Regarding Greek food, there are few things more iconic than souvlaki. This dish of grilled meats, traditionally pork, chicken, or lamb, is one of the staples of Greek street food. While this dish has many variations, this homemade Greek chicken souvlaki hits all the key notes: bright, crisp flavors, tender, flavorful meat, and a zesty lemon-oregano marinade. It’s the perfect balance of savory and acidic.
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Whether you’re grilling indoors or out, this recipe is easy to follow and yields delicious results. The key to perfectly cooked chicken souvlaki is to use a hot grill and cook the meat for just a few minutes per side. That way, the exterior gets nice and crispy while the inside stays juicy and succulent. Serve your chicken skewers with warm pita bread and tzatziki sauce for an authentic taste of Greece! Thanks for
You may ask me, what is Greek Souvlaki?
Souvlaki – like kabobs – simply stands for “meat-on-a-skewer.” However, most Greeks use this term to describe both the actual meat on a skewer and pita-wrapped meat, specifying the type of meat and method of roasting separately. The wrap is loaded with marinated grilled meat and topped with tzatziki sauce, tomatoes, onions, and even a handful of fries. But chicken souvlaki is also eaten on its own as street food and at home.
Whenever I visit Greece, I try to start my vacation with my favorite street foods!
Here in the US, you can find Greek chicken souvlaki at Greek restaurants and at the festival of the local Greek church. Well, not only. You can easily make it at home.
Ingredients to use for Greek Chicken Souvlaki
- Boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced into 1-inch pieces
- Lemon juice
- Garlic
- Dried oregano
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Wooden or metal skewers
How to Make the Greek Chicken Souvlaki
To make the best chicken souvlaki, you need good quality chicken and a great Greek Chicken souvlaki marinade.
Greek Chicken Souvlaki Marinade.
The marinade is the most important step in making the perfect, traditional Greek chicken souvlaki.
The chicken is first diced and marinated to get infused with all the wonderful, bright Mediterranean flavors, threaded onto the skewers, and then grilled to high temperature to get crunchy on the outside. But, at the same time, it remains juicy on the inside.
The Greek Chicken Souvlaki Marinade is a simple, classic marinade perfectly balancing the flavors of garlic oregano, extra virgin olive oil, and lemon juice.
For best results, let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours or overnight. If you are short on time, let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes for the chicken to soak up all the aromas and bright flavors.
If you are using wooden skewers, you must soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before building the kabobs. Otherwise, the skewers will burn during the grilling process. So, remember that this is the first step before making the chicken souvlaki.
When threading the chicken pieces loosely on the skewers. This will allow the chicken to cook evenly in between the pieces.
Cooking the Chicken Souvlaki on an outdoor grill
The chicken souvlaki is cooked preferably on a hot grill. Cook on an oiled grate grill, a few minutes on each side. To get tender, juicy chicken souvlaki, try not to overcook them. They cook faster than the entire chicken breast fillet, so keep that in mind to avoid dry and tough chicken skewers.
The chicken is cooked when its internal temperature reaches 165 F. Use an instant reading meat thermometer to check the doneness of the chicken.
Cooking the Chicken Souvlaki indoors
Sometimes, grilling is not an option.
Using the oven
To make the Greek Chicken Souvlaki in the oven, place skewers on a foil-lined pan and turn the broiler on high. Broil 4-5″ from the heat for 5-6 minutes per side or until chicken reaches 165°F.
Using a stovetop grill pan
To make the chicken souvlaki on the stovetop, spray or brush a large grill pan with olive oil and set over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the skewers to the grill pan and cook for 4-5 minutes. Flip each skewer and cook on the remaining side for another 4-5 minutes. Sear the remaining sides for 1 minute each.
What to serve with Greek souvlaki?
Serve the chicken souvlaki with warm pita bread, Greek Tzatziki sauce, sliced tomatoes, thinly sliced onions, and fries for a traditional Greek flare.
You can also serve it with any salad (for example Dill Cucumber Salad, Potato Salad (Mayonnaise Free)) or some rice or both.
Notes / Cooking tips
If you are using wooden skewers, make sure you soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before using them. This will help to prevent them from burning.
If you do not have the time, you can simply marinate the chicken for 30 minutes before cooking. Then, just cover and leave at room temperature.
Make-ahead tips and Storing leftovers
Greek chicken souvlaki is one of those dishes you can prepare a day ahead and cook the day of the party. The longer the luscious marinade is allowed to infuse into the chicken, the more tender and succulent it will be!
If you plan to freeze some of the uncooked chicken skewers:
- Dice a small potato or carrot and use the pieces to cover the pointy tip of the skewers. This will prevent the pointed ends from punching the bags.
- Place the desired number of kabobs in freezer bags.
- Seal the bags, removing as much air as possible.
- Label the bags and freeze.
You can store the grilled chicken souvlaki in the fridge for up to 3 days. Then, just remove the chicken pieces from the skewers, and place them in an airtight glass container before refrigerating.
More Chicken Recipes
Chicken with Green Olives and Capers
Sheet Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs and Vegetables
More Grilling Recipes
Greek Chicken Souvlaki
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Chicken breast fillet skinless, boneless
- ¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp Dried oregano
- 3 tbsp Lemon juice
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- Salt and Freshly ground pepper
- 12 skewers bamboo or metal
- Some oil for the grill grate or pan
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized (1-inch) cubes, and placed it in a bowl.
- In a measuring cup, add olive oil, oregano, lemon juice garlic, salt, and pepper, and whisk well.
- Pour the marinade over the chicken. Mix to coat really well. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.
- If using bamboo skewers, soak them in cold water in a long baking dish, for about 30 minutes before threading the kabobs.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and thread 5 – 6 pieces on each skewer. Discard the remaining marinade.
Using an outdoor grill or a stovetop grill-pan
- Preheat the outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high. Oil the grill grate or the pan.
- Grill the skewers for about 10 to 15 minutes, turning a few times until well browned, the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the center. Be sure to turn skewers evenly to cook on all sides. The internal temperature of the chicken should register 165F on an instant-read thermometer.
If using the oven
- Place skewers on a foi-lined pan, and turn the broiler to high.
- Broil 4-5″ from the heat for 5-6 minutes per side or until chicken reaches 165°F.
Serving
- Transfer chicken to a serving platter, drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil, and a good squeeze of lemon juice.
- Serve with some warm pita bread, Greek Tzatziki sauce, sliced onions, and tomatoes.
Notes
Notes
If you are using wooden skewers, make sure you soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before using them. This will help to prevent them from burning. If you do not have the time, you can simply marinate the chicken for 30 minutes before cooking. Then, just cover and leave at room temperature. Greek chicken souvlaki is one of those dishes you can prepare a day ahead and cook the day of the party. The longer the luscious marinade is allowed to infuse into the chicken, the more tender and succulent it will be! You can store the grilled chicken souvlaki in the fridge for up to 3 days. Then, just remove the chicken pieces from the skewers, and place them in an airtight glass container before refrigerating.If you plan to freeze some of the chicken skewers:
- Dice a small potato or carrot and use the pieces to cover the pointy tip of the skewers. This will prevent the pointed ends from punching the bags.
- Place the desired number of kabobs in freezer bags.
- Seal the bags, removing as much air as possible.
- Label the bags and freeze.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and for entertainment purposes only. This information comes from online calculators. Although eatmediterraneanfood.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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Quinoa Tabouli
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