Mediterranean Chicken and Zucchini Bowls with roasted potatoes and yogurt sauce are everything I want in a nourishing weeknight dinner—mega flavorful, quick, and no dry chicken in sight! Ground chicken cooks on the skillet in no time (soaking up those lovely Mediterranean spices!) and zucchini adds extra veggie power. Paired with crispy potatoes, it’s a delightfully balanced meal ready in 35 minutes!

I'm in my lemony-fresh-herb-bangin'-sauce era. Otherwise known as, the meals I crave right now are bright and light and flavor city and veg-forward and super satisfying in a wholesome way. Splash a garlicky yogurt sauce on everything (ahem, chicken shawarma meatballs bowls!).
In the spirit of fresh, we're sautéing ground chicken in Mediterranean-inspired spices and elevating it with dots of feta and zippy herbs for a dinner you'll have a hankering for on repeat. It kinda reminds me of taco meat in a whole new genre?!
I know most recipes for Mediterranean chicken call for breast, but since my goal was really easy chicken, I went a different route and opted for ground. Hot tip: you can cook it from frozen so I urge ya to always have one in the freezer!
Let's make it
Tips from recipe testing
- The sauce is essential, so don't skip it! When I developed this recipe I knew I wanted bright notes in all the components (hence sumac in the potatoes), but wasn't sure if it would need the sauce with the feta and herbs. The cool, lemony creaminess really brings it all together (plus, moisture).
- If you don't have the chutzpah to chop and roast potatoes, you could totally swap quinoa or rice and season it the same way.
- The herbs take this to the next level. I know you may not have fresh mint on hand but I promise it's worth adding to your grocery list. During recipe testing it was clear it adds this insane freshness I can't get enough of!
Yay for dinner being exciting on a Tuesday!
PrintMediterranean Chicken and Zucchini Skillet with Sumac Roasted Potatoes
- Prep Time: 5 minutes*
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Mediterranean Chicken and Zucchini Bowls with roasted potatoes and yogurt sauce are everything I want in a nourishing weeknight dinner—mega flavorful, quick, and no dry chicken in sight! Ground chicken cooks in no time (soaking up those lovely Mediterranean spices!) and zucchini adds extra veggie power. Paired with crispy potatoes, it’s a delightfully balanced meal ready in 35 minutes!
Don't let the longer ingredient list intimidate you--this recipe comes together pretty quickly. The fresh herbs and yogurt sauce are what really make this dish sing and are essential (so don't skip 'em)!
Ingredients
For the sumac roasted potatoes:
- 1 ½ lbs gold potatoes, chopped
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp sumac**
For the chicken and zucchini:
- ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 small zucchinis, chopped
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped (⅓ cup)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp sumac
- ¾ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp Aleppo pepper flakes (or ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, can omit for no spice)*
- ½ cup chopped pitted green olives (I like Castelvetrano)
- good handful of fresh mint and flat leaf parsley, chopped
- ¼ cup freshly crumbled feta (from a block), for topping
For the garlic yogurt sauce:
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 small garlic clove, grated or very finely minced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Place baking sheet in oven while it preheats. Place potatoes in a medium mixing bowl. Add olive oil and seasonings. Toss well. With an oven mitt, remove hot baking sheet from oven and spread potatoes on it evenly. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden and tender, shaking halfway through.
- Warm ½ tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and cook for 3 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add ground chicken and cook for about 7 minutes, or until cooked through. Season with ¾ tsp kosher salt, coriander, oregano, sumac, cumin and pepper flakes. Cook for another minute. Transfer mixture to a bowl, keeping any fat in the pan for the zucchini.
- To the same skillet, add zucchini and ¼ tsp kosher salt. Cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until lightly browned. Taste and add more salt if needed then remove from heat. Add chicken back to the pan and stir in olives.
- Mix together yogurt, lemon juice and garlic in a small bowl. Season with a good pinch of kosher salt. Taste and make sure it pops, adding more salt or lemon if needed.
- Serve chicken and potatoes garnished with feta, plenty of mint and parsley, and drizzled with garlic yogurt sauce or on the side for dipping!
Notes
- *The prep time is more like 15 minutes; but most of this is done while potatoes cook.
- **If you don't have sumac, I recommend you get some LOL (I put it on salad, avocado toast, veggies, everything!) but you sub paprika ideally with some lemon zest, too instead.
- I bought Aleppo pepper when I started cooking more Mediterranean food and I now way prefer them to red pepper flakes. They're fruitier, more flavorful, and less spicy than red pepper flakes! Amazing on eggs, avocado toast, dressings, and anywhere you'd want more flavor with a bit of heat.
Anna says
Made this tonight (loosely) but I figured I'd share my modifications for inspiration to others.
1. Husband is weird about ground chicken so did cubed chicken thighs which I tossed in Za'atar (no sumac to be found), cumin, and pepper flakes before adding to the pan.
2. Tossed in zucchs after deglaze of a squeeze of lemon juice when chicken was near done.
3. Added dill for additional brightness to the yogurt sauce
4. Forgot olives ... next time!
5. Served with cous cous to avoid turning on the oven.
Totally will make again, want to try it with the potatoes. Easy and super flavorful. Thanks for the inspo!
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
I love this so much! You made it your own and it sounds incredible 🙂 my husband doesn’t love ground chicken either so I’ll have to try your version sometime LOL. So glad you liked it!