Description
This Greek chicken souvlaki recipe can be prepared in various ways. In the summer, we always fire up the grill and grill the skewers of meat; in the winter, we don’t skewer the meat, and simply broil the meat for a few minutes a side. Either way is delicious.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- kosher salt and pepper
- oregano
- lots of basil (at least once cup packed), roughly chopped
- 3 to 6 cloves of garlic, minced
- extra-virgin olive oil
for serving:
- lemon wedges
- naan or pita bread
- tzatziki
- cucumber, mint & feta salad (recipe below)
for the salad:
- 2 cups diced cucumbers (if the skin tastes a little tough, peel the cucumber)
- feta cheese, crumbled
- mint, thinly sliced (a tablespoon or two)
- extra-virgin olive oil
- white balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken. Wash and dry the chicken. Cut chicken into pieces roughly 2×2-inches in size — it’s ok if these are a little bit smaller or larger in size and if they are more rectangular than square, etc. Place chicken in a large bowl (if your fridge has space for it) or a large ziplock bag.
- Season chicken all over with kosher salt and pepper — a good rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of meat. Crumble oregano (about a teaspoon or two) over top. Throw in the basil and garlic. Pour olive oil into bowl or bag to submerge chicken.
- Place bowl or bag of chicken in fridge. Marinate for at least four hours if possible.
- Cook the chicken. When ready to cook: Preheat grill to its highest setting (525ºF or 550ºF) or preheat the broiler to high. Meanwhile dump chicken out onto a sheet pan. If grilling, skewer the chicken, trying to place similarly sized pieces on the same skewer if possible. When chicken is skewered and grill is hot, grill skewers for 3 minutes a side. If broiling, set the chicken on a lightly oiled broiler pan. Broil three minutes a side. Transfer to a platter. Let rest at least 5 minutes before serving.
- Warm up the naan or pita. Place naan or pita on turned-off grill. Keep an eye on it — it should be warmed through and read to go after 2 or 3 minutes tops. Otherwise, warm in the oven or toaster.
- To make the salad: combine cucumbers, feta and mint in a bowl. Toss with equal parts olive oil and white balsamic. As a reference, I use 1 tablespoon of olive oil and one tablespoon of vinegar for about 2 cups of diced cucumbers. Season with salt if necessary — the feta is salty, so go light to start.
- Serve chicken with tzatziki, lemon wedges, salad, and warm naan or pita.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Grill or Broiler
- Cuisine: Greek
Keywords: Greek, chicken, souvlaki, marinade, garlic, basil, olive, oil, lemon, tzatziki