Greek Chicken Souvlaki are an easy yet impressive main dish. With a side of creamy tzatziki, they’re the perfect meal from the grill.
This is, hands down, the recipe that I make the most often. Greek Chicken Souvlaki is a great 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.
Need more weeknight dinner inspiration? Check out my Easy Ranch Chicken!
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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 Greek chicken souvlaki
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 souvlaki either on an outdoor grill or in an indoor grill pan.
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.
Make it ahead
You can marinate the chicken up to 12 hours in advance.
Since the lemon juice can cause the protein in the chicken to break down, I don’t recommend marinating it any longer than that.
The tzatziki can be made ahead up to 1 day in advance. Store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve it, and give it a stir before transferring it to a serving dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs in place of chicken breasts.
Yes! As long as the meat is big enough that it won’t fall through the grates on your grill, you can keep the meat loose, or use a vegetable grill pan to grill it. Use tongs to turn it on the grill.
It’s a really good addition to this recipe, but it’s not essential. The skewers are still delicious without it.
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 Greek Chicken Souvlaki. And this Classic Greek Salad with tomatoes and cucumbers is the perfect side dish.
Store any leftover souvlaki in a covered dish in the refrigerator. It will keep for 3–4 days.
Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and/or comment below!
📖 Recipe
Greek Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki
Ingredients
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.
Denny Wongosari says
Another meal that regularly appears in our monthly cooking rotation. The last time I made this, I hosted a couple people from my work during the pandemic. They fell in love with the tzatziki so I had to share gifofhospitality’s recipe.
Kate Shungu says
I love that! Thanks, Denny! It’s in our cooking rotation too. 🙂