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August 8, 2023

Grilled Chicken Bowl with Corn and Zucchini Salad

This grilled chicken bowl has a marinade that doubles as a base for the creamy avocado dressing for a grilled corn and zucchini salad. This bowl is zesty and herby, and delivers a good umami blast.

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Grilled Chicken Bowl with corn and zucchini salad served on top of white rice in a bowl with a fork
Photography by Gayle McLeod

A Grilled Chicken Bowl To Make Tonight

This is summertime in a bowl. Our favorite part about this zesty marinated grilled chicken with corn and zucchini salad is the bright avocado dressing that gets drizzled over everything. This has everything you need for a fresh meal on a hot night, and we recommend a sweet treat of Key Lime Pie or Peach Cobbler to round things out.

chicken breast, zucchini, corn, avocado, garlic, rice, onion, spices for grilled chicken bowl in prep bowls

Ingredients You’ll Need For Our Grilled Chicken Bowl With Veggies

  • Chicken – We’re marinating and grilling boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this bowl.

  • Rice – We think our Cilantro-Lime Rice would make a great addition to the flavors in this recipe, but you could also make a basic White or Brown Rice.

  • Avocado – You’ll need a ripe avocado, or even an avocado that might be a little past its prime.

  • Marinade – Garlic, dried herbs, lemon, Dijon, Worcestershire, and a touch of brown sugar.

  • Corn on the cob – We’re grilling whole ears of corn with the chicken, but if you have canned corn on hand, that will work too!

  • Zucchini, small diced

  • Red onion, finely chopped

  • Jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped

olive oil, garlic, thyme, basil, salt, pepper, lemon zest, Dijon, Worcestershire & brown sugar in a bowl to make marinade
chicken being marinated in olive oil, garlic, thyme, basil, salt, pepper, lemon zest, Dijon, Worcestershire & brown sugar
avocado, mayonnaise, lemon juice and reserved chicken marinade in a food processor
homemade avocado sauce for grilled chicken bowls in a food processor

How to Make This Easy Grilled Chicken Bowl

  1. Make the marinade. In a medium bowl or large zip-top bag, combine the olive oil, garlic, thyme, basil, salt, pepper, lemon zest, Dijon, Worcestershire, and brown sugar. Set aside ¼ cup of the marinade to use in Step 3 for the dressing.

  2. Marinate the chicken. Add the chicken to the remaining marinade and toss to coat. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

  3. Make the avocado dressing. In a food processor or blender, add ½ of the avocado, mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons of the lemon juice and reserved ¼ cup marinade. Blend until smooth.

  4. Grill the corn and chicken. Place the corn and chicken on the grill, cover and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the chicken is charred and easily lifts off the grill. Cook, turning the corn and chicken until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F on an instant read thermometer and the corn is tender, 7-8 minutes more.

  5. Rest the chicken. Transfer the chicken and corn to a cutting board. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

  6. Make the salad. Using a sharp knife, cut the kernels off the cobs. Transfer the corn kernels to a second medium bowl. Add the zucchini, red onion, jalapeño, lemon juice, and salt and toss to combine.

  7. Assemble the bowl. Dice the remaining avocado. Divide the rice among 4 bowls, top with chicken, corn salad, diced avocado and feta. Drizzle with dressing before serving.

3 marinated chicken breasts and 3 corn on the cobs with char marks being cooked on a grill
corn kernels, diced zucchini, chopped red onion, minced jalapeño, lemon juice and salt in a bowl

How to Store Leftovers + Tips

  • You can prepare this at the beginning of the week to assemble in the days that follow. We keep the components separate until we’re ready to eat to ensure that all of the textures are as vibrant as they should be.

  • Leftovers will last in the fridge for three to four days. The chicken can be frozen, but we don’t recommend freezing the rice or salad leftovers–best to eat those as soon as possible after they’re made.

  • We love the texture and crunch of raw zucchini, but you can also grill the zucchini in this recipe–just make sure it isn’t over cooked.

  • If you’d like to customize the dressing you can add jalapeño and cilantro.

