Chicken Kofta Bowls

You can use this kofta chicken for meal prep, serve it with Israeli Salad and Artichoke Hummus, or add it to pita bread for a delicious sandwich for a taste of Middle Eastern cuisine.

When I make this recipe, I usually always build a grain bowl. Start out with some cooked brown rice, cauliflower rice, or farro. Toss in some greens like arugula or spinach. Then, pile on the chicken, chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, and all your condiments. I added hummus, baba ganoush, feta cheese, and some Trader Joe's Zhoug.

Want more Middle Eastern meals? Don't miss this healthy chicken shawarma or vegetarian shawarma recipe!

What is kofta?

Kofta, sometimes called kefta, is a traditional Middle Eastern ground meat kebab dish. Usually, ground lamb is seasoned with lots of spices and then formed into logs and placed on skewers. Once they are cooked, they are traditionally served with flatbread, pita bread, yogurt, garlic, or tahini dressing.

What You Need to Assemble Chicken Kofta Bowls

Here's what you'll need to build a bowl with your chicken kofta.

• Rice: Use brown rice, which you can even cook ahead of time and store in the refrigerator. Cauliflower rice, farro, quinoa, or white rice all work as well. Or skip the rice and serve it on a bowl of greens.
• Cucumbers: They add a nice crunch to the bowls without adding calories. Chop them into bite-sized pieces.
• Tomatoes: Use your favorite type of tomatoes. Slice some cherry or grape tomatoes or chop up a big, juicy vine-ripened variety.
• Hummus: Any type of hummus will taste delicious in these bowls. Try red pepper hummus if you want it to have a little spice.
• Feta Cheese: Crumble some reduced-fat feta cheese. You could also use blue cheese crumbles instead.
• Pickled Red Onions: These are sweeter than plain red onions and add a bit of tangy flavor.
• Extras: Add some olives, artichoke hearts, or celery for more flavor. I love dolloping my homemade tzatziki on top for a bit of creaminess.

How To Make Chicken Kofta

Here's a breakdown of how to make this Middle Eastern recipe!

Make the spice blend:

The key to making this dish taste like your favorite restaurant-style Kofta kebabs is the spice blend. Everyone has their own specific recipe, but we love ours with cumin, coriander, dried mint, allspice, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.

Note: About the mint, make sure to use dried spearmint. Peppermint has a much stronger flavor and doesn't work in the recipe. Better to use fresh mint or leave it out if you only have peppermint.

Add spices to the ground meat:

Traditionally, kofta is made with ground lamb, ground beef, or a combination of the two. This recipe is lightened up with ground chicken, or you could use turkey. To make the kofta meat mixture, add your spices to the ground meat along with some fresh parsley and garlic.

Cook the chicken kofta:

To keep things quick and easy, this recipe simply uses the kofta spice blend to season up cooked ground meat for your bowls. However, you could also use the same mixture to make meatballs or traditional kebabs if you prefer a more authentic presentation.

Recipe Tips And Ideas for Customizing Chicken Kofta

Follow these tips and ideas to make your chicken kofta bowls stand out and taste completely different each time.

• Protein swap: Swap out the protein and make these with ground beef, ground turkey, or ground lamb instead.
• Sweetness: For some sweetness, dice up some raisins, dates, or dried cranberries to add right into the meat.
• Shape: Form the kofta ground chicken into meatballs or go the traditional route and make kebabs.
• Sauce: Instead of serving them with hummus, serve them with a quick yogurt sauce. Simply combine Greek yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, fresh parsley or dill, mashed garlic, salt, and pepper.
• Sandwiches: Use the ground chicken mixture to make Middle Eastern pita sandwiches layered with arugula, tomatoes, olives, and feta cheese.
• Lettuce wraps: Keep things light and healthy by making lettuce wraps.
• Lemon: Add some freshness with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or lemon zest.
• Add spice: Make it spicy by adding some zhoug (I am obsessed with the one at Trader Joe's) or harissa. You can also add more red pepper flakes or a dash of cayenne pepper.

Side Dish Ideas

We like to keep things classic with Middle Eastern sides like:

• Baba Ganoush (Eggplant Dip): This eggplant dip is a staple in Mediterranean cuisine, made with eggplant, lemon, garlic, and tahini. It's great on the side with some pita chips.
• Quinoa Tabbouleh with Lentils: Swap the grains with this tabbouleh recipe for extra flavor. It's loaded with fresh veggies, lemon juice, and herbs for a fiber-packed base!
• Israeli salad: This fresh salad is a great way to add more veggies to your bowls. You can skip the cucumber and tomatoes and just add this on top instead!
• Eggplant Fries or Zucchini Fries: Add more veggies without adding carbs by making fries out of vegetables!
• Roasted Vegetables: Roast some zucchini, bell peppers, mushrooms, red onions, or any of your favorite veggies, and add them to the bowls for extra fiber and color!
• Pitas: Heat up some pita or flatbread on the stove to go with your bowl to make it extra delicious.

The Best Way to Store and Meal Prep Chicken Kofta

This is a really great recipe option for meal prep and can be made in advance. Here are some quick guidelines.

• Meal prep: Make the ground chicken and then pack it in individual containers with the rice. Pack the toppings separately so they don't get soggy. The chicken will stay good in the fridge for 3-4 days.
• Freezer: If you want to freeze this meal, I recommend making the mixture into meatballs, which tend to freeze better. You can also make patties. They will last in the freezer for 3-4 months,
• Leftovers: Add the leftover chicken kofta to bowls, wraps, sandwiches, salads, or whatever else you like!