lengthwise to make two thin pieces from each. Thighs you can use as is.
- Mix together all the spices for the rub and rub the meat all over. Let rest for 40-60 minutes.
- While you waiting, heat up the grill on high. When ready, add the chicken and grill, turning occasionally, until the meat is cooked through, 155F and about 5 minutes for breasts - 165F and about 8 minutes for thighs.
- Remove to a cutting board and slice into thin pieces.
Chermoula Sauce
- Add all the sauce ingredients to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until everything is combined.
- Transfer the sauce to a bowl.
Salad Bowl
- Cook your rice on the stovetop or in a rice cooker until tender. When it's done, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and fluff it up a bit.
- Toss the onion with one tablespoon olive oil and a little kosher salt. Either cook it in grill basket on the grill or saute it in a skillet over medium high. Grill or saute, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and blackened.
- Measure out the tomatoes, almonds, olives, and salad greens.
- Make the bowls by layering in rice, chicken, onion, and the rest of the salad ingredients then topping everything with the sauce.
Notes
- Timing: I make the sauce, begin cooking the rice, and prep the salad all while the chicken is resting. If you do that the recipe will take less than hour to prepare.
- Almonds: If you wish toasted almonds, spread them on a baking sheet and bake for 4-5 minutes at 350F.
- Serving: A great way to serve this is to lay out all the ingredients and let everyone pick and choose how much and which they want in their bowls.
- Meal Prep: This recipe is great for lunches. Just keep the greens separate until you are ready to eat.
- Herb Sauce: You can use any ratio of parsley and cilantro to make two cups of herbs. If you hate (or don't have) one or the other, skip that herb entirely and just use all of the other.
Leave a Reply