Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Save money by building your own craveable Cava bowl at home and enjoy it all week as part of your meal prep! Store bought shortcuts help save time while allowing you to pile on the flavor and enjoy this bowl your way.
I’m so excited about this Harissa Honey Chicken Bowl (Cava Copycat) recipe! Cava has been one of my go-to takeout restaurants lately because I know I can always get plenty of protein and fiber and it will still be absolutely delicious. Bowls from Cava are crave worthy thanks to all the toppings, and while it can seem intimidating to gather so many ingredients at home, most are simple and store bought shortcuts like pre-made hummus and tzatziki help get dinner on the table quickly.
tips to
Meal Prep this Recipe
This bowl is allll about the toppings, which can be a challenge when meal prepping because you want to keep certain ingredients from touching one another for optimal freshness. For that reason, I recommend a buffet style prep like you see here – keeping all the ingredients separated until it’s time to assemble, heat, and eat. If that’s not an option for you, use a big salad prep bowl like this and divvy up the ingredients this way:
- Chicken, rice, and corn in the bowl section
- Cucumbers and pickled red onion in one of the sections of the insert
- Avocado in another section of the insert
- Tzatziki, hummus, and feta in the last section of the insert
- Dressing in the dressing container
- Spring mix by itself in a separate container (use a small piece of paper towel under the greens to keep it fresh)
Ingredients and Substitutions
Here’s what you’ll need to recreate this Harissa Honey Chicken Bowl recipe:
- Chicken – I highly recommend chicken thighs rather than breasts since they stay really juicy after cooking and can handle the bold flavors of this bowl.
- Avocado – Avocado is great as a cooling element next to the spicy chicken and dressing, but you can skip it if you prefer.
- Greens – I prefer my bowls with plenty of greens for fiber and micronutrients. I went with a spring mix, but pick what you like here or skip them altogether.
- Corn – This is an optional ingredient but one that I love in this bowl. I love grilling the corn right on the cob but you could also use frozen corn kernels as a time saving shortcut or if corn is out of season.
- Rice – I’m normally a jasmine rice lover, but for this recipe, basmati is better. You can make it normally on the stovetop or in a rice cooker, or you can buy a microwaveable pack of rice to save some time.
- Hummus – Sabra Original hummus is my favorite.
- Tzatziki – You can make this at home with my recipe or buy it in the store. My favorite store brand is Cedar’s.
- Cucumbers – I prefer the mini seedless cucumbers so I can just quickly swipe them across the mandoline and don’t even have to bother chopping them up.
- Pickled red onions – Not only are they gorgeous, but they add a tangy pop of acidity that cuts through the rich flavors of this bowl. I highly recommend them!
- Feta – Cava offers something called Crazy Feta, which is feta whipped with olive oil, roasted jalapeños, and onion, but I just went with classic crumbled feta for my bowl.
For the vinaigrette and marinade, you’ll also need:
- Harissa – A spicy North African chili paste, harissa is the backbone of flavor for this bowl! I usually find it near the Indian or Middle Eastern ingredients in my grocery store in a jar. Some stores will even have it fresh in the refrigerated section.
- Honey – Helps balance out the spice from the harissa. I don’t recommend subbing it out with other liquid sweeteners like maple syrup – honey is the right flavor here.
- Olive oil – Especially for the dressing, you want oil that tastes good and olive oil is the best for that in my opinion.
- Lemon juice – For the dressing, I used 2 types of acid – lemon juice and red wine vinegar – to keep the flavor fresh and balanced.
- Red wine vinegar – White wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar would work in a pinch, though I like the bolder flavor of red wine vinegar for this dressing.
- Garlic
- Salt
- Spices – I used garlic powder, oregano, and cumin in the dressing – all spices that help complement the flavors of the harissa. Oregano may seem slightly out of place, but it fits right in with all the Mediterranean ingredients here.
Make Your Own Pita Crisps
One of the optional (and deliciously crispy) toppings you can get at Cava is pita crisps. For whatever reason, pita strips/crisps are actually really hard to buy in a size and shape that make sense on top of a bowl – so I had to make my own! These are super addicting and equally easy to make.
Pre-heat your oven to 400°F. Using a pizza cutter, slice pita bread into whatever size strips you want. Drizzle them with olive oil and season with salt, smoked paprika, and garlic powder (or whatever spice combo you want). Bake for 12-15 minutes until crispy and golden.
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Harissa Honey Chicken Bowl
Ingredients
Harissa Honey Chicken
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken thighs, extra fat trimmed
- 2 tbsp Mina Harissa Moroccan Red Pepper Sauce, (1 fl oz)
- 2 tbsp honey, (1 fl oz)
- 2 tbsp olive oil, (1 fl oz)
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced, (8 grams)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Bowl Ingredients
- 8 cups spring mix, (150 grams)
- 1 17.3 oz bag Ben's Original Ready Rice Basmati Family Size Rice
- 3/4 cup Sabra Original Hummus, (6 fl oz)
- 3/4 cup Easy Tzatziki Dip, (6 fl oz)
- 2 avocados, chopped, (300 grams)
- 6 mini cucumbers, sliced, (300 grams)
- 1 cup Pickled Red Onions
- 4 small ears of corn on the cob, (300 grams yield)
- 3/4 cup fat free feta cheese, crumbled, (84 grams)
Harissa Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup Mina Harissa Moroccan Red Pepper Sauce, (2 fl oz)
- 3 tbsp olive oil, (1.5 fl oz)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice, (1 fl oz)
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, (0.5 fl oz)
- 1 tbsp honey, (0.5 fl oz)
- 1/2 tsp each: sea salt, garlic powder, oregano
- 1/4 tsp cumin
Instructions
- Marinate the Chicken. In a jar, add 2 tbsp Mina Harissa Moroccan Red Pepper Sauce, 2 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, sliced, and 1 tsp kosher salt. Shake until well combined, then pour over 1 1/2 lbs chicken thighs, extra fat trimmed in a resealable container. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
- Make the Dressing. In the same jar you used for the marinade, add 1/4 cup Mina Harissa Moroccan Red Pepper Sauce, 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp honey, 1/2 tsp each: sea salt, garlic powder, oregano, and 1/4 tsp cumin. Shake well until the oil is emulsified. Set aside.
- Grill the Chicken and Corn. Pre-heat the grill to about 450°F. Once pre-heated, use grill tongs and a bunched up paper towel to brush the grill grates with vegetable oil. Add the marinated chicken thighs "nice" side down to the oiled grill grates and grill for about 6 minutes per side or until cooked through. Set aside to cool for at least 5 minutes, then slice for serving.
- Add 4 small ears of corn on the cob and grill for 6-8 mins or until the corn is tender and lightly charred, turning frequently to cook evenly and avoid burning. Once the corn has cooled enough to be handled, cut the kernels from the cob for serving. Optional: brush the corn with a bit of olive oil and season with salt before grilling.
- Assemble the Bowls. In a wide shallow bowl like a pasta bowl, add rice, spring mix, chicken, corn, and all desired toppings like avocados, cucumbers, pickled red onions, hummus, tzatziki, and feta cheese. Top with prepared dressing and serve immediately.
Tips & Tricks
Nutrition Information
