Instant Pot Greek Chicken Bowls

A good grain bowl needs contrast or it becomes a container of similarly soft things you are politely chewing at your desk. These Greek chicken bowls start by marinating chicken thighs with lemon, garlic, oregano, olive oil, salt, and pepper, then searing them before an eight-minute pressure cook. That gives the chicken browned flavor first and tenderness second, which is the correct order for most worthwhile decisions involving meat.

While the chicken rests, the cold side of the bowl comes together: cherry tomatoes, cucumber, feta, and a yogurt sauce sharpened with lemon and fresh dill. Those ingredients are not garnish. They are what keep the rice and juicy chicken from feeling heavy. Cool cucumber against warm oregano chicken, salty feta against yogurt, lemon cutting through all of it—that contrast is the meal. Slice the chicken only after a five-minute rest and make sure it has reached 165°F. Then layer it over rice and add the vegetables, feta, and sauce rather than stirring everything into one uniform mixture. You want different bites. Some should be creamy, some crunchy, some briny, some heavy on chicken. A bowl should have a little geography.