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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Why I Love This Greek Chicken Souvlaki
Chicken souvlaki is a Greek classic that takes grilled meat to the next level. It’s a street food type of dish that features chicken breasts marinated in traditional (and mouthwatering) Mediterranean flavors! The word “souvlaki” simply means “meat on skewers,” so the chicken is threaded onto skewers and grilled. It’s one of my favorite ways to prepare chicken breasts, which is really saying something! Here’s what makes it such a staple in my weeknight dinner routine:
- 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!
- So easy: Yes! This chicken really couldn’t be easier to make. After it marinates for a few hours, you just toss it on the grill and cook for about 15 minutes. That’s all there is to it!
Key Ingredients
Below you will find helpful notes for key ingredients used to make this recipe for this Greek chicken souvlaki recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact amounts!
- Chicken – Chicken breasts are my favorite to use, but chicken thigh meat also works just fine. Make sure it’s boneless and skinless.
- Olive Oil – I like to use extra virgin olive oil, but avocado 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 for the freshest flavor, 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. You can feel free to get creative here if you want!
- Fresh Lemon Juice – The acidity from the lemon helps tenderize the chicken while it marinates. It’s really best to use freshly squeezed lemon juice and not the bottled alternative.
How to Make this Chicken Souvlaki Recipe
Making chicken souvlaki is a breeze… the hardest part is waiting for the chicken to marinate! Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions and to watch the step-by-step video.
- 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.
Chef’s Tips & Variations
- 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.
- Make it ahead of time. 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.
What to Serve with Greek Chicken 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!
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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We made this on our Blackstone over the weekend. It was the best! My husband kept raving over the sauce. He wants to put it on everything now. Will definitely make this again.
My insanely picky 6 year old loved these. Will definitely make again.
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!