The best part, you ask? It’s endlessly customizable, meal-prep friendly, and a great recipe to serve a crowd. Whether you’re missing your favorite restaurant or simply wanting a healthy, make-ahead meal, this homemade CAVA bowl will satisfy your cravings.

Homemade CAVA bowl from the top view.

What is a CAVA bowl?

CAVA is a restaurant chain that features Mediterranean meals mainly served in bowls. Some people call it “the Mediterranean version of Chipotle”. A CAVA bowl is made by assembling various ingredients, starting with a base like grains or greens, adding protein, and finishing with a variety of toppings and dressings. 

Customers can mix and match the ingredients to their liking or choose from various premade bowls on the restaurant’s menu.

CAVA Bowl Ingredients

If you’ve ever been to CAVA, you know you can either choose one of the bowls featured on their menu or create your own by selecting ingredients from four categories: the base, protein, toppings, and dressing.

As you can imagine, with so many options, the combinations are endless. Below, you will find the list of ingredients you’ll need for my version of the copycat CAVA bowl recipe, but feel free to adjust it based on your preferences and what you have in your pantry.

The Base:

You can combine rice and salad greens or choose one as the base of your bowl. I prefer to use both because I like the variety.

The base ingredients for the recipe on a white marble backdrop.
  • Brown Rice: In classic CAVA fashion, I use brown rice for my copycat recipe. I love the nutty flavors of brown Jasmine rice, which you can cook on the stove or in a pressure cooker. However, brown basmati rice would also work. You can cook the rice in water or use chicken stock or vegetable broth to make it even more flavorful.
  • Salad greens: Use spring mix, chopped romaine lettuce, or baby spinach. Or, if you want to follow in the footsteps of CAVA, mix them all up and make your own “SuperGreens” mix. 

The Protein:

I chose their fan favorite, Honey Harissa Chicken, for the protein in my CAVA copycat bowl recipe. You’ll need:

CAVA Harissa chicken ingredients from the top view.
  • Chicken thighs or breasts: For extra juiciness, use skinless, boneless chicken thighs, or opt for chicken breasts for a leaner option.
  • Harissa paste: This bold and spicy North African condiment is the star of this CAVA harissa chicken bowls recipe, providing its signature smoky heat and bold flavors. You can make harissa from scratch, use a shortcut by making it with harissa powder, or simply buy it from the store. Trader Joe’s and Mina (affiliate link) are two nationwide brands that I recommend. 
  • Fresh Garlic: I prefer fresh garlic for its rich flavors, but you can use garlic powder in a pinch.
  • Lemon juice: A small amount of freshly squeezed lemon juice adds a bright, tangy note to balance the spiciness of the harissa.
  • Honey: Adding honey does not make the recipe sweeter. Instead, it helps balance the heat coming from harissa and adds a unique layer of flavor.

The Toppings:

You can add as many toppings as you like! Below are the ones I used in my CAVA bowl at home, but feel free to customize with as many or as few as you’d prefer. 

Toppings for the recipe from the top view.

The Dressing Ingredients:

While CAVA offers several different dressing options, I always chose their hot harissa vinaigrette because it is truly delicious. You can adjust the spiciness based on your taste buds. You’ll need:

Ingredients for Cava harissa dressing.

How To Make CAVA Bowls At Home?

Making your own CAVA bowl at home is straightforward. It involves prepping the chicken, cooking the rice, whipping the dressing, and assembling the bowl with your favorite toppings. Below is a step-by-step breakdown of how I do it:

To Make the Harissa Honey Chicken:

A collage of images showing how to make CAVA harissa honey chicken.
  1. Prep the chicken: Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. 
  2. Make the marinade: Into a large bowl (one that will accommodate all of the chicken) add harissa, minced garlic, lemon juice, and honey. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
  3. Marinate: Add the chicken and give it a big toss to ensure all of the chicken thighs are coated with the marinade. Cover with stretch film (or a lid) and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors soak in. 
  4. Bake: Preheat your oven to 400°F and bake the marinated chicken for 13-15 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Let it rest, then cut it into small pieces.

To Cook the Rice

A collage of images showing how to cook rice for CAVA bowls.
  1. Rinse: This is a personal preference, but I’d like to start with washing my rice.
  2. Boil the liquid: Over medium-high heat, bring water or stock, olive oil, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan.
  3. Simmer the rice: Add the rinsed rice, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Do your best not to open the lid too often to trap in all the moisture.
  4. Rest and fluff: After the liquid is absorbed, let the rice rest for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Taste for seasoning and add more if necessary. Sprinkle with black pepper and garnish with parsley if preferred.

