Go Back
–+ servings
Grey plate with chicken souvlaki, kalamata olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onion.
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Chicken Souvlaki - Easy Greek Chicken Skewers

My juicy and delicious Chicken Souvlaki is easy to make and perfect on top of a salad, over rice, in a pita, or by itself!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Greek
Servings: 6
Author: James Delmage

Equipment

  • 8 wooden skewers soaked in water for at least 1 hour

Ingredients

Base ingredients

  • 3 pounds chicken breasts cut into 1- 1.5" cubes
  • 6 pita
  • 2 large tomatoes sliced
  • 1 medium red onion sliced
  • 1 large cucumber sliced

For the marinade

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 3 cloves garlic grated
  • 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon dried greek oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme

For the tzatziki sauce

  • 1 cucumber
  • 2 cups Greek yogurt drained
  • 2 tablespoons dill minced
  • 1 clove garlic grated
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • salt to taste
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Marinate the chicken

  • Cut the chicken breasts into 1 to 1 1/2" cubes.
  • Blend or whisk the marinade ingredients and pour into a sealable plastic bag with the chicken. Use your hands to spread the marinade all over the chicken. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours but preferably overnight, flipping the chicken at the halfway point to ensure even marination.

Make the tzatziki sauce

  • Peel the cucumber and cut in half lengthwise. With a spoon scoop out and dicard the seeds. Grate the cucumber onto a clean kitchen towel and squeeze to remove the excess liquid. Add the cucumber to a bowl along with the drained yogurt, garlic, dill, extra virgin olive oil, and red wine vinegar. Mix well and season with salt to taste.

Skewer and grill the chicken souvlaki

  • Remove the chicken from the fridge and thread the chicken onto the soaked wooden skewers or use metal skewers. Leave a few inches on both sides of the skewers.
  • Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat (400°F-450°F). Wipe the grates with oil or cooking spray. Grill the souvlaki for 3-4 minutes per side, rotating so that each side is grilled, until the internal temperature of the chicken is 160°F. Remove the skewers to a platter and tent with foil.
  • Serve with warmed pita, red onion, tomatoes, cucumber, and tatziki sauce. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Skewers.  Make sure to soak wood skewers for at least 1 hour before cooking so that they don't burn off during cooking, or just use metal skewers.
  • Oven method.  Broil (use metal skewers) for 5-6 minutes per side on the second highest level or bake at 425°F for 15-20 minutes or until the center of chicken reaches 160°F internal temperature.  For thighs, cook until the center registers at least 185°F.
  • Chicken. Chicken breast is recommended but boneless skinless chicken thighs are excellent.  If using chicken thighs, make sure to cook until they reach at least 185°F temperature.  Chicken thighs have large amount of connective tissue and cooking to a higher internal temp melts the tough collagen resulting in more tender meat.
  • Other cuts of meat.  Pork or veal tenderloin cut into chunks works great for souvlaki.  Cook until internal temperature hits 140°F.
  • Storing  and Leftovers. Chicken souvlaki can be stored for up to 3 days in the fridge.  Reheat in the microwave or in the oven until warm.   Leftover tzatziki sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 665kcal | Carbohydrates: 56.9g | Protein: 58.1g | Fat: 21.1g | Saturated Fat: 2.3g | Cholesterol: 146mg | Sodium: 1311mg | Fiber: 2.2g | Sugar: 2.5g | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 3mg

QR code

Scan this QR code with your phone's camera to view this recipe on your mobile device.

qr code