Honey Harissa Chicken Rice Bowl CAVA Inspired

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Indulge in the delightful combination of sweet and spicy chicken thighs marinated in harissa paste, seasoned with a blend of herbs and spices, and served with all the fixings – yellow rice, sliced lettuce, cucumber and tomato salad, roasted corn, Tzatziki, pickled red onions and crumbled feta. Drowned in a rustic harissa vinaigrette. This Honey Harissa Chicken Rice Bowl is an explosion of flavors that is sure to please your taste buds.

Honey harissa chicken rice bowl

This bowl is inspired by my favorite dish at CAVA. If you’re not familiar with CAVA it’s a meditteranean inspired restaurant similar to Chipotle. Where you can customize bowls, gyros, and salads with a variety of sauces, spreads, and dressings. It is sure to satisfy your craving for Mediterranean cuisine. My go-to dish is the honey harissa chicken rice bowl and now, you can recreate this flavor-packed meal at home and enjoy it anytime you want. This bowl is a great way to enjoy Mediterranean cuisine at home.

What’s in my bowl?

Honey Harissa chicken
Tomato & cucumber salad
Roasted corn
Sliced lettuce
Feta
Pickled red onions
Harissa vinaigrette
Tzatiki

How to make it this Honey Harissa Rice Bowl?

The recipe starts with preparing the tomato and cucumber salad. Dice the tomatoes, cucumber, and red onions and add it to a bowl. Add olive oil, red wine vinegar and season with a variety of spices. I added a little lemon juice to add a citrus note to the salad. Taste and adjust to your liking. Put in the refrigerator to chill until you’re ready to use.

Next, I prepared the honey harissa chicken. You can find the recipe here.

For the yellow rice…

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Sautè onions and garlic until fragrant. Add in turmeric, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Toast the seasonings for 2 minutes then add in the 1 1/2 cups of washed rice. Toast the rice for a few minutes, until golden, then pour in 3 cups of water and 1 tsp of chicken bouillon. Add 2 bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste. Taste the broth and adjust seasonings if needed. Bring to a boil and mix to make sure the rice isn’t stuck. Then reduce heat to low. Add the top and cook the rice for 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the rice to rest for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork. 

For the roasted corn- I grilled 2 ears of frozen corn in a hot cast iron skillet making sure to keep it moving frequently. Then I cut the corn kernels off and added it back into the pan to warm up. I seasoned it with smoked paprika, garlic, lime juice and a knob of butter.

For the harissa vinaigrette- combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, harissa paste, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, lemon juice. Whisk well. Taste and adjust to your liking.

Assemble the bowls

Layer each bowl with yellow rice, a refreshing cucumber and tomato salad, honey harissa chicken, sliced lettuce, roasted corn, pickled onions, crumbled feta and topped with a harissa vinaigrette.

The great thing about this bowl is that it’s totally customizable. Use more or less of what you’d like. Play around with different vegetables to add to it. It’s so delicious and super filling. The perfect meal prep during the week.

Looking for more weeknight dinner ideas?

Jerk Meatballs
Rasta Pasta
Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Creamy Cajun Pasta

Honey Harissa Chicken Rice Bowl

Sweet and spicy chicken thighs marinated in harissa paste, seasoned with a blend of herbs and spices, and served with all the fixings – yellow rice, sliced lettuce, cucumber and tomato salad, roasted corn, Tzatziki, pickled red onions and crumbled feta. Drowned in a rustic harissa vinaigrette. This dish is an explosion of flavors that is sure to please your taste buds.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • Honey Harissa chicken or your choice of protein

Tomato & Cucumber Salad

  • 1/3 cup grape tomatoes or Roma tomato diced
  • 1/2 cucumber peeled and diced
  • 1/4 red onion diced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Roasted Corn

  • 2 pieces of corn
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp butter unsalted

Additional toppings

  • feta
  • roasted corn
  • sliced lettuce
  • Tzatziki
  • pickled red onion

Instructions
 

  • Add cleaned chicken thighs to a bowl and season with olive oil, harissa, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, pepper. Mix until the chicken thighs are coated.
  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook on each side until browned about 5 minutes. Reduce heat, add in butter, and honey and cook for a few minutes until the sauce thickens.
  • Remove from the pan and cut chicken into slices of pieces. Enjoy!

Notes

Pickled Red Onion- thinly slice red onions. Pour into a mason jar, add in red pepper flakes and garlic. Then fill the jar with equal parts vinegar and hot water. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes before serving. 
Harissa Vinaigrette- In a mason jar, combine 2 tsp harissa paste, 1/4 cup olive oil, 3 tbsp of red wine vinegar, 2 tbsp white vinegar, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon juice. Shake or whisk to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. 
Yellow Rice-  Heat up butter in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Sautè onions and garlic until fragrant. Add in 1/2 tsp of turmeric, garlic powder, and 1/4 tsp smoked paprika. Toast the seasonings for 2 minutes then add in the 1 1/2 cups of washed rice. Toast the rice for a few minutes, until golden, then pour in 3 cups of water and 1 tsp of chicken bouillon. Add 2 bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste. Taste the broth and adjust seasonings if needed. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low. Add the top and cook the rice for 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the rice to rest for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork. 
 
Keyword Chicken Recipe, Meal prep, Rice Bowl, Weeknight Dinner

Did you make it?

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