To Make the Dressing

A collage of images showing how to make CAVA harissa dressing.
  1. Prep the ingredients: Add olive oil, lemon juice, harissa sauce, honey, garlic, salt, and black pepper in a mason jar. 
  2. Shake: Put the lid on and shake until emulsified. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To Assemble the Bowls

Photos showing how to assemble CAVA chicken bowls.
  1. Build your base: Place ½ cup brown rice and a handful of salad greens in a bowl. 
  2. Add the chicken: Pile on the cubed CAVA harissa chicken. 
  3. Add the condiments: Using a spoon or a small cookie scoop – affiliate link (just like they do at CAVA), add a scoop of hummus, tzatziki, and Crazy feta. Continue adding chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, corn, and pickled onions.
  4. Drizzle with vinaigrette: Finish with a light drizzle of harissa vinaigrette and enjoy!

How To Make Ahead and Store Leftovers?

The best way to make a CAVA bowl at home is to prepare some components in advance, saving time and making it an excellent meal-prep option. This way, the bowls can be assembled in minutes once the chicken is cooked. The good news is the leftovers store well, too. Here’s how I do it:

  • To Make ahead:
    • Marinade the chicken and store it in the fridge a day before.
    • Cook the rice ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. Reheat it gently in the microwave or stovetop before serving.
    • The CAVA harissa vinaigrette can be made up to a week in advance and stored in the fridge. Give it a good shake before using it.
    • Prep all the toppings (cucumbers, tomatoes, salad greens, hummus, tzatziki, etc.) and place them in separate containers to maintain their freshness for up to 2 days in advance.
    • On the day you plan to serve, bake the chicken, warm the rice, and assemble the bowl according to the recipe.
  • To store leftovers:
    • Store the cooked components (chicken, rice, and toppings) in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator.
    • Warm the chicken and rice right before you assemble your CAVA bowls. You can warm them in the microwave or a low-heat (300 F) oven until warmed thoroughly, 4-5 minutes.
    • Assemble the bowls just before serving to avoid soggy greens.
    • Leftover bowls can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, but keep the vinaigrette on the side and drizzle just before serving.

Recipe Variations

The good news is that you can take this CAVA copycat recipe as a starting point and turn it into your own masterpiece. Below are a few recipe variations to help you make it your own:

Person drizzling CAVA chicken recipe with harissa vinaigrette.

Expert Tips

While this CAVA recipe is pretty straightforward, there are a few things I’d like to mention to save time and help you get the best results on your first try:

  • Store-bought condiments: If you are short on time, there is nothing wrong with buying some condiments from the grocery store. Nowadays, many options and brands offer high-quality and delicious hummus, tzatziki, and even pickled onions at stores.
  • Prewashed salad greens: Most restaurants use triple-washed (and dried) salad greens. You can, too. It is a big-time saver.
  • Buffet Style: This is a fantastic recipe for serving a crowd. I like to serve it buffet style by placing all the ingredients in bowls and having my guests assemble their own Cava bowls. 
  • Serve warm or cold: While you can warm up the leftovers in the oven (or microwave), I usually eat them cold or at room temperature. Since the chicken is fully cooked, serving it without warming up is perfectly fine.

FAQs

Can you keep CAVA bowl in the fridge?

Yes, you can. For best results, store all the components in separate air-tight containers in the fridge. They should store well for up to 3 days, but it is best to keep any dressings separately and use them right before serving to avoid sogginess. 

What type of rice does CAVA use?

CAVA used to use a brand called Rightrice, but that brand is no longer available. Nowadays, they offer brown rice or saffron Basmati rice. 

What is in Emma Chamberlain’s CAVA bowl?

Emma Chamberlain’s CAVA bowl has a base of super greens and it is topped with falafel, pickled onions, Kalamata olives, cubed avocado, crumbled feta, spicy hummus, and schug (Yemeni green chili and herb sauce).


If you make your own Cava Bowl Recipe following our recipe, I would greatly appreciate it if you could take a minute to rate it and leave a comment below. It is a great way to support this website and help those planning to make it. Also, if you took pictures, I’d love to see them. Share your creations on Instagram using #foolproofeats so I can share them with the Foolproof Living community.

Diet Key

This Recipe is:

Copycat CAVA Bowl Recipe

No ratings yet
Yields6 servings
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Marinating Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
If you are a fan of Mediterranean flavors, this copycat CAVA bowl recipe is for you. Healthy, filling, and satisfying, these bowls feature rice, salad greens, spicy harissa honey chicken, and toppings like tzatziki, hummus, feta cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, and more. Drizzled with harissa vinaigrette, they are a restaurant-quality meal you can make in your own kitchen.

