Chicken and Barley Bowl Recipe for a Wholesome High Protein Meal

Barley is one of those grains that deserves far more attention than it gets. It is chewy, nutty and satisfying in a way that rice and quinoa rarely manage. Pearl barley cooks in about 25 minutes, releases a small amount of starch as it simmers and produces a grain with a pleasantly dense texture that holds up well as a bowl base.
This recipe pairs pearl barley with pan-seared Boneless Chicken Breast, roasted broccoli and cherry tomatoes and a sharp lemon herb dressing that keeps the whole bowl bright and well-balanced. The barley is toasted briefly before cooking to deepen its natural nuttiness. Everything is ready in under 45 minutes and the components store well separately in the fridge making this an excellent meal prep recipe.

Chicken and Barley Bowl Recipe

Serves: 2
Prep time: 15 minutes 
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

  • 300g Boneless Chicken Breast, sliced into strips or left whole
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • Juice of half a lemon

For the barley:

  • 1 cup pearl barley, rinsed well
  • 5 cups warm water or light chicken stock
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp olive oil or ghee

For the bowl:

  • 1 cup broccoli florets
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 tbsp olive oil for roasting
  • Salt and black pepper for roasting
  • 1 cup baby spinach or rocket
  • 2 tbsp roasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds

For the lemon herb dressing:

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 small clove garlic, finely grated
  • 1 tsp dried oregano or fresh herbs of your choice
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Steps

  1. Toast the barley. Place the rinsed and drained pearl barley in a dry saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously for 2 to 3 minutes until the barley smells nutty and turns very lightly golden. This step deepens the natural flavour of the grain significantly.
  2. Cook the barley. Add the warm water or stock, olive oil and salt to the toasted barley. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 25 to 30 minutes until the barley is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid. If there is excess liquid, drain it off. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
  3. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Toss the broccoli florets and cherry tomatoes with olive oil, salt and black pepper. Spread on a baking tray in a single layer and roast for 18 to 20 minutes until the broccoli is golden at the edges and the tomatoes are softened and slightly caramelised.
  4. Make the dressing. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic and oregano in a small bowl until emulsified. Season with salt and black pepper and set aside.
  5. Marinate the chicken. Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and black pepper. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Set aside for 10 minutes.
  6. Cook the chicken. Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 75 degrees Celsius. Remove from the pan and rest for 2 minutes before slicing.
  7. Assemble the bowls. Divide the barley between two bowls as the base. Arrange the roasted broccoli, cherry tomatoes and baby spinach around the bowl. Place the sliced chicken in the centre. Scatter roasted seeds over the top.
  8. Drizzle the lemon herb dressing generously over the bowl and serve immediately.

Tips for Best Results

Always toast the pearl barley before cooking. Two to three minutes in a dry pan transforms the barley from a somewhat bland grain into something genuinely nutty and interesting. It is a small step that makes a noticeable difference to the finished bowl.

Use stock instead of water for the barley. Cooking the barley in light chicken stock rather than plain water adds an additional layer of savoury depth that complements the chicken and dressing beautifully.

Do not overcook the barley. Pearl barley should be tender but still have a slight chew to it. Overcooked barley turns soft and loses the pleasantly dense texture that makes it such a satisfying bowl base. Start checking at the 25-minute mark.

Rest the chicken before slicing. Two minutes of resting allows the juices to redistribute through the meat and keeps every slice tender rather than dry.

This bowl is excellent for meal prep. Cook a large batch of barley at the start of the week and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Keep the dressing, seeds and fresh vegetables separate and assemble bowls fresh as needed.

A chicken and barley bowl is the kind of meal that makes you genuinely look forward to eating well. The nutty barley, the golden chicken, the roasted vegetables and the bright lemon dressing all come together into something that is wholesome, satisfying and far more interesting than the average grain bowl. Once you have made it you will find barley earning a permanent place in your pantry.

Order Zorabian’s Boneless Chicken Breast from shop.zorabian.com and try this recipe at home.

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