This healthy Chicken Souvlaki recipe is classic Greek street food. The marinated chicken is packed with flavor and will bring the taste of Greece right into your kitchen!
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Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Chicken Souvlaki Recipe
- What is Souvlaki?
- Recipe Ingredients
- How to Make Chicken Souvlaki
- Tips for Success
- Frequently Asked Questions
- What Goes With Greek Souvlaki?
- Can Souvlaki Be Made in Advance?
- How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Can I Freeze Chicken Souvlaki?
- More Chicken Dinner Ideas
- Get the Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Souvlaki Recipe
Chicken souvlaki is a Greek classic that takes marinated, grilled meat to the next level. You can also customize it and add in vegetables if you’d like. Here are a few more reasons about why I love this meal so much:
- Juicy and tender. This grilled chicken comes out so juicy on the inside, with just a touch of smokiness and char on the outside layer.
- Complex seasoning. Homemade Greek seasoning is super easy to whisk together, but the flavors are complex and full of depth! It’s made with dried basil, garlic powder, dried dill weed, marjoram, ground cinnamon, and more.
- Adaptable. You can eat this chicken right off the skewer, make Chicken Gyros with it, put it in a salad, etc. The meal options are endless!
What is Souvlaki?
Chicken souvlaki is a Greek street-food-type dish made with chicken marinated in traditional Mediterranean flavors. The word “souvlaki” simply means “meat on skewers,” so the chicken is threaded onto skewers and grilled. Sometimes you’ll see vegetables added on and grilled along with the chicken. Souvlaki is usually one part of a meal served along with sides.
Recipe Ingredients
Simple ingredients, most of which you probably already have, come together to make this authentic chicken souvlaki. Here’s what you’ll need to round up (if you’re looking for specific quantities, check out the recipe card below):
- Chicken – Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thigh meat), cut into bite-size pieces.
- Olive Oil – I like to use extra virgin olive oil, but canola/vegetable oil will also work.
- White Wine Vinegar – Red wine vinegar can be substituted, but the flavor is bolder than with white wine vinegar.
- Garlic Cloves – Freshly minced garlic is best, but store-bought minced garlic works in a pinch.
- Seasoning – I like to mix Homemade Greek Seasoning, salt, and pepper when I make this grilled chicken.
- Fresh Lemon Juice – The acidity from the lemon helps tenderize the chicken while it marinates.
How to Make Chicken Souvlaki
Making chicken souvlaki is a breeze… the hardest part is waiting for the chicken to marinate! Here’s how it all comes together (you can find the full directions in the recipe card below):
- Make the souvlaki marinade. Combine all of the ingredients, except for the chicken, in a ziplock bag and shake the bag to mix everything well.
- Marinate the chicken. Add the chicken in, and shake to ensure that the marinade is covering it. Allow the chicken to marinate in this mixture in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 6 hours.
- Thread the skewers and grill. Remove the chicken from the marinade. Thread the chicken onto the skewers and grill it until it is cooked through. The chicken can be grilled outdoors or on a stovetop with a grill pan.
Tips for Success
Let’s talk tips and tricks! Before you start on this souvlaki recipe, here are some helpful things to know:
- Let the meat marinate. This is an important step, so don’t skip it! When you marinate the chicken, all of the flavors in the marinade mingle and set into the chicken, making it more flavorful and tender.
- Don’t overcrowd the skewers. If there are too many pieces of chicken on the skewer, it will be harder for the chicken to cook through and to cook evenly.
- Soak your skewers. If you are using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for about 30 minutes before you start grilling so that they don’t burn.
Frequently Asked Questions
Like souvlaki, gyros are popular Greek street food. Both are made with meat, but the meat is prepared differently. Souvlaki is made with small pieces of grilled meat, while gyros are made with slices of meat that are shaved off of a vertical rotisserie. You can learn more about the difference between these two popular street foods here.
Souvlaki is a relatively healthy form of Greek comfort food. Chicken souvlaki in particular is good for you because it is made with lean meat that is full of protein.
What Goes With Greek Souvlaki?
Chicken souvlaki can be served in a number of ways. If you’re looking for suggestions, this is what I’d recommend:
- Make gyros. My favorite way to use this chicken is in chicken gyros with some delicious Tzatziki Sauce! I like to warm up some Homemade Pita Bread, top it with the chicken souvlaki, and add a generous dollop or two of fresh tzatziki.
- Add a salad. If you are looking for something to go with your chicken souvlaki to make it more of a meal, consider serving it with a traditional Greek Salad.
- Prepare some more side dishes. Something like this Mediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad or this Chickpea Salad would work well!
Can Souvlaki Be Made in Advance?
Yes! You can leave the chicken in the marinade for up to 24 hours in the fridge. You can also prepare and cook it fully and reheat it for easy dinners later. I prefer reheating it in a pan on the stove, but it can always be microwaved too. It is best served fresh off the grill, but it’s still delicious when reheated.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
If you happen to have leftovers, keep them in the fridge for later! Here’s how to properly preserve this souvlaki recipe:
- To store. You can store chicken souvlaki in an airtight container, refrigerated for up to 5 days. I prefer to remove the chicken from the skewers because it’s easier to store that way. You’ll also want to keep the chicken separate from any toppings or tzatziki sauce.
- To reheat. When you are ready to enjoy your chicken souvlaki again, warm the chicken on the stovetop or in the microwave, and then add on your favorite toppings!
