You will love these Mediterranean farro bowls loaded with whole grains, juicy chicken, cucumber, and tomato! What makes it even better is that it’s topped with Tzatziki sauce and feta cheese for the ultimate Mediterranean grain bowl.
In addition to the recipe, I’ll show you how to make it for a weeknight meal or turn it into a healthy meal prep lunch for the office.
Healthy Mediterranean Chicken Farro Bowls
All the classic Mediterranean flavors in one bowl filled with fresh and good-for-you ingredients.
Every bite of juicy marinated chicken, fresh veggies, and creamy Tzatziki over tastes incredible, and the farro ties everything together to make it a hearty meal you’ll want to make on repeat.
This is the perfect recipe for those days where you crave something filling and healthy at the same time but don’t want it to include lettuce.
Now if you’ve never cooked with farro, don’t worry. It’s a lot like cooking rice and resembles barley when cooked. Its nutty flavor also makes it a healthy and delicious alternative to regular rice in soups, stews, and salads.
What is Farro
Farro is a whole grain that looks similar to barley but has a nutty taste and chewy texture. It’s one of the oldest cultivated grains in the world, and the high protein and fiber content make it a prime choice for whole grains.
Farro comes in three different forms: whole, semi, and pearled. The whole and semi-variety can take over 30 minutes to cook, so I prefer to use pearled farro, which is ready in less than 30 minutes.
This ancient grain is versatile and great for salads, stews, soups, side dishes, or even breakfast. If you’ve never cooked with farro, don’t worry, it’s like cooking rice.
How to Cook Farro
To cook farro, combine 1 part (1 cup farro) with 3 parts liquid (3 cups) into a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil before reducing the heat to medium-low and allowing the farro to simmer for 25-30 minutes. When the grain is tender, drain the excess water.
Farro readily takes on flavors, so cook it with broths, stocks, or herbs you keep on hand.
Are Chicken Farro Bowls on the Mediterranean Diet?
This chicken farro bowl is a great option if you follow the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in whole grains and fresh vegetables.
Ingredients like Tzatziki sauce, Kalamata olives, and lemon-oregano marinade bring delicious Greek and Lebanese flavors to this meal while keeping it a heart-healthy option.
Chicken Farro Bowl Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make these chicken farro bowls at home.
- Farro: packs so much more flavor and nutrients than regular rice or couscous.
- Chicken breast: marinated in delicious lemon oregano flavors and pan-seared to juicy perfection.
- Lemon-oregano marinade: a very simple marinade that packs on the flavor.
- Cherry tomatoes: chopped fresh tomatoes also work great.
- Cucumber: crisp and refreshing with the farro and chicken.
- Kalamata olives: have a unique flavor, but you can swap them out for your favorite variety of pitted olives.
- Red onion: if you love their sharp flavor, add them!
- Tzatziki sauce: a delicious sauce made with cucumber and Greek yogurt. Check out my recipe for homemade Tzatziki below.
- Feta cheese: tangy feta brightens the flavors of the farro bowls and adds a creamy element.
- Lemon: to squeeze over the toppings.
- Fresh dill or parsley: chopped and sprinkled over the chicken and veggies.
If you want to make it vegetarian, swap the chicken for chickpeas. Hummus, chopped red bell pepper, and red onions would also be a good idea here.
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How to Make Mediterranean Farro Bowls
I like setting these Mediterranean Farro Bowls up self-serve so everyone can build their bowl.
All of the cooking and chopping steps can be done beforehand and the ingredients stored in separate containers. Come dinner-time, having everything ready will make things go quickly, just give the farro and chicken a quick warm-up in the microwave and build your bowl.
Here’s what to do:
- Cook the farro
Prepare the farro according to package directions. - Marinate the chicken
Marinate the chicken in the lemon-oregano marinade for at least 20 minutes. - Cook the chicken
Pan-sear the chicken on the stove-top until it reaches an internal temperature of 165F. Let it rest before slicing. - Build your bowl
Scoop the cooked farro into bowls and top with juicy chicken slices, fresh cucumber, tomato, and red onion. Add a sprinkle of feta cheese. - Finishing touches
Prepare the homemade Tzatziki recipe, or use your favorite storebought option and drizzle it over the top of your bowl.
A squeeze of lemon and some freshly chopped dill or parsley. Grab a fork and enjoy!
