Chicken Souvlaki with Golden Rice

These flavorful chicken skewers are an easy yet impressive main dish. They’re the perfect summer meal from the grill.

This is, hands down, the recipe that I make the most often. Chicken Souvlaki is great for a summer dinner on the grill, and it’s impressive enough for guests. It can also be made indoors using an indoor grill pan. The meat is SO tender and juicy!

The souvlaki is served on a bed of golden rice (regular rice with turmeric added) with a side of tzatziki, which is a creamy cucumber yogurt sauce. Along with a Classic Greek Salad, it’s a colorful, fresh, and flavorful meal.

What is souvlaki?

Souvlaki means “little skewer” in Greek. Souvlaki are served throughout Greece using various meats. The most popular are chicken, pork, and lamb.

It’s made by marinating meat in a mixture of acid, oil, and seasonings. Then, it’s threaded onto skewers and grilled.

Ingredients

For the skewers, you’ll need:

• chicken breast
• lemon juice
• olive oil
• dried oregano (fresh works, too)
• garlic
• salt
• wooden or metal skewers

For the rice, you’ll need:

• rice
• turmeric
• salt

For the tzatziki, you’ll need:

• cucumber
• Greek yogurt
• lemon juice
• olive oil
• garlic
• salt

How to make the skewers

First, cut the chicken breast into approximately 1-inch cubes. Place in a bowl with a lid, and top with the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, garlic, and salt. Place the lid on, shake to combine, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 12 hours.

Next, get out your skewers. If you’re using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 20 minutes. I use a tall reusable water bottle for this—it’s tall enough to keep the skewers submerged!

The secret to keeping the skewers juicy is placing the cubes of meat close together on the skewer. The more surface area that’s available, the drier the meat will get. So, push the meat close together!

Then, grill the kabobs either on an outdoor grill or in an indoor grill pan.

How to make golden rice

The rice makes a nice bed for the souvlaki to sit on, and it helps that making rice is no-fuss. If you find yourself scrambling for cooking directions each time you make rice, here’s my foolproof method:

The ratio is always two to one: two cups of water to one cup rice. Scale up or down accordingly depending on how much rice you want to make. I usually cook ⅓ cup of uncooked rice per person, or more if I want leftovers.

Put the rice and the water in a saucepan with some kosher salt (about ½ teaspoon per cup of rice) and the turmeric. The turmeric adds only the slightest hint of ginger-like flavor but creates an absolutely gorgeous color. It’s also a well known anti-inflammatory which sure doesn’t hurt!

Turn the heat to high and wait for it to boil.

After it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover. Set the timer for 20 minutes if you’re making white rice. If you’re making brown rice, it’ll take longer, usually 40–45 minutes.

After the timer stops, take the pan off the heat and set aside for 5 minutes.

Then lift the lid, fluff the rice with a fork, and serve. A fork really is key here—it separates the grains nicely.

I never rinse the rice before cooking, but if you’re into less starchy rice (one where the grains all distinctly separate), then go for it.

How to make tzatziki

This creamy cucumber sauce is SO refreshing next to the savory grilled meat.

To make it, grate a cucumber and place it in a fine mesh colander. Use a spatula to press all of the liquid out of it.

Then, place the cucumber in a medium bowl along with the Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and sea salt. Stir to combine.

Make sure to use full-fat Greek yogurt in this recipe. The tzatziki will be much richer and creamier that way.

FAQs

Can I make the golden rice with brown rice?
You can, though it won’t have the same vibrant yellow color as using white rice.

Do I need the tzatziki?
It’s a really good addition to this recipe, but it’s not essential. The skewers are still delicious without it.

How do I make tzatziki dairy-free?
Use coconut yogurt or soy yogurt instead. It won’t be as thick, but it still tastes good.

How to serve souvlaki

Here in the U.S., you’ll often be served souvlaki in a pita. It’ll be topped with tzatziki, and maybe some tomatoes and onions. However, souvlaki is usually served in Greece with either rice or potatoes.

I find that the golden rice is an easy hands-off side dish to make while you’re grilling the kabobs. And this Classic Greek Salad with tomatoes and cucumbers is the perfect side dish.

If you make this recipe, please leave a rating below, or tag me on Instagram or Pinterest. I love hearing from you!
 

Chicken Souvlaki with Golden Rice

Kate Shungu

Enjoy the flavors of Greece in these juicy chicken skewers!

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Course Entree

Cuisine Greek

Servings 4 servings

Calories 674 kcal

Ingredients

  

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For the chicken:

• 1½ lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Juice and zest of one lemon
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• To serve: skewers

For the golden rice:

• 2 cups white rice (I like basmati)
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

For the tzatziki:

• 1 seedless cucumber
• 2 (7 oz) containers full fat plain Greek yogurt
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

 

For the chicken:

• Cut the chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes. Place in a shallow bowl with the lemon zest and juice, oregano, garlic cloves, olive oil, and 1 teaspoon salt. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours minutes, or up to 12 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Place the skewers in a shallow pan of cold water and allow to soak for at least 30 minutes. This will protect them from scorching on the grill.
• Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium heat. Thread the chicken onto skewers.
• Place on the grill and let cook for 2–3 minutes or until grill marks appear. Flip and continue cooking, turning occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 10–12 minutes total.

For the rice:

• About 10 minutes before you begin grilling the chicken, place 4 cups of water, rice, turmeric, and 1 teaspoon of salt in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
• Cover and cook until the water is absorbed, typically about 20 minutes though it depends on the style of rice (check the package for exact directions). Remove the lid, fluff with a fork, and set aside.

For the tzatziki:

• Grate the cucumber using a box grater. Place the cucumber in a fine mesh sieve or strainer and place over a bowl. Use the back of a spoon or spatula to press the water out of the cucumber. Keep pressing until no more water is released from the cucumber.
• Place the grated cucumber, Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt in a small bowl. Stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

You may find that the tzatziki separates slightly as it sits. This is normal—those cucumbers always have extra water hiding somewhere! Just give it a stir before serving and you’ll be good to go.

Instead of mincing a clove of garlic with a knife, you can grate the garlic on a microplane or rasp grater, which is a fancy word for a handheld grater with smaller holes than a box grater. It creates a garlic purée of sorts so you can avoid any large chunks of garlic in your dish.

This recipe uses gluten free ingredients (one of the reasons I like to serve this to guests, just in case!). You can make it dairy free by choosing a dairy-free yogurt for the tzatziki.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 of the recipeCalories: 674kcalCarbohydrates: 79gProtein: 51gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 108mgSodium: 371mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3g

Keyword chicken kabobs, chicken skewers, souvlaki

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