Easy Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki
A great basic grilled chicken recipe to have on standby inspired by the greek fast food version at Mr. Greek. Healthy and a crowd pleaser that comes together in about 30 minutes. This one works well both on the grill or just pan fried indoors. Tzatziki is the perfect cool refreshing complement to this chicken and is so easy to make at home! Don't forget the lemony roast potatoes to go with it!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- wooden skewers, for grilling optional
- 2.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into large cubes for skewers (about 4 chicken breasts)
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp dried oregano (or any mix of dried herbs you like, I tried herbs de Provence, italian seasoning and/or za'atar and they all worked really well)
- salt & pepper, to taste
For the Tzatziki
- 1/2 english cucumber, washed & partially peeled (stripes) or 2 baby cucumbers
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cups greek yogurt (try to use a thicker yogurt, otherwise it will be more of a runny sauce than a thick dip)
- 1/4 tsp white pepper (or black pepper)
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken
- If you are using wooden skewers, submerge them in a dish filled with water and set aside to soak.
- Mix all the remaining ingredients for the chicken together so the chicken is well coated. Set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- You can freeze the chicken at this stage if you are meal prepping. Or go straight to grilling.
Make the Tzatziki
- Grate or finely chop the cucumber. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and use a strainer or cheesecloth to squeeze out the liquid. There will be a lot!
- In a separate bowl, mix all the remaining tzatziki ingredients and add the squeeze dried cucumber. Mix well.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavours to come together.
- The tzatziki will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. It also is great as a dip for veggies!
Grill the Chicken
- Heat your grill while you skewer the chicken on the soaked wooden skewers.
- BBQ the chicken skewers, turning often, until the chicken is just cooked through (internal temp of 165F) and starting to get golden brown on the outside. About 5-8 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked chicken skewers to a serving plate and allow them to rest covered in foil for 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve warm with chilled tzatziki for dipping, along with some lemony roast potatoes and a big salad! Enjoy!
Notes
To make ahead:
You can marinate and freeze the chicken for up to 3 months in the freezer. Just defrost for a few hours before grilling.
The tzatziki can be made up to 4 days ahead. The longer it sits the deeper the flavours get. Just store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve.
To Air Fry the Chicken:
Prepare the chicken skewers as noted above, and air fry at 400F for 10 minutes or until cooked through.