Grilled Chicken Bowl with corn and zucchini salad surrounded by avocado, feta and dressing in bowls

More Great Bowl Recipes From The Modern Proper

Grilled Chicken Bowl with corn and zucchini salad served on top of white rice in a bowl with a fork
Grilled Chicken Bowl with corn and zucchini salad served on top of white rice in a bowl with a fork

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Grilled Chicken Bowl with Corn and Zucchini Salad

  • Serves: 4
  • Prep Time:  25 min
  • Cook Time:  20 min
  • Calories: 776

Ingredients

  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¾ teaspoon dried basil
  • 1¾ teaspoons sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • ¾ teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 1 avocado, pitted
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
  • ½ cup crumbled feta
  • 3 cups cooked rice, for serving

Corn & Zucchini Salad

  • 3 ears corn, shucked and silks removed
  • 1 small zucchini, small diced
  • ¼ small red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 small jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped

Method

  1. Make the chicken. In a medium bowl or large zip-top bag, combine the olive oil, garlic, thyme, basil, 1¼ of the salt, pepper, lemon zest, Dijon, Worcestershire, and brown sugar. Reserve ¼ cup of the marinade for dressing.

  2. Add the chicken to the remaining marinade and toss to coat. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

  3. To a food processor, add ½ of the avocado, mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons of the lemon juice and reserved ¼ cup marinade. Blend until smooth.

  4. Preheat the grill on high. Place the corn and chicken on the grill, reduce the heat to medium-high. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the chicken is charred and easily lifts off the grill. Cook, turning the corn and chicken until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F on an instant read thermometer and the corn is tender, 7-8 minutes more.

  5. Transfer the chicken and corn to a cutting board. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

  6. Make the salad. Using a sharp knife, cut the kernels off the cobs. Transfer the corn kernels to a second medium bowl. Add the zucchini, red onion, jalapeño, remaining 3 teaspoons lemon juice, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and toss to combine.

  7. Dice the remaining avocado. Divide the rice among 4 bowls, top with chicken, corn salad, diced avocado and feta. Drizzle with dressing before serving.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories776
  • Protein46 g
  • Carbohydrates43 g
  • Total Fat47 g
  • Dietary Fiber4 g
  • Cholesterol143 mg
  • sodium1400 mg
  • Total Sugars8 g

Grilled Chicken Bowl with Corn and Zucchini Salad

Questions & Reviews

Join the discussion below.

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  • Fiona

    Can the chicken and corn be cooked in the oven or stovetop? What settings would you recommend?

    You can boil the corn on the cob. Look up our post "Corn on the cob" and the boiling instructions are listed. As for the chicken you can bake it or cook it on the stove top either way is fine. If you bake on 450 F should take about 18 minutes. Stove top we recommend coking over medium high heat for 5-7 minutes per side. Make sure either method that the chicken is 165F internal temperature before serving. Hope you enjoy Fiona!

  • Dana

    We do NOT cook the Zucchini?

    We leave it raw in this recipe. If you do not prefer that feel free to cook it. Hope you enjoy Dana!

  • Steve

    I have to say I wasn’t expecting how good this was! I had the ingredients and thought “why not?” I also got extra points from my wife - she loved it too! A keeper for sure.

    Thanks Steve, we are so happy you both loved it!

  • Anna

    Amazing!! Served over cauliflower rice!!! So flavorful!!! Will make again!!

    Thanks Anna, we are so happy that you loved it!

  • Kay

    New favorite!

    Thanks Kay!

  • Ashley

    Loved this recipe. It was quick and easy to make- great for a weeknight. Flavors were delicious. We really liked the corn and zucchini salad. Thank you for another great recipe!

    Thanks Ashley, we are so happy you loved it!

  • Eileen

    Every part of this meal was amazing individually, and combined in a bowl made a perfect dinner. We loved the addition of the lemon juice, that sour note made the dressing and corn salad pop. We marinated the chicken about 6 hours and it was the most flavorful grilled chicken I've ever had, it alone would be very versatile for other dishes or salads too. The whole family ate and loved, we'll definitely be adding this to our rotation!

    YAY, this is so wonderful to hear. Thanks Eileen, we are so happy you loved it!