Gia sas! I don’t know about you, but I am absolutely obsessed with Greek food.
Greek food is rich, with lots of complex flavor variations and best of all, it’s guilt-free most of the time. In fact, studies have shown that there are a lot of health benefits to following a Mediterranean-style diet, or a diet that includes lots of vegetables, moderate amounts of proteins and lots of healthy fats in the form of olive oils.
The Greeks aren’t the only ones who follow what’s been coined as the “Mediterranean Diet.” This style of eating also has roots in kitchens all over the southern coast of Italy and Spain and has been attributed to everything from better skin to living longer.
Greek food is simple, delicious and easy enough to make on your own. Most of the ingredients are simple and healthy and all together. Don’t let these pictures fool you — what this recipe lacks in color it more than makes up for in flavor.
Quick Oven-Baked Greek Chicken Tin Foil Dinner
Serves Two | Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 1-2 pounds of chicken tenderloins
- 1 1/2 cups of your choice of rice
- 1 lemon
- 2/3 cup of chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon of pepper
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 1 teaspoon of parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon of oregano
- 1 jar of artichoke hearts
- 1 can of pitted, sliced olives
- 1/2 cup of fresh spinach leaves
- 2 pats of butter or ghee
- 1/4 cup of feta cheese for garnish* (optional)
Directions
All ingredients will be split between the two foil pockets.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Take two medium-sized pieces of aluminum foil and place them into two bowls. The tin foil sheets should be large enough for you to fit the chicken, rice and vegetables in and then wrap up. Putting them in the bowl will keep all of the food and liquid together until you’re able to close up the tin foil pocket.
- Start with pouring your chicken broth into the foil and topping it with rice.
- Then, top each rice mound with chicken.
- Slice up your artichoke hearts, olives and spinach leaves into fine pieces and then add them to the foil pockets along with seasonings, salt and pepper.
- Top each foil pocket off with a pat of butter and lemon juice before closing completely. Sit each foil pocket on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until the juices in the chicken run clear and the rice is tender.
- When the packets have finished cooking, pull them out and top with feta cheese.
Optional: Serve each packet with a large dollop of Tzatziki sauce on top for the complete Greek experience.
To make this recipe Paleo-friendly, substitute the rice for quinoa and leave the feta cheese and tzatziki sauce out. To make this recipe Whole30-friendly, remove the rice, feta cheese and tzatziki sauce altogether.