Greek Chicken Souvlaki

Create your own flavours of Greece at home with these authentic grilled chicken souvlaki.

What is souvlaki

Souvlaki (pronounced soo-vlah-kee) is a popular Greek food that translates to “small pieces of meat grilled on a skewer”. Souvlaki are the most popular item appearing on every Greek restaurant menu since they’re flavourful, moist and ever so hard to resist.

I’ve made these delicious souvlaki skewers loaded with classic Greek flavours so many times for family, friends and neighbours. The chicken comes grilled in many forms, but somehow when it’s skewered on a stick with genuine Greek flavours, it always seems so much more exciting to everyone. I always get rave reviews and everyone comes back for more. I’ve always kept this recipe a secret but now it’s time for me to share it.

The secret revealed in two parts

1. The souvlaki is made with a simple marinade containing “the holy trinity” of Greek flavours. This refers to olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, and garlic. Just simple, fresh and flavourful ingredients.
2. The grilled souvlaki are garnished with grilled lemon juice. Grilling lemons loosens and releases their juices and adds a subtle smoky flavour to the juice. The flavour makes these souvlakis extra special and tasty.

What you need to make souvlaki

It’s super easy to make these souvlakis at home with only a few ingredients! You do need to get your hands dirty to thread the marinated chicken cubes onto the skewers – but don’t panic! Hands are totally washable! Here’s a list of all you need:

• olive oil
• lemons
• dried oregano
• garlic cloves
• paprika, salt & pepper
• boneless chicken breasts
• bamboo skewers

How far in advance can you make souvlaki

Marinate the skewers for a few hours, or ideally overnight to ensure the ultimate infused flavour. This makes it convenient when entertaining as all the prep work is done in advance. Wait to grill the souvlaki and lemons just before they’re needed; they grill up quickly in 10 – 12 minutes.

Using other types of meat

This recipe caters to chicken but would work equally well with pork, beef or lamb. You may need to adjust the grilling time for the type of meat you use.

Tips for making souvlaki

• Use boneless chicken breasts for this recipe, if they have tenders attached, remove them since it’s difficult to cube them; reserve tenders for another use (think chicken strips or chicken stir-fry).
• Cube the chicken pieces in consistent 1” to 1 ½” sizes to ensure even cooking.
• Allow for marinating time so plan to assemble the souvlaki early in the day or a day ahead.
• Soak the bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes or longer before skewering the chicken.
• Remove souvlaki from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before grilling.
• Drizzle the cut lemons with a little bit of olive oil before grilling, this helps them caramelize.
• Do not overcook the chicken; the pieces are fairly small and cook quickly.
• Allow the grilled souvlaki to rest on a platter tented with foil for a few minutes before squeezing the grilled lemon juice overtop.

What to serve with Souvlaki

Serving souvlaki with a salad is a must. I happen to love Greek flavours so I’ve also developed the perfect Greek Salad that pairs beautifully with this souvlaki. Also, it’s a must to serve souvlaki with a cool creamy tzatziki sauce and pita bread. Tzatziki is a traditional Greek yogurt-based sauce with cucumbers, garlic, and lemon. I simply like to use a good quality store-bought one. You can also wrap the souvlaki in pita bread with Greek Salad and tzatziki sauce as a garnish.

This is truly the best chicken souvlaki ever. It’s juicy, lemony and garlicky. I could eat this souvlaki every day! Even leftovers are great served the next day for lunch or dinner with a salad or in a wrap.

I’m telling you, once you make this souvlaki at home, you won’t need to visit your local souvlaki hut any more!

Recipe