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Rainbow Couscous and Tzatziki Chicken

This is one awesome meal prep recipe. Just make a batch of Rainbow Couscous and Tzatziki Chicken and  enjoy healthy satisfying meals throughout the week!

Fresh veggies, couscous and chicken in white bowl with Tzatziki sauce.

What Inspired Rainbow Couscous and Tzatziki Chicken

Over the past couple of months my friends Lauren, Sarah, Tanner and I have started  new tradition. Every week us girls walk to Tanner’s apartment for lunch where he cooks us the most fabulous homemade meals. We then get to enjoy these delicious culinary creations on the rooftop overlooking Minneapolis. It is awesome. I love it. Every single time the struggle to go back to work afterwards is REAL.

Anyway, we call it the BCBL (Breakfast Club but Lunch). Sarah mentioned wanting to get t-shirts made and force everyone to wear them every week. Personally, I think it is a fantastic idea. A few weeks ago Tanner made us grilled kebabs with tzatziki, couscous and an Asian slaw salad. It was SO GOOD and the inspiration for this recipe (Tanner, we thank you!).


Fresh veggies, couscous and chicken in white bowl with Tzatziki sauce.


Helpful Notes

Saucy (Healthy) Goodness: Like I always say, everything is better with a little sauce and Tzatziki sauce can do no wrong. Not only is it delicious but it is made with Greek yogurt and fresh ingredients making it quite good for you. I like to make a big batch of it, store it in the fridge and put it on anything my little heart desires.

Color Variety = Nutritional Variety: Whenever I make this recipe, I always find myself admiring those colorful veggies (and fruits technically). In general the more color in a dish the larger variety of nutrients.

Use What You Have: Don’t you hate when you get home from the grocery store and start to make dinner only to realize you’re missing an ingredient?! Ah that can be so frustrating! However, it doesn’t need to be! This recipe is PERFECT for experimenting and swapping out ingredients. When broken down this recipe is actually really simple!

Tzatziki sauce + pasta/grain + veggies + protein = Rainbow Couscous and Tzatziki Chicken

How to Switch and Swap Ingredients

The Tzatziki sauce is the leading role in this recipe and is what brings all the other ingredients together. Everything else can be swapped out if needed! Don’t have couscous? Replace it with another pasta or grain like brown rice, farro or quinoa. Don’t have all the veggies the recipe calls for? Use whatever veggies you  have! Don’t have chicken? Replace it with another protein like salmon, beef or tofu. So, use what you have! It’ll make the entire cooking experience much easier and more enjoyable.

Meal Prep Hints & Tips

Meal Prep Approved: This recipe can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for later.

Doesn’t Need Reheating: This recipe doesn’t need to be reheated. This is perfect for my husband, Tom, who is always on the go during work and rarely has time to heat up food let alone take a lunch break! So, if you don’t have easy access to a microwave, this recipe is particularly useful!

Best Way to Pack Up Recipe

(so it doesn’t get soggy and mushy)

When packing up this meal to enjoy later, start with the sauce at the bottom of the container. Then layer in the shredded chicken, followed by the veggies and lastly the couscous. It is important the couscous be the top layer. Otherwise it may absorb too much moisture from the veggies or tzatziki sauce and become mushy… not ideal! Mason jars are the perfect shape and size for packing up this recipe!


Fresh veggies, couscous and chicken in mason jar with Tzatziki sauce.

Other Grain Bowl Recipes


Fresh veggies, couscous and chicken in white bowl with Tzatziki sauce.
Fresh veggies, couscous and chicken in mason jar with Tzatziki sauce.

Rainbow Couscous and Tzatziki Chicken

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
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This recipe has tomatoes, peppers, carrots, cucumber, cabbage, chicken and couscous with delicious creamy Tzatziki Sauce.

Ingredients
 

  • 1 1/2 cups dry pearl couscous, (3 cups prepared)
  • 2 cups shredded chicken
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 1 yellow bell pepper
  • 3-4 carrots, (or 1 cup sliced)
  • 1/2 cucumber
  • 1/4 head of red cabbage
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp garlic powder

Tzatziki Sauce Ingredients*:

  • 2 cups plain Greek yogurt, full fat
  • 1/2 cucumber
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh dill
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice

Instructions
 

  • Prep Produce: Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Cut the bell pepper, carrots, and cucumber into small cubes. Chop the cabbage into small pieces. Set aside.
  • Make the Sauce: Chop the fresh dill. Peel and mince the garlic cloves. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Then grate or finely chop the cucumber. TIP: To save time (and avoid chopping), I put the garlic and cucumber through a garlic press. Perfectly minced ingredients in less than 30 seconds! Stir all the Tzatziki sauce ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Store in a sealed container in the fridge until ready to use!
  • Cook Couscous: Cook the couscous according to package instructions. The ratios are normally 1.25 portions of liquid to every 1 portion of couscous. TIP: When cooking the couscous use chicken stock instead of water to add extra flavor. Season the couscous with the salt and garlic powder.
  • Assemble: Toss the shredded chicken with ½ cup of the Tzatziki sauce. Place the couscous, veggies and chicken in 4 different bowls (or containers to enjoy later). Top with additional Tzatziki sauce as desired! Enjoy!

Notes

Note 1: You will likely have leftovers of this sauce. If you don’t wish to have leftovers, simply half the recipe!

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25of recipe | Calories: 542kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 1081mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g
Have you tried this recipe? Let me know what you think! Rate this recipe and leave a comment below.

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8 Comments

    1. Hi Kiara! I just added all the nutrition information to the recipe card. For 1/4 of the recipe and 1/4 of the sauce the calories are around 550. Note that this is a pretty large meal. Hope this helps!

    1. Hi Brett! I have not tried freezing this specific recipe. However, the chicken, couscous, and Tzatziki sauce should freeze just fine! The softer veggies like the cucumbers, tomatoes and bell pepper have the potential to release a lot of liquid upon thawing. If you give it a try, I’d love to know how it goes!

    1. Hi Suzanne! You can definitely use sour cream instead of Greek yogurt. I actually did just that one time when I didn’t have any Greek yogurt and it was delicious! Enjoy!

  1. Light! Tasty, wonderfully colorful and healthy. Sauce and chicken are a hearty touch. My guys loved it! I did not have cherry tomatoes, but substituted chopped baby kale which was in season locally.