Marinated grilled Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki Sauce is perfect tucked inside pita, served over rice, or piled on top of a crisp salad. The simple Greek chicken skewers are an easy and healthy dinner with tons of fresh flavor!
This dish totally reminds me of summer dinners from my childhood! It's one of my mom's favorite meals, so she served it often during the warm weather months. When I recently got a hankering for a chicken souvlaki pita of my own, I snagged a copy of my mom's recipe from the binder in her kitchen...and now I'm sharing it here! I know that you're going to love this healthy, authentic Greek chicken recipe just as much as we do!
What is Souvlaki Chicken?
Souvlaki is a popular Greek dish consisting of small pieces of meat and sometimes vegetables grilled on a skewer. It is usually eaten straight off the skewer while still hot, but can also be served on a platter with pita bread, fried potatoes, lemon, and yogurt sauces (such as Tzatziki). Like American hamburgers, souvlaki is a popular fast food and is considered a Greek national dish. In Greece, it's typically made with pork; however, chicken, beef, lamb and even fish may also be used.
The difference between Souvlaki and Gyros:
While they're both Greek fast foods made with meat, it's important that you don't confuse souvlaki with gyros. The distinction between the two dishes comes in how the meat is prepared and cooked. Souvlaki is made with small pieces of grilled meat skewered on a stick, while a gyro consists of slices of meat shaved from a vertical rotisserie.
How to make Chicken Souvlaki:
This simple and nourishing meal comes together with a few simple steps -- marinating the meat, skewering the kabobs, and grilling the chicken. Let's get started!
Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- Red onion
- Garlic
- Lemons
- Red wine vinegar
- Oregano
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Step 1: Prepare the Chicken Souvlaki Marinade
The souvlaki seasoning consists of fresh herbs (such as oregano), red onion, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, and plenty of salt and pepper.
Step 2: Marinate the Chicken
Add the chicken to the marinade and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Step 3: Prepare the Tzatziki Sauce
While the chicken marinates, you'll have time to stir together the homemade Tzatziki. This is a classic sauce from Southeast Europe and the Middle East, which is made of salted strained yogurt or diluted yogurt mixed with cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil, sometimes with vinegar or lemon juice, and herbs such as dill, mint, parsley and thyme.
Just stir the Tzatziki ingredients together, cover and refrigerate until you're ready to serve the chicken. It's a perfect cool, creamy balance to the warm grilled meat.
Step 4: Skewer the Chicken
Thread the chicken onto wooden skewers and discard the marinade.
Step 5: Grill the Chicken
Grill the chicken over medium-high heat on an outdoor grill or on a grill pan on the stovetop. The chicken will need about 8 minutes on the grill, turning halfway through. It's done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
How to serve Chicken Souvlaki:
There are a few classic sides that go well with the chicken souvlaki skewers. You can assemble the ingredients in bowls, you can serve the grilled chicken on salad, or you can wrap it up in pita for a chicken souvlaki sandwich! Here are few easy options to pair with the grilled meat:
- Tzatziki sauce
- Warm pita bread
- Rice
- Grilled or roasted vegetables
- Olives
- Feta cheese
- Chopped lettuce
- Sliced fresh cucumber and tomatoes
- Lemon wedges
- Fresh herbs (such as parsley, oregano or dill)
If you're serving wine with your souvlaki chicken, here are a few nice choices:
- Reisling (a medium-dry white wine)
- Cabernet Sauvignon (an oaky dry red wine)
- Chardonnay (an oaky white wine)
Preparation and Storage Tips:
- Make ahead: You can marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours, but I don’t recommend marinating for much longer than that. Too much time in the acidic marinade can cause the chicken to become mushy. You can also assemble the Tzatziki up to 12 hours in advance.
- Leftover chicken souvlaki will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- You can also store the chicken in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Cook's Tips and Recipe Variations:
- It's important to squeeze the liquid out of the grated cucumber before adding it to the Tzatziki sauce. I like to wring it out in a dish towel over the sink. This extra step helps to ensure a thick, creamy sauce!
- Don't forget to soak the wooden skewers in water before threading with the meat. This will prevent them from burning on the grill.