Ingredients 

For the Harissa Honey Chicken:

  • 2 pounds chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ cup harissa
  • 5 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • ¼ cup honey

For The Rice

  • 2 cups water , or vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup brown jasmine rice, thoroughly rinsed – or basmati rice
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped, optional

For The Harissa Vinaigrette:

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice, or white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons harissa , or 1 tablespoon harissa powder
  • 1 tablespoon honey, or maple syrup for a vegan option
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

For The Toppings

  • 6 cups salad greens, washed and spin dried
  • 1 cup cucumbers, diced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ½ cup Pickled red onions
  • 1 cup hummus
  • ½ cup Crazy Feta, or crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 cup Kalamata olives
  • 1 cup Tzatziki
  • 1 cup corn, grilled or canned (and drained)
  • Pita bread chips, optional

Instructions 

  • To Make The Harissa Honey Chicken: Pat dry chicken thighs with paper towels and season them with salt and pepper on both sides. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the harissa sauce, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, and honey until fully combined.
  • Add the chicken thighs and toss to ensure that they are fully coated with the harissa mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. If preferred, you can do this a day in advance.
  • Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F/204 degrees Celsius. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Arrange the chicken thighs evenly on top. Brush any leftover sauce over the chicken.
  • Bake for 13- 15 minutes or until the internal temperature of a chicken thigh is 165 degrees F when a meat thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of it.
  • Cover with foil and rest for 10 minutes. Cut the chicken into bite-sized cubes and set aside.
  • To Cook The Rice: Place your cooking liquid, olive oil, and salt in a medium-sized saucepan over high heat. Cover and bring it to a boil.
  • Add the rice and bring it to a boil. As soon as it reaches a boil, put the lid on and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 30 minutes without peaking.
  • At the end of 30 minutes of simmering, open the lid and check whether the liquid has been fully absorbed. If it hasn’t, continue to simmer at 5-minute increments until no liquid is left.
  • Turn the heat off and let it rest for 10 minutes with the lid on.
  • When ready to serve, gently fluff it with a fork. Season with black pepper and garnish with chopped parsley.
  • For the harissa vinaigrette: In a mason jar, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, harissa, honey, garlic, kosher salt, and pepper.
  • Cover and shake until emulsified, about 30 seconds. Adjust seasoning to your desired taste. Keep it in the refrigerator until ready to use, and shake well before using.
  • To assemble the Cava Bowls: Divide cooked rice among 6 bowls, followed by a handful of spring mix, harissa chicken, and your preferred toppings.
  • Using a cookie scoop or a serving spoon, top each bowl with a dollop of tzatziki, hummus, and Crazy Feta (or crumbled feta). Add tomatoes, cucumbers, pickled red onions, olives, and corn.
  • Drizzle each bowl lightly with harissa vinaigrette and serve with pita bread or pita chips on the side.

Notes

  • Yields: This recipe makes 6 servings, but it could be a little more or less based on the toppings you use. The nutritional values below are per serving, but keep in mind that they are estimates and can change based on the toppings you use.
  • Prep and cook time: The abovementioned timing does not include the time needed to prepare the toppings. I would recommend checking the individual recipe and plan accordingly based on the toppings you plan to use in your grain bowl.
  • Save on time: I highly recommend prepping the toppings and marinating the chicken a day in advance to make it a quick and easy meal.
  • Storage: When storing leftovers, it is best to place them in individual containers and store them in the fridge. Most components of this DIY CAVA bowl recipe should store well for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 786kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 2161mg | Potassium: 807mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 1238IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 127mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Tried this recipe?Mention @foolproofliving or tag #foolproofeats!

About Aysegul Sanford

Hello Friend! I'm Aysegul but you can call me โ€œIce." Iโ€™m the cook/recipe-tester/photographer behind this site.

If youโ€™re looking for approachable, yet creative recipes made with everyday ingredients, youโ€™ve come to the right place. Here, weโ€™re all about recipes thatโ€™s been meticulously tested to provide you with a truly foolproof cooking experience regardless of your level of cooking.

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2 Comments

  1. I havenโ€™t eaten at CAVA but our favorite restaurant is a family owned Mediterranean Restaurant that offers bowls that can be customized with different proteins.
    Would like to try this recipe. Is 15 to 20 minutes in the oven long enough to cook boneless skinless chicken thighs?

    1. Hello Maureen,
      While I call it a Copycat CAVA Bowl recipe, it is actually a Mediterranean bowl, so hopefully it won’t be too far off from your local restaurants’ food.
      The answer to your question is yes. We have tested this recipe many times and never failed us.
      Please let me know if I can answer any other questions.
      Best,
      Aysegul