Mediterranean Grilled Chicken (Printable)

Flavored grilled chicken served with creamy hummus and fresh, herb-rich tabbouleh salad.

# What Goes In:

→ Grilled Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
06 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
07 - ½ teaspoon ground coriander
08 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
09 - ½ teaspoon salt
10 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

→ Hummus

11 - 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
12 - 3 tablespoons tahini
13 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
14 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
15 - 1 clove garlic, minced
16 - ½ teaspoon ground cumin
17 - Salt to taste
18 - 2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

→ Tabbouleh

19 - ½ cup fine bulgur wheat (or quinoa for gluten-free)
20 - 1 cup boiling water
21 - 2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
22 - ½ cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
23 - 2 medium tomatoes, diced
24 - ½ English cucumber, diced
25 - 3 green onions, thinly sliced
26 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
27 - 3 tablespoons lemon juice
28 - Salt and pepper to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, cumin, paprika, coriander, oregano, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Add chicken breasts and coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, up to 2 hours for maximum flavor development.
02 - Place bulgur in a bowl and pour boiling water over it. Cover and let soak for 15 to 20 minutes until tender. Fluff with a fork. In a large bowl, combine parsley, mint, tomatoes, cucumber, and green onions. Add softened bulgur, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Toss gently to combine and chill until ready to serve.
03 - Combine chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, and salt in a food processor. Blend until smooth, adding cold water 1 tablespoon at a time to achieve desired consistency. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with additional olive oil.
04 - Preheat grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill chicken breasts for 6 to 8 minutes per side until cooked through with internal temperature reaching 165°F. Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes, then slice.
05 - Arrange sliced chicken on plates with hummus and tabbouleh. Garnish with lemon wedges and fresh herbs as desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like you've spent hours cooking when it's honestly closer to fifty minutes start to finish.
  • Every component—the chicken, hummus, tabbouleh—works alone or together, so there's built-in flexibility depending on what you're craving.
  • The fresh herbs and bright citrus make you feel genuinely nourished, not just full.
02 -
  • Don't skip the resting time for the chicken—I learned this the hard way when I went straight from grill to plate and ended up with dry meat despite marinating it perfectly.
  • The tabbouleh tastes even better after sitting in the refrigerator for an hour because the bulgur absorbs all those bright flavors and becomes more cohesive.
03 -
  • Always taste the tabbouleh before serving and adjust the seasoning at the last minute—it's the one element where your judgment matters more than the recipe.
  • If your grill marks aren't perfect, don't worry; they matter way less than people think, and the flavor is what lingers.
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