Ten ingredients and forty minutes, with one skillet doing two jobs.
The tomatoes go into that skillet whole and come out whole — blistered, not burst.
Why This Recipe Works
- Searing chunks rather than a whole breast gives browned edges on every piece.
- Dried oregano and garlic powder crust in the pan where fresh herbs would burn.
- Blanching the broccoli briefly keeps it bright green rather than olive.
- Blistering the tomatoes whole keeps their juice inside rather than in the pan.
- Lemon juice at the end lifts the whole bowl without cooking away.
Ingredient Notes
- Boneless chicken breast, cut into chunks
- A pound. Chunks rather than whole or sliced — every piece gets browned edges that way.
- Feta, crumbled
- Four ounces. Feta specifically, not blue cheese. It is the cheese that belongs with broccoli, oregano and lemon in this bowl.
- Broccoli florets and whole cherry tomatoes
- Two cups and a cup and a half. The broccoli stays crisp-tender and the tomatoes stay whole.
- Dried oregano, garlic powder and lemon juice
- A teaspoon, half a teaspoon and a tablespoon. The first two go on the chicken dry; the lemon goes on at the very end.
How to Make It
Chicken chunks seasoned with oregano and garlic, seared to 165°F
Season chicken chunks with oregano and garlic and sear in olive oil until browned and 165°F.
Broccoli steamed or blanched until bright green and crisp-tender
Steam or blanch broccoli until bright green and crisp-tender.
Whole cherry tomatoes blistered briefly so they stay intact
Blister whole cherry tomatoes briefly in the hot skillet so they stay intact.
Quinoa divided, chicken, broccoli and whole tomatoes added
Divide quinoa among bowls and add chicken, broccoli, and whole blistered tomatoes.
Finished with crumbled feta, parsley and lemon juice
Finish with crumbled feta, chopped parsley, and lemon juice.
Four Points That Keep This Bowl Its Own
This chicken-and-quinoa bowl has whole cherry tomatoes, broccoli and crumbled cheese - and the cheese is FETA, NOT BLUE CHEESE. Each checkpoint below is one part of what defines the bowl, or the technique that makes it visible.
In the pan, with the chicken
Are the CHUNKS BROWNED, and does the thickest one read 165°F?
1 lb of BONELESS CHICKEN BREAST CUT INTO CHUNKS, seasoned with 1 tsp DRIED OREGANO and 1/2 tsp GARLIC POWDER and SEARED IN 1 TBSP OLIVE OIL UNTIL BROWNED AND 165°F. Two endpoints in one instruction. Chunks crowded into a pan release moisture and steam each other pale, so give them room - you want distinctly BROWNED EDGES on every piece. Dried oregano and garlic powder rather than fresh, because dry seasonings crust against hot metal where fresh herbs scorch. USDA gives poultry 165°F.
With the broccoli
Is it BRIGHT GREEN and CRISP-TENDER?
2 cups of BROCCOLI FLORETS STEAMED OR BLANCHED UNTIL BRIGHT GREEN AND CRISP-TENDER. Colour is the timer here: broccoli goes vivid green about a minute before it is done and dull olive about a minute after, and you want the first of those. Broccoli is part of what defines this bowl, and cucumber and leafy greens do not belong here.
With the tomatoes
Are they still WHOLE?
1 1/2 cups of WHOLE CHERRY TOMATOES BLISTERED BRIEFLY IN THE HOT SKILLET SO THEY STAY INTACT. Intact matters. Blistering is a surface effect - the skin catches and wrinkles while the tomato itself stays closed - and it takes far less time than it feels like it should. Roll them in the pan rather than pressing them, and take them out while they are still round. Halved or burst tomatoes would give a wet bowl.
At the finish
Is the crumbled cheese FETA?
4 oz of CRUMBLED FETA with 1/4 cup CHOPPED PARSLEY and 1 tbsp LEMON JUICE, added over 3 cups of QUINOA with the chicken, broccoli and whole tomatoes. The cheese is feta, not blue cheese, and it is the cheese that sits properly with oregano, broccoli and lemon. The lemon goes on at the end rather than into the pan, where it would cook off. Leftovers hold at 40°F OR BELOW.
Success Tips
- Give the chicken chunks space in the pan or they steam instead of browning.
- Stop the broccoli while it is still bright green — a minute more and it dulls.
- Roll the tomatoes rather than pressing them; they should blister, not split.
Serving Ideas
Four bowls of pale quinoa with seared chicken chunks, bright green broccoli florets and whole blistered cherry tomatoes, finished with crumbled white feta, chopped parsley and lemon juice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the crumbled cheese blue cheese?
No, it is feta. Four ounces of it, crumbled over at the end with the parsley and lemon.
Should the cherry tomatoes be halved?
No. They go into the hot skillet whole and are blistered only briefly so they stay intact — whole tomatoes are what the finished bowl shows.
Can I add cucumber or salad leaves?
No. This bowl has neither. Quinoa, chicken, broccoli and whole tomatoes under feta and parsley are the whole of it.