- For a beef souvlaki recipe, use the same marinade with cubed beef. You can thread the beef on skewers and grill it just as you would the chicken.
- I recommend using 2% or whole milk Greek yogurt (not non-fat Greek yogurt) for the Tzatziki.
- How to make Chicken Souvlaki in the Oven: Preheat the broiler and place the rack about 5-6 inches from the top of the oven. Place the skewers on a large baking sheet, and broil for 6-8 minutes, turning once, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside.
- If you want to pan-fry the Chicken Souvlaki, you can skip the step of threading the cubed meat on the skewers. Instead, just pan-fry the marinated chicken in olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink inside.
More grilled chicken recipes that you might enjoy:
- Garlic and Herb Grilled Chicken Breast
- “No Work” Marinated Grilled Chicken Breasts
- Teriyaki Grilled Chicken Breasts
- 5-Minute Tuscan Chicken Marinade
- Maria’s Ranch Chicken Kabobs
Chicken Souvlaki
Ingredients
FOR THE MARINADE:
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Juice from 2 lemons
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh oregano (or ½ teaspoon dried oregano)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
FOR THE TZATZIKI SAUCE:
- 1 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
- ½ of an English seedless cucumber, peeled, grated and squeezed dry
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh dill
- Dash of pepper
- Optional, for serving: pita bread, chopped tomatoes, sliced cucumber, lettuce, feta cheese, olives, rice, grilled or roasted vegetables
Instructions
MARINATE THE CHICKEN:
- In a large bowl or large Ziploc bag, combine marinade ingredients. Add the chicken, toss to coat with the marinade, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Stir the chicken once halfway through the marinating time.
PREPARE THE TZATZIKI SAUCE:
- While the chicken marinates, prepare the Tzatziki Sauce. In a bowl, stir together the tzatziki ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
GRILL THE CHICKEN:
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard marinade. Thread the chicken onto wooden skewers that have been soaked in water.
- Heat a grill pan or an outdoor grill over medium-high heat. Brush the grates with oil to prevent the chicken from sticking. Add the chicken to the grill and cook for about 6-8 minutes, turning once. The meat is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Serve the chicken skewers with the Tzatziki and other optional ingredients.
Notes
- Make ahead: You can marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours, but I don’t recommend marinating for much longer than that. Too much time in the acidic marinade can cause the chicken to become mushy. You can also assemble the Tzatziki up to 12 hours in advance.
- It's important to squeeze the liquid out of the grated cucumber before adding it to the Tzatziki sauce. I like to wring it out in a dish towel over the sink. This extra step helps to ensure a thick, creamy sauce!
- Don't forget to soak the wooden skewers in water before threading with the meat. This will prevent them from burning on the grill.
- For a beef souvlaki recipe, use the same marinade with cubed beef. You can thread the beef on skewers and grill it just as you would the chicken.
- I recommend using 2% or whole milk Greek yogurt (not non-fat Greek yogurt) for the Tzatziki.
- How to make Chicken Souvlaki in the Oven: Preheat the broiler and place the rack about 5-6 inches from the top of the oven. Place the skewers on a large baking sheet, and broil for 6-8 minutes, turning once, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside.
- If you want to pan-fry the Chicken Souvlaki, you can skip the step of threading the cubed meat on the skewers. Instead, just pan-fry the marinated chicken in olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink inside.
I make a LOT of tzatziki sauce for my Greek wife and her community, and I use a few different tricks. Almost everyone uses regular cucumbers and seeds them, grates them and presses the juices through a wire strainer (which makes a refreshing drink!). I cut the sour Greek yogurt by thickening it up with an equal amount of regular sour cream (but never Daisy brand), and I add much less lemon juice, if any at all (lemon zest or extract are less sour). My two main spices are dill and mint, and sometimes oregano. I also add a splash of raspberry red wine vinegar for a taste that can't be identified but adds a lot of flavor. And most recipes call for some EVOO, which not only adds flavor, but solidifies when chilled and thickens up the sauce.
Wow, those are great tips, Ed. Thank you! 🙂