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    Home » Recipes » All Recipes

    Greek Chicken Souvlaki Recipe

    Published: Mar 8, 2022

    Note: This site is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for the site to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.

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    This Greek chicken souvlaki is easy to make, full of flavor, and the resulting grilled chicken skewers are juicy! Serve with my homemade tzatziki - perfection!

    Several grilled chicken soulaki skewers on a platter with red onions, tomatoes, and cucumber slices.

    Authentic chicken souvlaki is such an amazing dish, especially considering what an easy recipe it is to make!

    It’s one of the most famous Greek chicken recipes, and one of the most popular street foods, both in Greece and here in Canada.

    Most outdoor festivals will have at least one Greek souvlaki vendor, with the smoke from their charcoal grill enticing people over to buy their freshly grilled slices of meat.

    I’m sure it seemed a bit odd when this classic Greek street food was included in “More Than Poutine: Favourite Foods from My Home and Native Land”!

    Several skewers of Green chicken souvlaki on a bed of lettuce, with tomatoes and lemon slices.

    The thing is, when asking for what recipes fellow Canadian expats wanted in this book, souvlaki came up frequently.

    Yes, it's a Greek dish... but for some reason, a lot of Canadians living away can't find GOOD souvlaki - if they can find it at all!

    We are totally spoiled for various ethnic foods, here in Canada ... and that’s how my recipe for the famous juicy chicken skewers ended up in a Canadian themed cookbook.

    Anyway, this is a super easy recipe to make, great for an easy weeknight dinner. Let’s get to it!

    A Note on Timing

    I like to start this Greek chicken souvlaki out the night before: Marinating the chicken, and allowing the yogurt for my Tzatziki Recipe to strain in the fridge.

    The next morning, I finish making the tzatziki, and return it to the fridge. Chilling the finished tzatziki for a few hours allows the flavours to come together nicely.

    Several skewers of Green chicken souvlaki on a bed of lettuce, with tomatoes and lemon slices.

    Souvlaki Chicken Ingredients

    This flavorful Greek chicken souvlaki recipe requires only a few simple ingredients to make:

    Chicken

    I find that boneless, skinless chicken breasts is the best chicken for this, but feel free to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. While this is written as a chicken recipe, feel free to use pork tenderloin, or even lamb!

    (That would be pork souvlaki or lamb souvlaki, not chicken... LOL)

    Simple Marinade

    The marinade is made from the following ingredients:

    Olive oil
    Fresh lemon juice & lemon zest
    Garlic cloves
    Dried oregano
    Salt
    Ground black pepper

    Tzatziki

    Making chicken souvlaki skewers is a fantastic excuse to throw on a batch of my Tzatziki - the Greek yogurt sauce with grated cucumber!

    Note: You’ll want to start that going the day before making your souvlaki.

    Several grilled chicken soulaki skewers on a platter with red onions, tomatoes, and cucumber slices.

    Equipment

    There are two main pieces of equipment you’ll need for this, and both have options.

    Skewers

    Assuming you don’t have a vertical rotisserie at home - who would? - you’re going to want some kind of Kebab Skewers to cook your grilled meat on.

    “Wooden skewers” are usually actually Bamboo Skewers.

    These are a great option if you can plan ahead and don’t want to bother washing them afterwards - you can just toss them in your compost when you’re done eating.

    You will want to soak them in warm water for an hour or so before using them on an open flame, though. (Less necessary if you’re using an indoor grill as your cooking method)

    Metal Skewers are a great option if you’re not into planning ahead, don’t want to worry about them catching fire, and don’t mind washing them afterwards.

    A Grill

    You can grill these any way you like - indoors or out.

    Personally, I prefer the taste of these grilled outside, over charcoal... but outdoor / propane works also.

    ... and I’m not going to forgo souvlaki in the winter months - when my husband doesn’t want to grill outdoors - when indoor grills are a thing!

    The photos on this post are of chicken done both ways - outdoors and indoors. The flatter looking skewers were cooked on our Cuisinart Indoor Grill

    Several skewers of Green chicken souvlaki on a bed of lettuce, with tomatoes and lemon slices.

    How to Make Greek Chicken Souvlaki

    The full recipe is in a recipe card at the end of this post, this is a pictorial overview with additional information and tips

    Marinate the Chicken

    Trim chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces. I usually aim for 1" cubes, but small pieces of meat will cook faster.

    Place chicken pieces into a into a non-metallic bowl / dish (with a lid), or a ziplock baggie.

    A 2 part image showing chicken breast cut up and placed in a large freezer bag.

    In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.

    A 5 part image showing the souvlaki marinade being made.

    Pour chicken souvlaki marinade over chicken, stir well to coat. Seal your baggie / cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid, and chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

    A 2 part image showing the marinade being added to the bag of chicken and sealed.

    This is an important step - the marinating is what makes it juicy!

    Grill The Chicken

    Several hours later - or the next day - get your chicken skewers ready.

    If you’re grilling over a flame and using anything other than a metal skewer, soak in water for an hour or so. This simple step will help prevent scorching/burning to some degree,

    If I marinated the chicken in a baggie, I’ll usually transfer the marinated chicken to a large bowl before proceeding, to make it easier to see and access the pieces of chicken.

    Thread a piece of chicken onto a skewer, pushing it down as far as you’d like it. Follow with more pieces of chicken, aiming to keep an even thickness up the length of the skewer.

    As you finish threading each, place chicken skewers on a large baking sheet.

    I like to do this not only to make them easy to bring to the outdoor grill, but also to keep kitchen work surfaces free from raw chicken contact.

    A 5 part image showing chicken being threaded onto bamboo skewers and lined up on a baking sheet.

