Greek Chicken Souvlaki

Chicken Souvlaki – Sometimes, all you need is a few simple ingredients to create some amazing flavors. These Greek skewers are one of those recipes.

I marinate bite-sized chunks of chicken with lemon juice, oregano, and garlic, and then I can grill, bake, or cook them on the stovetop.

And really, all it takes is about 20 minutes of my hands-on time to bring out these delicious Greek flavors!

I love Greek cuisine. In fact, my Fasolada may be my number one go to quick comfort food. And when I want something on the gourmet side, Shrimp Saganaki and Soutzoukakia are some of my favorites.

But this chicken souvlaki takes the gold when I want great Greek food with minimal effort. The secret is in the marinade…

What is Souvlaki?

Souvlaki, pronounced “soov-la-kee”, is a popular Greek street food. Bite sized pieces of meat are marinated, then grilled on a skewer. In fact, the word itself means “meat on skewers”.

They are often eaten right off the skewer, but also commonly find their way into pitas. Souvlaki can be made with different types of meat, but today I am going with chicken.

Ingredients Needed

• Chicken – Chicken tenders or breast are more traditional, but thighs work great too.
• Extra virgin olive oil – Good quality, please.
• Lemon juice – Always freshly squeezed.
• Oregano – I am using dried. If you have fresh, use triple the amount.
• Salt and pepper

Chicken Souvlaki Recipe

I cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and place them in a zip top bag. I mix all of the marinade ingredients together and pour it over the chicken.

I squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible, then seal it. I make sure everything is combined well by agitating the bag with my hands, then I let it marinate in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours, or even better, overnight.

I skewer the chicken onto metal skewers, or wooden skewers that I’ve soaked in water for at least 30 minutes. Then, I cook it according to any of the following method depending on my mood that day.

• Grill Method: I preheat the grill over medium-high heat and grill the skewers for 8-10 minutes, turning them halfway through.
• Oven Method: To bake them, I preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. I place the skewers on a baking sheet lined with a wire rack and bake for 15 minutes, then broil for a couple more minutes to get a nice char.
• Stovetop Method: For this method, I heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, then cook the skewers for 6-8 minutes per side.

After cooking, I transfer the skewers to a serving platter and let them rest for 3 minutes before serving. This helps the juices redistribute, making the chicken even more flavorful.

Serving Suggestions

So many options here!

I like to serve my chicken souvlaki as part of a Mezze Platter along with olives, veggies and dips like Hummus, Melitzanosalata and Tyrokafteri.

They’re great over a fresh salad for a light, low carb meal.

I love these Greek chicken bites in pitas with fixings like tomatoes, cucumber and Tzatziki.

Some days I make a bowl meal. I put a bed of rice, like my Greek Lemon Rice, in a bowl and top it with souvlaki and grilled veggies like eggplant, tomatoes, peppers or mushrooms.

Have it alongside our Loaded Layered Hummus Dip and some pita bread.

Jason’s Tips

• Marination Time: The longer I let the chicken sit in the marinade, the tastier it gets. I find that letting it marinate overnight really soaks in the flavors.
• Seal the Flavor: When I close the zip top bag, I push out as much air as I can. This way, the marinade touches more of the chicken, making it even tastier.
• Skewer Preparation: If I use wooden skewers, I soak them in water first. This stops them from burning up on the grill.
• Even Pieces for Even Cooking: I make sure to cut the chicken into pieces that are all the same size. This helps them cook evenly, no matter how I decide to cook them.
• Resting is Key: After cooking, I let the chicken rest a few minutes. This makes sure all the juices spread out inside the meat, making it really juicy and tender.

Try my Greek flavors in your own kitchen. You’ll be amazed by how a few humble ingredients can transform your chicken. When you try it, let us know how you like it.

Save or pin this recipe for those busy days. And be sure to subscribe to GypsyPlate, we’re always cooking up new easy recipes for you!

Chicken Souvlaki, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!

Try these other great Mediterranean Dishes!
Chicken Marbella
Crockpot Greek Chicken
Steak Pizzaiola
Shrimp with Polenta
Chicken Pastina Soup
Ribollita Soup
Pasta e Piselli
Fasolakia

Greek Chicken Souvlaki

Yield: 8-10 skewers

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

My Greek Chicken Souvlaki is beautifully marinated chicken bites, skewered and cooked to perfection.

Print

Ingredients

• 2lb chicken (boneless skinless tenders, breasts or thighs)
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• juice of 1 large lemon
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1.5 Tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper

Instructions

1. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and place in a ziploc bag. Mix all of the marinade ingredients together and pour it over the chicken. Squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible, then seal. Combine everything well by agitating the bag with your hands, then marinate in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours (or better yet, overnight).
2. Skewer the chicken onto metal skewers, or wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for at least 30 minutes.
3. Cook according to your preferred method:
   Grill Method: Preheat over medium high heat and grill skewers 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally.
   Oven Method: Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the skewers on a baking sheet lined with a wire rack. Bake for 15 minutes, then broil for a couple more minutes.
   Stovetop Method: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook skewers 6-8 minutes per side.
4. After cooking, transfer to a serving platter and let rest for 3 minutes before serving.

Notes

1. Leftovers: Leftover souvlaki can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days. If freezing, keep in a freezer bag with as much air squeezed out as possible and use within one month for best quality.
2. For a better freezing option, freeze uncooked souvlaki along with the marinade in freezer bags for up to 6 months. When ready to use, just thaw overnight in the fridge, then cook them the next day.

Nutrition Information

Yield 10 Serving Size 1 skewer
Amount Per Serving Calories 253Total Fat 17gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 85mgSodium 298mgCarbohydrates 1gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 22g

Nutrition information calculated by Nutritionix.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.