Can I Freeze Chicken Souvlaki?
You can prep the chicken ahead of time by placing it in a freezer-friendly ziplock bag with the marinade and freezing it for easy meal prep later. When you are ready to make the chicken souvlaki, pull it out of the freezer and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. By doing this, you are also marinating the chicken as it thaws. All you have to do the next day is cook it!
More Chicken Dinner Ideas
Looking for some more simple chicken recipes? These are some of my favorites!
- Grilled Chicken Salad With Honey Mustard Dressing
- Juicy Grilled Chicken Kabobs
- Salsa Verde Chicken
- Crockpot Chicken and Rice
Chicken Souvlaki
Ingredients
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, in bite size pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons Greek Seasoning
- 1 large lemon, juiced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
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Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a ziplock bag and shake well to mix.
- Add chicken and shake to ensure the marinade is covering chicken. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 6 hours.
- Remove chicken from marinade, and toss leftover marinade. Thread chicken onto skewers and grill until cooked thoroughly on an outdoor grill or on the stove top with grill pan. Serve warm!
- Serve with Tzatziki sauce for dipping, as a topping for Greek salad, in pita for chicken gyros or wiht Greek sides or roasted vegetables.
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Really great. Used Arugula and low carb wraps. Would make again. Used Chicken thighs — made 3 x recipe of seasoning. Perfect.
This is soooo good!! Definitely a keeper!
I made this with the tzatziki sauce, greek salad and salad dressing also given, what a huge hit with everyone, so scrumptious. The best tzatziki I have ever tasted too. Will definitely make and again and again. You don’t need to change anything in these recipes.
LOTS of spices, but SOOOOO worth it! I think I ran to 3 stores to get all the spices..LOL! I had 18 over for Bunco and served theses kabobs and they were a hit! Juicy and flavorful. Def will make these again. Thanks so much!
So glad you enjoyed them and they were worth it!! At least now that you have the seasonings they will be easy to make again next time haha! 😉
Lovely recipe done this several times now with all the extras thank you
Great recipe, easy to use delicious to eat. Made your Greek seasoning also. Thanks for a good and easy meal, will make again…..Marie
hi,
what kind of rice is good to eat with chicken souvlaki
Any kind you would enjoy, we like to make a Greek style rice. Cook rice in chicken broth with a little olive oil and garlic. Then add some lemon juice and butter at the end before serving!
Soooo admitted cooking and cooking with flavor are not my strong suits… so I followed this recipe along with the greek seasoning and tzatziki and they are AMAZING!!! I marinaded over night for extra time. My shocked family were thrilled! And I couldn’t have patted myself on the back more for pulling off such a wonderful dinner. I actually cut into bite size pieces and layed heavy tin foil on the grill to make a flat top. I even used the Greek seasoning for onions and peppers and cooked along side. You are a magician thank you!!! Will use this FOREVER!!!
Delicious! Easy and flavorful!
Followed the recipe exactly but grilled the chicken breasts and sliced them. Tossed a salad and the dinner was complete and so delicious!!!!!
Thank you so much, this marinade is amazing. Very rich and full of the flavors I love. I’m going to make it in batches in the future and use it weekly. Definitely a new family favorite.
So amazing. I didn’t have fresh lemon so I did use lemon juice. I also doubled the recipe since I had 2 pounds of chicken breasts. The chicken came out tender, juicy and so flavorful. Everyone in my family loved it. Will most certainly make again and again.
Ditto Dana…we had the same reaction.
I’m looking for it I am so looking forward to making this recipe and I also wanted to bake some or make bread do you happen to have that recipe also I want to go all out and have a dinner party with some really nice Greek food could you tell me a good wine to have with it also
Hi Cynthia, what kind of bread recipe are you looking for? Happy to help if I can!
As for a wine, that is super personal, but we love Malagousia! It’s a great Greek white wine that would go well with Chicken Souvlaki!
This was fabulous!! Definitely will be making again!!
Thank you!
Can it be baked in oven?
Sure it can! 🙂
What would the temp of oven and time be for baking in oven?
Hi Carmen! Since the chicken is cut in bite size pieces, it can bake in the oven at 400°F for about 18 to 20 minutes, until cooked through and an internal temp reaches 165°F. If you want it blackened a little, like on the grill, you can also turn on the broiler at the end for a few minutes. Hope this helps!
This recipe is awesome! It’s better than most of the chicken souvlaki you get from the restaurants. I didn’t have the white wine vinegar, so I use rice vinegar instead and it turned out fantastic. The chicken marinaded for only 2-3 hours because I started the preparation late but it still turned out great. Thank you for the best recipe ever.
Oh my goodness! I’ve been making chicken shish kebab forever as I am Greek! I was having a very hard time making sure that the meat is tender, moist and flavorful and this recipe is not 10 out of 10 it’s 100 out of 100!!! Delicious, easy and accurate with all the details! I have found and will keep this recipe in my repertoire for chicken shish kebab.
So glad you enjoyed it Maggie! 🙂
Family Favorite! Turned out perfect! Making this again for sure!
Your body needs salt but use a good pink Himalyan salt instead of the processed table salt. It’s sugar that is your body’s enemy.
Table salt is NOT sugar.
We felt that the chicken was much too salty but otherwise good. Made the sauce also and it was good. (I only used 1 & 1/2 Tbs seasoning in the marinade and feel like that was too much)