Greek Chicken Souvlaki & Tzatziki Sauce

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Greek food is one of my absolute favorites! I love all of the light, fresh flavors and tang of citrus. My mother-in-law is Greek and whenever she’s in the kitchen, I’m always watching closely! This Greek Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki is full of amazing flavor and super easy yet impressive!

I have made this recipe with either chicken breast or ground chicken. I prefer the 1″ chunks of chicken breast because I think it holds better shape while grilling and has less tendency to dry out. However, if you’re going to wrap it in pita and make it into a gyro, ground chicken would be a great option! For this recipe, I’ll describe the steps using chicken breast, I just wanted to point out that ground chicken is definitely another option.

This recipe for Chicken Souvlaki & Tzatziki Sauce is so easy and super delicious. It’s great for anytime of year when you want some amazing Greek flavors!


Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Total Time

1 hour

Course

Entree

Cuisine

Greek

Servings

6 servings



Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. Chicken Breast cut into 1" chunks

  • 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil Plus 1 Tbs. For tzatziki

  • 1 Lemon zested & juiced

  • 5 Garlic Cloves minced and divided (marinade and tzatziki)

  • 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

  • 1 Tbsp. dried dill

  • 1 Tbsp. dried Oregano

  • Kosher Salt & Black Pepper

  • 1 English Cucumber peeled and grated on a box grater, squeezed completely dry

  • 1 cup Greek Yogurt plain/original

  • 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill

  • 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano

  • 1/2 Lemon juiced


Instructions

  1. If using wooden skewers, soak them for at least 30-60 minutes so they don't burn, or use metal.

  2. Make the marinade. Cube the chicken into 1" chunks and set aside. In a bowl, add 1/4 cup EVOO, lemon zest and juice, minced garlic clove, 1 Tbs. of red wine vinegar, dried dill, oregano, salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Add the chicken to the marinade and marinate at least 30 minutes or up to a few hours.

  3. Prepare the English cucumber by peeling it or partially peeling it for a little more color. No need to seed it for this type of cucumber. Using a box grater, grate the cucumber on the large grate and squeeze all excess water out a few times to remove as much moisture as possible. Set aside.

  4. Meanwhile, make the tzatziki sauce. In another bowl, add greek yogurt, chopped dill and oregano, 1 clove minced garlic, grated reserved cucumber, 1/2 lemon juiced and a drizzle of EVOO. Combine, add salt and pepper to taste and adjust accordingly. Cover with plastic wrap and stick in the fridge until ready to serve.

  5. Skewer the chicken and sprinkle with a little more kosher salt and black pepper. Preheat the grill and cook the chicken, leaving alone for 4- 5 minutes on medium high heat to get some nice grill marks but not so high that it burns before cooking through. Continue to turn and cook on all sides until chicken is cooked through. I also tent them with foil so that steam can escape but it allows them to cook through in about 12-15 minutes.

  6. Serve with greek salad, warm pita or naan bread and the tzatziki sauce...yum!


Notes

Delicious served with warm pita or naan bread and with a Greek Salad.

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