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This Easy Greek Chicken Souvlaki is a simple summer delight that is so flavorful but made with simple Mediterranean ingredients. Tender and juicy bites of chicken are marinated with garlic, lemon juice, herbs, and more, then stacked up on a skewer and grilled! Bonus: it’s naturally gluten free, paleo, and keto-friendly.
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Souvlaki
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: Greek-inspired
- Primary Cooking Method: Grill
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free, Dairy-free
- Skill Level: Easy
Grilled chicken is usually my entree of choice at cookouts and barbecues. Whether I’m making Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs or Tandoori Chicken Legs, it’s a tender, juicy, and satisfying way to travel around the world without leaving my backyard. And with this dish, I’m heading to the Mediterranean!
This recipe makes the most drool-worthy chicken souvlaki you’ll ever try! A staple menu item of Greek street food, souvlaki refers to grilled pieces of meat on a skewer. They’re similar to kebabs, but they focus entirely on the meat rather than incorporating vegetables and/or fruits. Traditional souvlaki often uses pork, but I personally have a penchant for chicken souvlaki – and you will too after trying this recipe! Here’s why you’ll love it…
- The marinade works wonders. It tenderizes the meat to ensure you can cook it to perfection without it getting dry or tough while simultaneously adding an explosion of tangy and savory Greek flavors.
- Incredibly versatile. While souvlaki is often served with pita, tzatziki, and Greek salad, you can also use the meat on grain bowls, to top a bed of lettuce, rolled up in gluten free tortillas for a lunchtime wrap, and so much more.
- Year-round favorite. While the grill adds a nice bit of char, even if it’s the middle of winter, you can still enjoy this summery treat by grilling your chicken in a skillet!
What You’ll Need
To make chicken souvlaki, you’ll first need to round up 4-6 wooden skewers and gather your ingredients. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full amounts and detailed instructions. But here’s a quick shopping list for you:
- Chicken: I like to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you can also use thighs if you prefer dark meat.
- Olive Oil
- White Wine Vinegar: The vinegar will help tenderize the meat by destructuring the proteins. It will also cause the raw marinated chicken to get a bit white on the outside – don ́t worry about that – it’s completely normal!
- Garlic Cloves: Minced.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: From about half a lemon.
- Dried Oregano & Thyme: You can use fresh if you have it on hand.
- Salt & Pepper
How to Make Chicken Souvlaki
Grilling is one of the easiest and most fun ways to cook, or at least that’s the case with souvlaki! If you’ve grilled any kind of kebabs before, you already know the drill.
Marinate the chicken: Combine all the ingredients for the marinade together in a mixing bowl. Pour the marinade over the meat, mix well, cover, and place into the fridge for around 30 minutes.
- Soak Skewers & Add Meat: Meanwhile, soak the wooden skewers in water for at least 10 minutes. Once the resting time is up, carefully thread the meat onto the skewers.
- Grill: Over high heat, grill the chicken on each side for 3-4 minutes, or until it’s done. If you’re using chicken thighs, they’ll need a little more cook time.
- Enjoy! Remove your skewers from the grill once they have reached 165°F. Serve with your favorite sides and sauces. Keep reading for menu ideas!
Tips for Success
- Soak the Skewers: Don’t skip this step – it helps ensure the skewers don’t end up burning on the hot grill.
- Use a Meat Thermometer: Temperature is the best way to determine the doneness of your chicken. It should register at 165°F. I use this one from Javatools all the time!
- Marinate Overnight: If you have the time, marinate the chicken in the refrigerator overnight. This will help tenderize the meat even more and intensify the lemon flavor. Just leave out the vinegar in that case, as leaving it on the chicken for too long will result in mushy meat.
- Heat Things Up: If you want to add a kick of heat, throw some chili into the marinade. It’ll also bring out the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Add Veggies: If you’re in the mood to pack in your daily nutrients, you can cut your favorite veggies into cubes, marinate them, slip them into the skewers along with the meat and grill! Onions, bell peppers and zucchini are excellent choices.
- Change the Protein: This basic marinade and method works for shrimp, pork, or even make beef souvlaki.
- Rainy Day? You can enjoy chicken souvlaki indoors all year long. Just cook the meat in your skillet for around 3-4 minutes on each side over high heat, adding some oil for cooking.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
I’m all about making chicken souvlaki ahead of time and saving it for later because it’s so versatile and the flavors intensify! Here’s how to properly store it:
- Fridge – Store cooled chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer – This recipe is freezer-friendly. Cooled chicken can be placed in a freezer-safe container and frozen for up to 6 months. Thaw it out in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheat – Reheated chicken should always reach a temperature of at least 160°F. To accomplish this without drying it out, warm your chicken in a 400°F oven for about 25 minutes, flipping it over halfway through.
Make it a Meal
Not sure what dishes are worthy of a place at the table with your souvlaki? There is nothing more traditional than experiencing souvlaki in true Greek fashion with Gluten Free Pita a drizzle of Classic Homemade Tzatziki Dip. Don’t forget a nice scoop of light and fresh Greek Salad or even Air Fryer Falafel. But if you want to change things up and need more side dish ideas, I’ve got you:
- Have a Bowl. Grain bowls are always a hit, so slide your chicken off the skewers onto a base of white rice or brown rice. Then add some Tomato Cucumber Feta Salad and a scoop of Hummus!
- Keep it Low Carb. You can also opt for cauliflower rice, or some Zoodles Greek Salad.
- Toss Sides on the Grill. Serve up some Grilled Asparagus with Lemon and Foil Pack Potatoes to go along with your grilled chicken.
- Get Creative. This dish is the perfect complement to the flavors of Mediterranean Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes.
More Chicken Dinner Ideas
Who doesn’t love a good home-cooked chicken dinner? The following recipes are always a big hit.
Easy Greek Chicken Souvlaki
Equipment
- Grill
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes or strips
- 4-6 wooden skewers
For the Marinade
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 lemon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp salt
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients for the marinade together in a mixing bowl.
- Pour the marinade over the meat, mix well, cover and place in the fridge for around 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, soak the wooden skewers in water for at least 10 minutes. This will help ensure that they don’t end up burning when you’re grilling the meat on high heat.
- Carefully thread the meat onto the skewers.
- Grill on each side for 3-4 minutes or until meat is done (165°F).
- Serve it with some fresh greek salad, pita bread, and tzatziki.
Notes
Did you make this?
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Easy Greek Chicken Souvlaki is amazing. Since ir is so hot in our area, I did the kabobs in the air fryer. I also made the homemade tzatziki sauce. For the side dish, I made the Mediterranean Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes. I was very skeptical by dinner time but it was wonderful. All the flavors together were a medley from start to finish. My husband left NOTHING on his plate and declared it better than our local Greek restaurant. I plan to incorporate more of your recipes in our weekly meal plans.
I am so happy you enjoyed the meal! Thank you for your kind words!
I just made this for dinner last night and oh my it was delirious. I am so excited to make the pita bread. I grew up eating pita bread but have not had it for years since I cannot have any gluten now due to an autoimmune disease. Thank you for sharing.