In this video, not only do I show you how to make this wonderful recipe but also how to cook farro.
Mediterranean Meal Prep
These bowls are a great Mediterranean diet meal you can prep ahead and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Layer the cooked farro and chicken inside your glass meal prep containers and top with cucumber, tomato, olives, and red onion. Pack the feta cheese and Tzatziki sauce into separate sauce containers.
When ready to eat, enjoy this salad cold or reheat it in the microwave and top with the sauce and cheese. So good and simple!
Mediterranean Chicken Farro Bowls
This Mediterranean Chicken Farro Bowl recipe is the perfect chicken bowl recipe to meal prep because it’s simple, fast, and fresh!
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients
FOR THE BOWLS
- 1 cup farro
- 3 cups water or stock
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts))
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 cups chopped cucumber
- 1 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
- ½ red onion, sliced
- 1 cup tzatziki sauce
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- Lemon wedges, for serving
- Fresh dill and parsley, for garnish, optional
TZATZIKI SAUCE
- 1 cucumber
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill
Instructions
FOR THE BOWLS
- Rinse and drain farro. Place farro in a pot with salt and enough water or stock to cover it. Bring it to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain off any excess water.
- For the chicken: In a gallon size zip bag, combine chicken breasts, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Marinate for 4 hours or overnight.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat, add the chicken breasts into the skillet and cook for 7 minutes, flip, and continue to cook for another 5-7 minutes until the internal temperature has reached 165. Discard marinade.
- Remove chicken from pan and wait 5 minutes before slicing.
- To assemble the Greek bowls; place a bed of farro at the bottom of your bowl or meal prep container. Top with sliced chicken, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, red onion, tzatziki sauce, and feta cheese. Sprinkle some parsley and dill and serve with lemon wedges.
TZATZIKI SAUCE
- Line a large bowl with a mesh strainer, place a paper towel into the strainer.
- Use a cheese grater to grate the cucumber and garlic clove, transfer to the straiiner to remove the excess moisture.
- In a medium bowl combine the shredded cucumber, garlic, yogurt, salt, lemon juice, and dill. Stir to combine and refrigerate for an hour before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 585
- Sugar: 4.1g
- Sodium: 1106.3mg
- Fat: 30.4g
- Saturated Fat: 6.4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45.5g
- Fiber: 8.8g
- Protein: 35.9g
- Cholesterol: 99.4g
Jenn
First time cooking/eating farro. The family really enjoyed this. Easy to prep the majority of it the night before if short on time. Nice fresh tasting dinner or lunch. I used store bought tzatziki sauce for easier prep. Will definitely make again. So glad I came across your site!!
★★★★★
Laura Fuentes
Thank you, Jen, this recipe is definitely a favorite for my family as well. I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
Isabella Jackson
This recipe is absolutely amazing!!! I did a considerable amount so my husband and I could have it for dinner and lunch next day and omg, I couldn’t believe when I noticed we had no leftovers! I’ll definitely do it again and this recipe is a keeper <3
★★★★★
Laura Fuentes
I’m so glad you both enjoyed these Mediterranean Chicken bowls!
April
Super yummy, flavorful and healthy recipe! Made it for meal prep lunches this week. I did not use olives or feta and I used thin cut chicken breasts marinated overnight. Don’t skip marinating your chicken, it adds so much flavor! I also used store bought Tzatziki. Thank you for this great recipe, it’s a keeper!
★★★★★
Michele Hamm
Can farro be prepared in an Instant Pot?
Laura Fuentes
Absolutely! Place your farro + water in your pressure cooker. Cook on high for 7 minutes, then pressure release. Enjoy!
Joanna
I made this today. It was delicious! I cooked a bunch of farro for the week and now our dinner is set! Thanks
★★★★★
Sarah
I bought BRM’s farro and made these. They were incredibly delicious! I had no idea how hearty and great tasting it was. And, it held up better than rice in my meal prep container. Brilliant!
★★★★★
Sarah
I FINALLY made this. It was super delicious. The best mediterranean chicken bowl I’ve had in a while. And, I had leftovers for lunch for 2 more days. That’s #winning
★★★★★
Matt
This recipe looks amazing! I love using BRM’s farro. It’s super easy to meal prep too. another winner. printed!
★★★★★
Holly
I’m not lean on tatziki could I just use natural yoghurt?
Laura Fuentes
If that’s what tastes better to you, go for it!