Recipe Social
▶ Watch this video on YouTube ↗

Original video by @EthanChlebowski — all credit to the creator.

Ethan Chlebowski

Homemade CAVA-Style Bowls: Spicy Lamb Meatball & Grilled Chicken

A two-protein batch prep that turns a single grocery run into a week of build-your-own bowls — harissa-spiked lamb meatballs and cumin-clove chicken thighs, piled over greens or rice with cool cucumber dill sauce and a bright herby vinaigrette. Roughly a third the cost of ordering out, and each bowl comes together in about five minutes once the components are prepped.

⏱ 55 minAbout 9 bowls (roughly 6 chicken, 3 lamb)Mediterraneanmeal prepbowlslambchickenbudget

Ingredients

Spicy lamb meatballs

  • 1 lbground lamb
  • 4 gsalt
  • 20 gharissa · a spoonful; extra-spicy harissa if you like heat
  • 3 gground cumin
  • 2 gsmoked paprika
  • 2 gdried minced garlic
  • —MSG · a sprinkle

Grilled chicken

  • 2.5 lbboneless chicken thighs · trimmed of stray fat and skin
  • —salt · a big sprinkle
  • —ground cumin · a big sprinkle
  • 2whole cloves · ground in a mortar and pestle; one or two at most, more takes over the dish
  • —dried minced garlic · ground with the cloves
  • —agave syrup · a small drizzle, for a touch of sweetness
  • —oil · a spritz

Cucumber dill sauce

  • 2 containersplain Greek yogurt · 5% fat
  • 1mini cucumber · cut into a small dice
  • 1 clovegarlic · minced
  • 1.5lemons · juiced; reserve the remaining half for the vinaigrette
  • —olive oil · a drizzle
  • —dried dill · a generous sprinkle

Herby vinaigrette

  • 0.5lemon · juiced
  • —vinegar · a splash
  • 3 partsoil · filled to about three parts oil in the jar
  • —dried oregano
  • —garlic powder
  • —za'atar
  • —black pepper

Bowl assembly

  • —power greens mix
  • —arugula
  • —red lentils · boiled
  • —white rice · cooked
  • —cherry tomatoes
  • —mini cucumbers · sliced
  • 2avocados · sliced
  • —pickled onions
  • —shallot · freshly sliced
  • —feta cheese
  • —hummus · store-bought
  • —pita bread

Steps

  1. 1

    Make the meatballs: combine the ground lamb, salt, harissa, cumin, smoked paprika, dried minced garlic, and MSG in a bowl and mix until evenly blended.

  2. 2

    Form the lamb mixture into nine meatballs, pressing each one slightly flat so it browns more evenly.

  3. 3

    Broil the meatballs on low for about 12 minutes, until the fat renders out and the tops are well browned. Set aside.

  4. 4

    Prep the chicken: spread the thighs on a baking sheet and trim off any stray fat or skin.

  5. 5

    Grind the whole cloves with a bit of dried minced garlic in a mortar and pestle. Season the thighs with a big sprinkle of salt and ground cumin, then the clove-garlic mixture, a small drizzle of agave, and a spritz of oil. Toss to coat.

  6. 6

    Broil the chicken on high for 5 to 6 minutes per side, about 14 minutes total, until cooked through and juicy.

  7. 7

    Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and transfer both proteins to storage containers. Cook white rice and boil the red lentils while the proteins are in the oven.

  8. 8

    Make the cucumber dill sauce: slice a mini cucumber into planks, then matchsticks, then across into a small dice. Add two containers of plain yogurt to a jar, squeeze in the lemon juice, add a drizzle of olive oil, then stir in the diced cucumber, minced garlic, and a generous sprinkle of dried dill.

  9. 9

    Make the herby vinaigrette: squeeze the remaining half lemon into a second jar, add a splash of vinegar, then fill with about three parts oil. Blitz to emulsify, then season with dried oregano, garlic powder, za'atar, and black pepper. Shake before each use.

  10. 10

    Assemble each bowl in five parts — a base of greens, grain, or both; the seasoned protein, reheated in the microwave or crisped on the stove; fresh, cooked, or pickled vegetables; something crunchy, creamy, chewy, or salty like feta, hummus, pita, or chips; and a dressing over the top.

  11. 11

    For the lamb bowl, layer power greens and red lentils, the meatballs, cherry tomatoes, pickled onions, and sliced avocado, then finish with a big spoonful of cucumber dill sauce.

  12. 12

    For the chicken bowl, layer rice with arugula on the side, the chopped chicken, cucumbers, tomato, and sliced shallot, then drizzle the herby vinaigrette over the whole thing.

Creator's notes

Ethan spent $46.73 on groceries (plus about $4 in pantry staples) and got roughly nine bowls out of it — about $5.55 per bowl, or 64% cheaper than the $15.32 average CAVA bowl. Only use one or two whole cloves in the chicken; any more and they take over the aromatics. Homemade meatballs can go spicier than the restaurant version since you're not cooking for a crowd. Both proteins freeze well, and the same components turn into salads, wraps, or pitas — not just bowls.

More from Ethan Chlebowski

All recipes →