    Heat your grill with vegetable oil if needed / desired (especially indoor grills).

    Place skewers on the hot grill - medium-high heat or high heat for the best grill marks!

    Grill until cooked through - until the internal temperature registers 165F on a meat thermometer, if you’re using one.

    A 2 part image showing chicken skewers being grilled on an indoor grill.

    Serve hot, with tzaziki sauce, vegetables, and pita.

    Allow any leftovers to cool to almost room temperature before transferring to an airtight container. Will keep in the fridge for 3 days.

    Several grilled chicken soulaki skewers on a platter with red onions, tomatoes, and cucumber slices.

    Serving Chicken Souvlaki Kabobs

    There are two main ways that we serve this dish:

    Traditional Souvlaki Skewers

    These are fantastic when served right off the grill, with a traditional Greek salad on the side.

    Sometimes I’ll drizzle both with balsamic vinegar, sometimes I’ll heavily sprinkle the skewers with fresh herbs - usually chopped fresh parsley, sometimes we’ll just serve them up straight.

    The only real constant is that there will always be a ton of freshly made Creamy Tzatziki Sauce on hand!

    A Greek Chicken Souvlaki wrap.

    Chicken Souvlaki Pitas

    Is there anything better than freshly grilled, juicy chicken on warm pita bread, smothered in your favorite toppings?

    Also known as chicken gyros, we love doing up our souvlaki in DIY sandwich form. As my husband grills up the chicken, I prepare a tray of toppings, and everyone prepares their own.

    Some of our personal favorite toppings:

    Lettuce
    Chopped or sliced red onion
    Crumbled Feta cheese
    Kalamata olives (pitted, sometimes sliced)

    Need gluten-free pitas? I've got you covered: Check out my Gluten Free Pita Bread recipe, over on Beyond Flour!

    A plate of tomatoe slices, lemon wedges, sliced red onions, and lettuce.

    And, of course, a big bowl of that Tzatziki Dip ! (I might have a minor addiction issue here, LOL).

    Pro tip: Have a roll of paper towel on hand, this can get messy!

    A Greek Chicken Souvlaki wrap.

    More Grilling & Smoker Recipes!

    Looking for an excuse to fire up the grill? I've got you...

    Apple Chicken Burgers with Basil & Gouda
    Cold Smoked Potato Salad
    Crispy Smoked Chicken Wings
    Fajita Chicken Kebabs
    Grilled Jambalaya Skewers
    Hop Marinated Chicken & Vegetable Skewers
    Hoppy IPA BBQ Sauce
    How to Cook Corn on the Cob
    Montreal Smoked Meat
    Montreal Steak Spice & Marinade
    Moroccan Spiced Lamb Burgers
    Replica Diana Sauce
    Smoked Cheese Balls
    Smoked French Fries
    Smoked Jalapeno Poppers
    Spinach Feta Salmon Burgers
    Tandoori Spiced Chicken Burgers with Mango
    Vegetarian Chorizo Burgers with Grilled Poblano & Cilantro Pesto

    Several grilled chicken soulaki skewers on a platter with red onions, tomatoes, and cucumber slices.

    Share the Love!

    Before you chow down, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you post it to Bluesky, be sure to tag us - @CelebrationGen. We're also on Pinterest, so you can save all your favourite recipes to a board!

    Also, be sure to subscribe to my free monthly email newsletter, so you never miss out on any of my nonsense. Well, the published nonsense, anyway!

    Finally, if you love this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating and comment below!

    Several grilled chicken soulaki skewers on a platter with red onions, tomatoes, and cucumber slices.

    Several grilled chicken soulaki skewers on a platter with red onions, tomatoes, and cucumber slices.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    5 from 2 votes

    Greek Chicken Souvlaki

    This chicken souvlaki is easy to make, full of flavor, and the resulting grilled chicken skewers are juicy! Accent with my homemade tzatziki.
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time15 minutes mins
    Chilling time8 hours hrs
    Total Time8 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Greek
    Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free
    Servings: 4 People
    Calories: 397kcal
    Author: Marie Porter

    Equipment

    • Bamboo Skewers (Can use metal, if necessary!)
    • Cheesecloth

    Ingredients

    Chicken Souvlaki:

    • 2 lbs Boneless skinless chicken
    • ¼ cup Olive oil
    • ¼ cup Lemon juice
    • 1 Lemon zest of
    • 4 Garlic cloves minced or pressed
    • 1 tablespoon Dried oregano
    • ½ teaspoon Salt
    • ½ teaspoon Ground black pepper

    Instructions

    Souvlaki:

    • Trim chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes. Place prepared chicken into a non-metallic bowl or dish (with a lid).
    • In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.
    • Pour marinade over chicken, stir well to coat. Chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
    • Thread chicken onto skewers, grill until chicken is cooked through.
    • Serve hot, with tzaziki sauce, vegetables, and pita

    Nutrition

    Calories: 397kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 556mg | Potassium: 923mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 98IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 2mg

    Several skewers of Green chicken souvlaki on a bed of lettuce, with tomatoes and lemon slices.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mary Ann

      November 19, 2022 at 5:25 am

      5 stars
      This recipe sounds lovely 😍. Will try next week when I have the time. Do you think it will work with dog or cat meat?

      Reply
      • Marie Porter

        June 10, 2024 at 5:38 pm

        You know what? I'm going to approve this, just to keep that sweet, sweet 5 star review.

        For anyone reading this, this woman is an antimasker that took allllll kinds of offense to the fact that I had a tutorial on making masks, back at the beginning of the pandemic. This was one of several comments - here and on Facebook - as well as harassing emails.

        Reply
    5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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