Grilled Chicken Quinoa Bowl

Equipment

• ✓ Lidded saucepan
• ✓ Grill pan
• ✓ Separate raw-chicken plate
• ✓ Food thermometer

Ingredients

• 650 g chicken breast, even thickness
• 250 g dry quinoa, rinsed
• 500 ml water for quinoa
• 250 g cucumber, diced
• 250 g tomatoes, diced
• 100 g baby spinach, washed and dried
• 50 ml olive oil, divided
• 40 ml lemon juice, divided
• 12 g garlic, minced
• 4 g dried oregano
• 6 g fine salt, divided
• 2 g black pepper
• 20 g parsley, chopped

Easy Step-by-Step Method

Complete one numbered step before moving to the next. Keep the heat and timing exactly as written.

Chef Notes & Tips

Pound thick breast ends gently to an even thickness. Keep the serving dressing separate from anything that touched raw chicken.

Ingredient choices: Rinse quinoa and use the measured cooking water. Divide lemon and oil between chicken seasoning and bowl dressing as listed. Cucumber and tomato should be well drained, while washed spinach needs to be dry before assembly.

Cooking control: Cook and rest the quinoa, then release excess steam before mixing it with delicate leaves. Grill chicken to 74°C and rest before slicing across the grain. Dress the grains and firm vegetables first, adding spinach close to serving.

If something goes wrong: If the bowl is watery, check vegetable drainage and whether quinoa was assembled while steaming. Dry chicken may have been sliced before resting or cooked well beyond safe doneness. A little extra dressing can improve eating quality but cannot reverse overcooking.

Ingredient Substitutions

• ↔ Quinoa → cooked brown rice
• ↔ Spinach → rocket
• ↔ Parsley → dill or mint

Food Safety & Doneness

Keep raw poultry separate from ready-to-eat food and do not wash it. Check the thickest flesh and any stuffing reach at least 74°C with a food thermometer; colour and timing alone are not reliable.

Serving & Plating

Arrange sliced chicken over the quinoa and vegetables, with parsley and a small final drizzle of dressing. Keep packed-lunch components chilled and dressing separate until needed.

Storage

Refrigerate promptly in shallow covered containers at 4°C or below and use within 3 days. Reheat only the portion needed to at least 74°C throughout. Discard food left unrefrigerated for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 32°C.