Pilaf and Rice Dishes

Chicken and Brown Rice Bowl

A bowl is our favourite no-fuss way to build a proper lunch: grain, protein, vegetables and sauce, each in its own corner. We cook the brown rice in plenty of water like pasta, so it never clumps or catches, and the broccoli finishes in the same pot. Any leftovers are happy to spend the night in a lunchbox.

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Chicken and Brown Rice Bowl — the finished dish
Prep
15 min
Cook
40 min
Total
55 min
Servings
4
Level
Easy
Per serving
415 kcal

Ingredients

For the rice and vegetables

For the chicken

For the sauce

  • What to use instead

    Any thick plain yogurt works instead of Greek yogurt, or use 15% sour cream.

Makes: 4 bowls

Method

  1. Step 1: Start the rice

    Rinse the rice in a sieve. Bring the 1.5 l water and salt to the boil, add the rice and cook uncovered over medium heat for 30–35 minutes, like pasta, until the grains are tender but still have a little bite.

  2. Step 2: Prep the chicken

    While the rice cooks, slice each breast horizontally into two thinner pieces about 1.5 cm thick. Pat dry and rub with the oil, paprika, salt and pepper.

  3. Step 3: Make the sauce

    Stir together the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, dill and salt. It should be as thick as sour cream; loosen with a spoonful of water if needed.

  4. Step 4: Cut the vegetables

    Halve the cucumber lengthways and slice into half-moons. Halve the cherry tomatoes.

  5. Step 5: Add the broccoli

    Three minutes before the rice is done, drop the broccoli into the pot. As soon as the florets turn bright green and the rice is tender, drain everything in a colander and leave to steam dry for 5 minutes.

  6. Step 6: Sear the chicken

    Heat a frying pan over medium heat, add the chicken and cook for 4–5 minutes per side until golden. The meat should be white all the way through with clear juices (74°C/165°F). Rest for 3 minutes, then slice into strips.

  7. Step 7: Build the bowls

    Divide the rice between bowls and arrange the broccoli, cucumber, tomatoes and chicken alongside. Spoon over the yogurt sauce and serve warm.

Tips & variations

  • Tip

    Be generous with the water: in a big pot the grains cook evenly and don't stick, and excess starch goes down the drain.

  • Variation

    Swap the broccoli for green beans, or the brown rice for buckwheat, cooked the same way in plenty of water for 12–15 minutes.

  • Swap

    Any thick plain yogurt works instead of Greek yogurt, or use 15% sour cream.

  • Storage

    For make-ahead lunches, pack the rice, chicken and broccoli into containers and keep the fresh vegetables and sauce separate. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Approximate nutrition per serving and for the whole dish
1 serving Whole dish 4 servings
Energy415 kcal1,660 kcal
Protein38 g152 g
Fat9 g36 g
Carbohydrates45 g180 g

Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.

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