Chicken Souvlaki (Greek Grilled Chicken Skewers)
Chicken thighs are non-negotiable in this recipe to ensure you end up with the most succulent chicken morsels you can get. The extra fat ensures the meat will stay moist despite cooking over high heat.
I can’t eat these without tzatziki. And I mean the thick authentic yogurt cucumber sauce you find in Greece, not that runny dill studded drivel you find in the United States.
You can make these into the chicken and onion skewers described below, or you could simply marinate and grill the chicken thighs whole. Whichever you choose, pair the chicken and tzatziki with the orzo mushroom pilaf with pesto for the perfect meal.
You can use fresh or dried herbs for this dish. It will change the character a bit, but it will be delicious either way. You will need more fresh herbs then dried for the same intensity of flavor.
Chicken Souvlaki
Equipment
- Wooden skewers soaked in water (so they don’t catch fire on the grill)
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Skinless boneless chicken thighs
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 8 cloves Peeled garlic
- Juice of one lemon
- 2 tbsp Fresh oregano
- 2 tbsp Fresh rosemary
- 2 tbsp Fresh thyme
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- 2-3 medium white onions
Instructions
Prepare chicken
- Cut chicken thighs into roughly 3/4 inch chicken chunks (doesn’t need to be exact, just big enough to skewer and small enough to be bite size). Place in mixing bowl and add oil, lemon juice, oregano and salt. Marinate at least 30 minutes and up to overnight
Make Chicken Skewers
- Cut onions into cubes roughly matching the size of the chicken pieces. The best way to do this is first cut the onion in half, then cut each half into 9 sections, kind of like a tic tac toe board.
- To prepare the skewers, start with an onion chunk, taking care to keep the layers of the onion together. Then alternate with 2-3 chicken chunks before placing your next onion chunk on the skewer. Alternate until you fill the skewer. Set aside and repeat with the remaining chicken and onions. You might need another onion depending on how many chicken chunks you have. You essentially want a 1:2 onion to chicken ratio.
Grill the skewers
- Prepare the grill (either gas or charcoal will work well for this recipe). Grill over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through.
