Greek Chicken Souvlaki Recipe (Seasoned Chicken Kebabs)
This delicious chicken souvlaki recipe is lemon and herb marinated kebabs that are grilled to perfection and served up with tzatziki.
Souvlaki is a classical Greek dish and is marinated and grilled meat kebabs that are often served on the skewer, on pita bread, and always with tzatziki. Souvlaki translates to the word, “skewer.” Traditionally the meat would feature pork or lamb, but in the last century or so, chicken and beef have become popularized.
If you do some research on souvlaki, you’ll find that there are some nuances between the main seasonings and marinade.
Ingredients for this recipe:
• 3 pounds of 1” cubed boneless skinless chicken breasts
• ½ peeled and julienne large red onion
• 3 mashed garlic cloves
• Juice of 1 large lemon
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ teaspoons dry oregano
• 1 teaspoon dry rosemary or thyme
• 1 teaspoon each paprika and cumin (optional)
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
Serves 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Marinate time: 12 hours
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Procedures:
1. Add the chicken to a large bowl along with the onions, cloves, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, oregano, rosemary, optional ingredients, salt, and pepper, and mix thoroughly until completely combined.
2. Cover in plastic and keep in the refrigerator overnight or for up to 24 hours.
3. Preheat the grill to high heat, between 450° and 550° F.
4. Skewer the chicken meat between 8 10” skewers or until all of the meat has been skewered.
5. Place the souvlaki directly onto the hot grill about ½” to 1” apart from each other and cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until browned and cooked throughout.
6. Serve with lemon, tzatziki, and pita.
Chef Notes:
Make-Ahead: This is meant to be eaten as soon as it is done grilling. You can keep warm on a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment or wrapped in foil and keep in the oven on low heat for up to 30 minutes before serving.
How to Reheat: Place the desired amount of souvlaki directly onto a hot grill on high heat and cook for 2-3 minutes or until hot. Alternatively, you can place the souvlaki skewers on a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper and heat them in the oven at 375° for 5-7 minutes or until warmed. You can also remove the chicken from the skewer and heat it in the microwave until hot.
How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Remove the meat from the skewer, cover, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
You may also use de-boned chicken thigh or drum meat.
Feel free to cook on the skewers under the broiler in the oven.
Recipe Video:
