Greek Chicken Souvlaki Recipe - Grilled Chicken With Greek Seasoning! (2024)

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This healthy Chicken Souvlaki recipe is classic Greek street food. The marinated chicken is packed with flavor and will bring the taste of Greece right into your kitchen!

Greek Chicken Souvlaki Recipe - Grilled Chicken With Greek Seasoning! (1)

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love This Chicken Souvlaki Recipe
What is Souvlaki?
Recipe Ingredients
How to Make Chicken Souvlaki
Tips for Success
Frequently Asked Questions
What Goes With Greek Souvlaki?
Can Souvlaki Be Made in Advance?
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Can I Freeze Chicken Souvlaki?
More Chicken Dinner Ideas
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Why You’ll Love This Chicken Souvlaki Recipe

Chicken souvlaki is a Greek classic that takes marinated, grilled meat to the next level. You can also customize it and add in vegetables if you’d like. Here are a few more reasons about why I love this meal so much:

Juicy and tender. This grilled chicken comes out so juicy on the inside, with just a touch of smokiness and char on the outside layer.
Complex seasoning. Homemade Greek seasoning is super easy to whisk together, but the flavors are complex and full of depth! It’s made with dried basil, garlic powder, dried dill weed, marjoram, ground cinnamon, and more.
Adaptable. You can eat this chicken right off the skewer, make Chicken Gyros with it, put it in a salad, etc. The meal options are endless!

Greek Chicken Souvlaki Recipe - Grilled Chicken With Greek Seasoning! (2)

What is Souvlaki?

Chicken souvlaki is a Greek street-food-type dish made with chicken marinated in traditional Mediterranean flavors. The word “souvlaki” simply means “meat on skewers,”so the chicken is threaded onto skewers and grilled. Sometimes you’ll see vegetables added on and grilled along with the chicken. Souvlaki is usually one part of a meal served along with sides.

Greek Chicken Souvlaki Recipe - Grilled Chicken With Greek Seasoning! (3)

Recipe Ingredients

Simple ingredients, most of which you probably already have, come together to make this authentic chicken souvlaki. Here’s what you’ll need to round up (if you’re looking for specific quantities, check out the recipe card below):

Chicken – Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thigh meat), cut into bite-size pieces.
Olive Oil – I like to use extra virgin olive oil, but canola/vegetable oil will also work.
White Wine Vinegar – Red wine vinegar can be substituted, but the flavor is bolder than with white wine vinegar.
Garlic Cloves – Freshly minced garlic is best, but store-bought minced garlic works in a pinch.
Seasoning – I like to mix Homemade Greek Seasoning, salt, and pepper when I make this grilled chicken.
Fresh Lemon Juice – The acidity from the lemon helps tenderize the chicken while it marinates.

Greek Chicken Souvlaki Recipe - Grilled Chicken With Greek Seasoning! (4)

How to Make Chicken Souvlaki

Making chicken souvlaki is a breeze… the hardest part is waiting for the chicken to marinate! Here’s how it all comes together (you can find the full directions in the recipe card below):

Greek Chicken Souvlaki Recipe - Grilled Chicken With Greek Seasoning! (5)

Greek Chicken Souvlaki Recipe - Grilled Chicken With Greek Seasoning! (6)

Make the souvlaki marinade. Combine all of the ingredients, except for the chicken, in a ziplock bag and shake the bag to mix everything well.
Marinate the chicken. Add the chicken in, and shake to ensure that the marinade is covering it. Allow the chicken to marinate in this mixture in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 6 hours.
Thread the skewers and grill.Remove the chicken from the marinade. Thread the chicken onto the skewers and grill it until it is cooked through. The chicken can be grilled outdoors or on a stovetop with a grill pan.

Tips for Success

Let’s talk tips and tricks! Before you start on this souvlaki recipe, here are some helpful things to know:

Let the meat marinate. This is an important step, so don’t skip it! When you marinate the chicken, all of the flavors in the marinade mingle and set into the chicken, making it more flavorful and tender.
Don’t overcrowd the skewers. If there are too many pieces of chicken on the skewer, it will be harder for the chicken to cook through and to cook evenly.
Soak your skewers. If you are using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for about 30 minutes before you start grilling so that they don’t burn.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a gyro and souvlaki?

What Goes With Greek Souvlaki?

Chicken souvlaki can be served in a number of ways. If you’re looking for suggestions, this is what I’d recommend:

Make gyros. My favorite way to use this chicken is in chicken gyros with some delicious Tzatziki Sauce! I like to warm up some Homemade Pita Bread, top it with the chicken souvlaki, and add a generous dollop or two of fresh tzatziki.
Add a salad. If you are looking for something to go with your chicken souvlaki to make it more of a meal, consider serving it with a traditional Greek Salad.
Prepare some more side dishes. Something like this Mediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad or this Chickpea Salad would work well!

Can Souvlaki Be Made in Advance?

Yes! You can leave the chicken in the marinade for up to 24 hours in the fridge. You can also prepare and cook it fully and reheat it for easy dinners later. I prefer reheating it in a pan on the stove, but it can always be microwaved too. It is best served fresh off the grill, but it’s still delicious when reheated.

Greek Chicken Souvlaki Recipe - Grilled Chicken With Greek Seasoning! (9)

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

If you happen to have leftovers, keep them in the fridge for later! Here’s how to properly preserve this souvlaki recipe:

To store. You can store chicken souvlaki in an airtight container, refrigerated for up to 5 days. I prefer to remove the chicken from the skewers because it’s easier to store that way. You’ll also want to keep the chicken separate from any toppings or tzatziki sauce.
To reheat. When you are ready to enjoy your chicken souvlaki again, warm the chicken on the stovetop or in the microwave, and then add on your favorite toppings!

Can I Freeze Chicken Souvlaki?

You can prep the chicken ahead of time by placing it in a freezer-friendly ziplock bag with the marinade and freezing it for easy meal prep later. When you are ready to make the chicken souvlaki, pull it out of the freezer and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. By doing this, you are also marinating the chicken as it thaws. All you have to do the next day is cook it!

More Chicken Dinner Ideas

Looking for some more simple chicken recipes? These are some of my favorites!

Grilled Chicken Salad With Honey Mustard Dressing
Juicy Grilled Chicken Kabobs
Salsa Verde Chicken
Crockpot Chicken and Rice

4.4 from 291 votes

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Yield: 4

Chicken Souvlaki

This simple and healthy Chicken Souvlaki is classic Greek street food. The marinated chicken is packed with flavor and will bring the taste of Greece right to your kitchen.

Ingredients

1 lb. boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, in bite size pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
4 large garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons Greek Seasoning
1 large lemon, juiced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a ziplock bag and shake well to mix.
Add chicken and shake to ensure the marinade is covering chicken. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 6 hours.
Remove chicken from marinade, and toss leftover marinade. Thread chicken onto skewers and grill until cooked thoroughly on an outdoor grill or on the stove top with grill pan. Serve warm!
Serve with Tzatziki sauce for dipping, as a topping for Greek salad, in pita for chicken gyros or wiht Greek sides or roasted vegetables.

Video

Notes

To Freeze: Prep the chicken in marinade and place it in a freezer friendly ziplock bag (with the marinade) and freeze it for easy meal prep later. When you are ready to make the Chicken Souvlaki, pull it out of the freezer and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. By doing this, you are also marinating the chicken as it thaws. Cook according to above directions once thawed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 261kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 36g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 96mg, Sodium: 3768mg, Fiber: 1g

Cuisine: Greek

Category: Chicken

FAQs

Is Greek seasoning the same as souvlaki seasoning? ›

Rodelle Greek Seasoning is a Souvlaki-style seasoning spice blend. Souvlaki is a staple in Greek cuisine, often the star of the ever popular shish kebab. Rodelle Greek Seasoning is a traditional mix of spices and flavors that will enhance pork, lamb, chicken and other meat and fish dishes.

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What is souvlaki marinade made of? ›

👩‍🍳 How to Make Chicken Souvlaki

Make the marinade by whisking together salt, pepper, minced garlic, dried oregano, lemon juice, mustard, greek yogurt and olive oil.

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What does souvlaki seasoning taste like? ›

Souvlaki seasoning is not typically very spicy, but it can have a mild kick depending on the amount of pepper or red pepper flakes used in the blend. It tends to have a well-balanced flavor profile with a combination of savory herbs and subtle heat.

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What is the difference between chicken gyro and chicken souvlaki? ›

Here's how to tell the difference: Souvlaki is marinated pork, chicken, beef, or lamb grilled on a skewer. It's typically served on a skewer, but you can also eat it in a warm pita or over salad. Gyros are made with stacked meat (usually pork, but other meats are common) that has been cooked on a vertical rotisserie.

What spice do Greeks use most? ›

What spices are used in Greek food? Greek cuisine primarily uses oregano, mint, garlic, onion, dill, and bay leaf, along with the addition of basil, thyme, fennel seed, and parsley.

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What are 5 common spices in Greece? ›

You can purchase the dried berries and grind them yourself or buy them already pulverized.

Cardamom. Cardamom, referred to in Greece as Karthamo (KAR-thah-mo), is used primarily in sauces and as a seasoning for vegetables. ...
Coriander. ...
Mahlab. ...
Mastic. ...
Nutmeg. ...
Saffron.

May 12, 2019

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What is traditional souvlaki made from? ›

Souvlaki is traditionally made with pork, but other meats such as chicken, beef, or lamb can also be used. There is even a vegetarian option for souvlaki which features a variety of marinated vegetables, such as mushrooms, peppers, onions, eggplant and zucchini.

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Is chicken souvlaki healthy? ›

Lean Proteins and Nutrient-Rich Ingredients

One of the main reasons why souvlaki can be a healthy option is that it's typically made with lean proteins like chicken, pork, or lamb. These meats are excellent sources of protein, which is essential for building and repairing muscle tissue.

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What is the key ingredient in marinade? ›

A typical marinade is made up of three essential components: an acid (such as vinegar, wine, or citrus), an oil (such as olive oil or sesame oil), and a flavouring agent (such as herbs and spices).

What gives Greek food its signature flavor? ›

Each culture is known for its unique spices and herbs used to create signature dishes, and for the Greeks, those spices are primarily citruses, good quality oils, peppers, oregano, dill, and cheeses.

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What gives Greek food its flavor? ›

The traditional flavors of Greek food come from the sun-drenched Greek herbs and spices grown along the hillsides on the main island of Greece. Dill weed, thyme, oregano and mint are Greek essentials that really add bold character to fish, meat or vegetables.

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Is Greek seasoning the same as Italian seasoning? ›

Italian seasoning has some similarities to Greek seasoning and herbs de Provence. Unlike Greek seasoning, which is a blend of both herbs and spices, Italian seasoning contains only dried herbs.

Which is healthier, chicken gyro or souvlaki? ›

Which is healthier, souvlaki or gyro? Both souvlaki and gyro can be nutritious choices, depending on how they are prepared and served. Both are made with relatively lean meat cuts and grilled, making them a great lean protein source.