Mediterranean Rice Bowl - flavorful ground turkey meatballs with rice, chopped cucumber and zesty cucumber dip (tzatziki).
Cook in the oven or air fryer for a delicious easy and healthy meal! Perfect for meal prep!
Mediterranean Bowl
Try more meal prep favorites like air fryer meatballs, chicken al pastor bowls, pork egg roll and chicken parmesan.
🛒 Ingredients
- Turkey mince - use ground turkey,or swap for ground beef or ground chicken. Alternatively, use your favorite marinated and cooked chicken, chopped into pieces, for extra variety in your bowl.
- Rice - while I used brown rice as the base, feel free to mix it up! Whether you prefer white rice, quinoa, couscous, barley, farro, or wheat berries, the choice is yours.
- Breadcrumbs - use seasoned breadcrumbs, panko or for low carb version almond flour will also help to bind the ingredients.
- For toppings - kalamata olives, cucumbers or a fresh Mediterranean salad.
👩🍳 You'll find the complete list of ingredients below the recipe card.
🥘 How To Make Mediterranean Meatball Bowls - Step By Step Photos
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl, then roll into 2-inch balls (about 2 tablespoons each, making 16 meatballs).
- Bake for 15 minutes, turning the broiler to high for the last 2-3 minutes. No need to flip the meatballs!
- Assemble bowls with your favorite cooked grain, cucumbers, tzatziki sauce, olives, dill, and a drizzle of freshly squeezed lemon juice on top!
Mediterranean Bowl Meal Prep Tips
- Divide the rice evenly among four containers and top each with the ground turkey meatballs.
- Pack the chopped veggies or salad, olives, rice separately, and include a lemon wedge if using, either in a separate container or small bag.
- Store the cucumber dip (tzatziki) in another separate container.
When ready to eat:
- Warm the rice bowls in the microwave for about 45 seconds, covered with a damp paper towel to prevent drying.
- Top with cucumbers or salad, olives, squeeze lemon, and add tzatziki sauce to taste.
📋 Tips
- For a different protein option, consider swapping the ground turkey meatballs for Greek chicken or salmon (air fryer or pan-seared) or roasted chickpeas for vegetarian meal.
- As for grains, while I prefer brown rice quinoa, couscous, farro, basmati rice, or instant pot sushi rice also work wonderfully in these bowls.
- Serve Mediterranean bowls with pita chips, and you can also add some protein rich hummus on top.
- Air Fryer Instructions - cook for 15-20 minutes in preheated air fryer at 375 F. You can also try these air fryer beef meatballs instead.
Storage Instructions
- 🍱To Store. Keep the veggies, rice, meatballs, tzatziki separately in airtight containers. Refrigerate the rest for 3-4 days.
- 🥶Freezing. Store leftover rice in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Other components are best enjoyed fresh.
- 🔥To Reheat. For reheating, microwave the rice and meatballs for 20-30 seconds. This bowl can be served cold too!
More Mediterranean Recipes
📖Recipe
Mediterranean Bowl With Turkey Meatballs
You’ll love this Mediterranean Rice Bowl - flavorful ground turkey meatballs with rice, chopped cucumber and zesty cucumber dip (tzatziki). Cook in the oven or air fryer for a delicious easy and healthy meal! Perfect for meal prep!
Ingredients
For Turkey Meatballs
- 1 pound ground turkey
- ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs or blanched almond flour
- ¾ cup yellow onion, chopped
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoon garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For Serving
- Chopped cucumbers
- Kalamata olives
- Tzatziki sauce
- fresh dill
- lemon wedges or slices
- cooked rice or pearl couscous
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Mix all ingredients in a bowl, then roll into 2-inch balls (about 2 tablespoons each, making 16 meatballs).
- Bake for 15 minutes, turning the broiler to high for the last 2-3 minutes. Assemble bowls with your favorite cooked grain, cucumber, tzatziki sauce, olives, dill, and a drizzle of freshly squeezed lemon juice on top.
Nutrition
Calories: 211kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 30gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 103mgSodium: 464mgPotassium: 428mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 89IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
🤷Frequently Asked Questions
What makes meatballs stay together?
Eggs, breadcrumbs, panko, soaked in milk bread, mashed potatoes - these are often added to meatballs as a binder ingredient.
Is it better to fry or bake meatballs?
Baking adds flavor without extra oil since the outside sears under the broiler. Though frying gives a richer caramelization, baking is simpler. And you can make a bigger batch at once.
TaraLynn83
I just tried making the Mediterranean bowl and it turned out amazing! Thanks for sharing, Rita.
BBQKing
Hey, for the sliders, is it cool to grill the patties instead of pan-frying? Looking for that smoky flavor. Cheers.
veggie_lover
Loved the detailed instructions, Rita! I swapped the meatballs for chickpea balls and it was a hit at home. Maybe you could include some vegetarian alternatives in future recipes?
jAlex1994
tried making the sliders they were pretty good for my first try thanks rita
Chef_Dad
That's great to hear! Cooking is all about practice. Keep at it and you'll keep getting better.
TheFoodieExplorer
Rita, your step-by-step guide for Mediterranean bowls was a culinary revelation. The combination of flavors and textures transported me straight to the shores of the Mediterranean. I appreciate the emphasis on fresh ingredients and the detailed explanation of the cooking process. This recipe will definitely feature in my upcoming blog post, with due credit, of course.
Samantha Lynn
Appreciated the storage instructions. Helps a lot when meal prepping for the week. Thanks, Rita!
Rita
glad you enjoyed!
Alex J.
Made these Mediterranean bowls for my weekly meal prep - solid choice! The turkey meatballs were killer, and the whole bowl comes together so well. Def keeping this in my rotation.
Rita
amazing! thank you Alex!
JordanK
Appreciated the storage instructions. Helps a lot when meal prepping for the week. Thanks, Rita!
Becca G.
Appreciated the storage instructions. Helps a lot when meal prepping for the week. Thanks, Rita!
Rita
thank you Becca!
Lorraine Korobanik
How many meatballs are in a serving? Totally matters to those of us who track our food. Thank you!
Rita
Hi Lorraine, the recipe makes 16 meatballs so it's 4 per serving.