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This is for all the CAVA lovers out there — Harissa Avocado Chicken Bowls!
I recently had CAVA’s Harissa Avocado Bowl and it was beyond delicious, I had to make it for myself and let me tell you, it did not disappoint! Just like the restaurant’s creation, this bowl is packed with a lot of elements, but I promise you all of the steps are worth it.
what’s inside the bowls:
- Grilled Harissa Chicken
- Grilled Corn
- Harissa Vinaigrette
- Crazy Feta (a.k.a. feta blended with pickled jalapeños)
- Salad Blend of Kale, Brussels Sprouts, and Cabbage (see my note on how to shorten this step!)
- Various Toppings: Cucumbers, Pickled Red Onion, Avocado, Hummus, and Crumbled Feta
While all of the elements of this bowl seriously are delicious, the two elements that take this bowl over the edge are the Harissa Vinaigrette and Crazy Feta. The chicken is marinated with some harissa, but I included it in the simple vinaigrette as well for an additional flavor kick.
For the Crazy Feta, this is a CAVA staple and could not be easier to make. You simply blend feta with a little extra virgin olive oil plus pickled jalapeños. While this does add extra heat to the dish, it is an absolute must for me. You can absolutely omit this if you prefer to just get the heat from the harissa!
I hope y’all enjoy these Harissa Avocado Chicken Bowls the next time your CAVA craving hits!
Looking for more chicken bowl recipes?
Blackened Chicken and Sweet Potato Bowls
Chicken and Cilantro Rice Bowls with Tahini
Harissa Avocado Chicken Bowls
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon mild harissa paste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Harissa Vinaigrette:
- 2 tablespoons mild harissa paste
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Crazy Feta:
- One 5-ounce block of feta cut into small cubes
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup sliced pickled jalapeños from a jar
For the Corn:
- 2 ears of corn
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
For the Salad: (See Note)
- 3 cups chopped kale
- 2 cups shaved brussels sprouts
- 1 cup shredded green cabbage
For Serving:
- 3 Persian cucumbers quartered lengthwise then diced small
- 1 cup pickled red onions
- 1 avocado cubed
- Hummus
- Crumbled feta
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken:
- In a large bowl or on a sheet pan, add all of your chicken ingredients. Toss to coat and let the chicken marinate while you make the rest of the bowl elements.
Make the Harissa Vinaigrette:
- In a small bowl or jar, combine the vinaigrette ingredients. Whisk until smooth and set aside.
Make the Crazy Feta:
- Next, make the Crazy Feta by combining the ingredients in a jar with an immersion blender or in a food processor. Blend until mostly smooth, this will be fairly thick. Set aside.
Grill the Chicken and Corn:
- Heat grill over medium-high heat (350-400℉) and oil the grill grates (to do this, dip a wadded paper towel in a little oil and, using tongs, wipe the oil evenly over the grate. Be careful not to use too much oil, because that’s a sure fire way to start a good flare-up—a little goes a long way here.)
- Cook the chicken and the corn over the heat for 4-5 minutes per side, until grill marks appear and the chicken is cooked through and the corn has a nice char. The lid should be closed throughout the cooking process.
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 5-8 minutes before slicing and serving.
- Let chicken rest for at least 5 minutes then cut into cubes. Once cool enough to handle, cut the corn off the cob.
Assemble the Salad and Bowls:
- In a large bowl combine all of your salad ingredients.
- Divide the salad mixture among 4 bowls. Top with the cubed chicken, cucumbers, corn, avocado, pickled red onions, scoop of hummus and scoop of Crazy Feta. Drizzle with Harissa Vinaigrette and top with crumbled feta.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I don’t know what CAVA is, but this salad is delicious! We’ve made it several times now and it’s a crowd pleaser.
I went to Cava this afternoon and ordered this bowl. They were out of feta and avo and only had regular chicken. Went home and found this wonderful recipe. Better than the original! We added tomatoes and didn’t have corn. It was so tasty! The crazy feta? Delicious! Five+ stars!
Love all your recipes-this was definitely one of my favorites. I made a double batch and so glad I did. There are a lot of ingredients but not difficult at all. The hardest part for me was the crazy feta. I don’t have a great inversion blender so I’m sure that was my issue. The harissa vinaigrette was so yummy. I would make that just for salads!!
Glad to hear you enjoyed this! A great immersion blender makes all the difference so definitely add to your list for a future purchase or gift idea
Hi! If I don’t have a grill, what is the best way to cook on a grill pan on stove and for how long?
This is my favorite cava bowl so I jumped at the chance to make your version and it did not disappoint! This was very simple though a tad time confusing with the different parts. And it was INCREDIBLY delicious! My husband and I were so excited to have leftovers for lunch today and I can’t wait to make it again. Thank you for all the delicious recipes!
YAYY! Thank you, Hannah!
This is one of my new favorite recipes! While it does have a lot of ingredients it was super easy to make and SO worth it! Maybe even better than the Cava version!
So glad to hear it! Thanks for the review
Looks so good! Where do you find harissa paste? Is there a brand you recommend? I love the Cava bowl and really want to try this! I couldn’t find it at my local grocery stores
I usually use Mina Brand and can find it at most grocery stores!