🍚Mediterranean Rice Cup Recipe

2 chicken and wild rice cups on foil, with a lunch bag, juice and container in the background

5 from 4 votes

🍚Mediterranean Rice Cup Recipe

This award-winning, easy rice cup recipe, "Mediterranean Chicken and Rice Cups" can be made in 30 minutes, in a muffin tin, freezes well, and makes an excellent lunch box meal, snack, appetizer or main dish. A great alternative to cold sandwiches! They are also Weight Watchers friendly.

Course Appetizer, lunch, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Greek, Mediterranean

Keyword chicken, mediterranean, rice cups

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 292kcal

Author Terri Gilson

Equipment

muffin tin

Ingredients

1 cup cooked wild rice (or use a wild rice and brown rice medley)
2 cups cooked brown rice * I use minute rice
1 ½ cups shredded chicken * about 2 small chicken breasts or use rotisserie chicken or canned chicken breast
2 teaspoon olive oil
⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil drained finely chopped
3 cloves garlic
3 large eggs slightly beaten
⅔ cup sliced black olives
1 cup Feta cheese I use light, crumbled
1 cup tzatziki sauce optional

US Customary - Metric

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 F/205 degrees C. Spray a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.
Cook brown rice and wild rice as per package directions (or use canned wild rice, which requires no cooking)
Meanwhile, while cooking rice, cook chicken breast in olive oil on stovetop, in a large skillet. over medium heat until no longer pink ** or use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken
Finely chop sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and chicken in the food processor. If you do not have a food processor, they can be finely chopped with a knife.
When rice is cooked, in a large bowl, add remaining ingredients (eggs, chicken mixture, black olives, feta cheese ) and mix well.
Press mixture into muffin tins, and fill to about ¾ full. * Make sure you pack it in well with a spatula to ensure the rice cups stay intact!
Cooking time: Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes (until golden brown).
Remove from oven and cool in pan for 5 minutes. Use a knife to loosen edges.
Let cool at room temperature for another 5 minutes before removing.
Gently remove with narrow spatula.
Serve with tzatziki sauce, if desired. (This is really delicious!)

Notes

*NOTE: The color of the rice cups will change depending on what type of rice you use. I used a wild and brown rice medley in the process images (so they are a bit darker) and canned wild rice and brown minute rice in the main photos. Unfortunately, I'm no longer able to get canned wild rice where I live.

Expert Recipe Tips:

Pack the mixture tightly: Use the back of a spoon or spatula to press the rice mixture firmly into the muffin cups. This ensures the cups hold their shape after baking.
Cool before removing: Let the rice cups sit in the pan for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges before lifting them out. This prevents them from breaking apart.
Use pre-cooked rice and chicken for speed: Minute rice, canned wild rice, or rotisserie chicken cut down prep time without sacrificing flavor.
Drain ingredients well: Make sure sun-dried tomatoes and olives are well-drained so excess oil or liquid doesn’t make the cups soggy.
Make-ahead friendly: Cook and assemble the rice mixture up to a day ahead, refrigerate it in the muffin tin, then bake fresh the next day.
Add extra flavor: For more Mediterranean flair, mix in a pinch of oregano, basil, or a squeeze of lemon juice.
Customize the size: Make mini rice cups in a mini muffin pan for party appetizers or potlucks. Reduce baking time by 3–4 minutes.

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